Ipswich Wanderers Reserves 1 v. Whitton United Reserves 4

Ridgeons Reserves League (North)

Saturday 18th March 2006

This was the 3rd game against our local rivals with the current match situation all square at one game all.  The game was eagerly anticipated, as it’s always nice to play your local rivals and earn the bragging rights. Unfortunately the result this time went in favour of the visiting team as they bagged themselves four first half goals that dented the home teams spirit and ended a real chance of a fight back in the second half.

The game started pretty even with both sides trying to play football on a pitch that as you can imagine at this time of year was rather hard and offered the odd bobble or two. However, Whitton put a good move together down the right hand side which resulted in a cross being met by the on-coming midfielder to head nicely past Robbie Stannard into the top right hand corner. With Whitton eager to attack they were rewarded with a free kick just outside the box that the impressive Number 9 stroked over the wall to double the visitors lead.

The visitors could sense that there were more goals for the taking, which duly came when a long ball from the goalkeeper drifted over the Wanderers defence. The striker seemed to pull back Paul Clow but the referee failed to blow and the striker nudged the ball out of reach of Robbie Stannard to make it 3-0.

The best goal of the game came shortly before half time when the lively number 9 collected the ball on the edge of the area before hitting a clinical lob shot over the home 'keeper into the far corner of the net.  It was remarked after the game that 2 goalkeeper’s would have failed to keep that out!!

Wanderers 0 – Whitton 4

Wanderers were left under no illusions by the management that the 1st half performance was not acceptable, and that the opportunity was still there to go out and salvage some respect and give the home fans something to shout about.

The team structure was altered to 3-4-3 to try and see if Wanderers could steal a goal and put the away side under pressure. Wanderers seemed to have put their slow start behind them but was that due to Whitton thinking the game was already won or belief that Wanderers could nick something?

A breakthrough came in the shape of Matthew THOMPSON who bagged himself a goal from close range after the Whitton keeper failed to hold a shot from the edge of the box.

Further chances came Wanderers way but first Ryan Owens failed to capitalize on a good cross into the box from Tommy Young's and then PROBERT had a great shot blocked on the line by an instinctive reaction save by the goalkeeper.

All in all, not a good day at the office by the squad but a good opportunity to put it right on Tuesday night against Leiston.