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WHYTELEAFE 1 - 2 MET POLICE
Saturday 27th December 2008
Ryman League Division 1 South
Whyteleafe battled hard in a match that they played for over an hour with ten men, but just when it looked as though they had done enough to earn a point, they were cruelly denied by a break near the end which saw the visitors take all three points.
Met Police had the first good chance when they won a free kick on the edge of the box, harshly given against Michael Harney who had no chance of avoiding the ball. Chris Gell took the free kick which went off the wall for a corner.
Two minutes later Paul Scott was sent down the left and got the better of a tremendous tussle with Nick Humphrey. He managed to get into the box but his shot was saved by Will Packham.
A minute later Met Police took a controversial lead. A clear foul on Harney was missed which allowed Steve Goddard time and space to cross the ball into the area where he found the unmarked Craig Brown who turned the ball home from close range.
Shortly afterwards Adam Broomhead was booked for complaining about an offside decision when he clearly wasn't and then a great run by Denva McKenzie saw him send Scott clear and on to win a corner.
Ryan Gray took the corner which was cleared as far as Jason Goodchild whose cross was just inches out of reach of Asher Hudson at the far post. Another Gray corner in the 21st minute was punched out by Packham as far as Callum McLean whose first time shot went wide.
The game was to alter in the 28th minute with a ridiculous sending off that baffled both players and spectators alike from both sides. Ali Reeve went in for a challenge with one of the Police players for a 50/50 ball and won it. The referee blew for a foul, but didn't indicate which way he had given it. After a while he called Reeve over and to the astonishment of all in the ground showed him a straight red. What had been a good game up to that point was spoiled with 'Leafe now hanging on and relying on the occasional break.
McKenzie had a 30th minute header from a Broomhead free kick saved, and in the 43rd minute, a brilliant pass from Goodchild sent Ronnie Green clear down the right but he was unable to get the ball under control. Police missed a sitter right on half time when Craig Carney fired high and wide from 2 yards after Robert O'Hara had parried a previous shot.
To their credit, 'Leafe dug in in the second half and worried the visitors with their pace when they managed to break away. McLean had a good shot on the turn saved in the 53rd minute and two minutes later O'Hara was quickly out to save at the feet of Goddard.
O'Hara was the source of the equaliser. A long clearance found McKenzie who headed into the path of Scott. He beat the challenge of Lee Gledhill and hit a superb first time shot from the corner of the area across Packham and into the net at the far post.
Goodchild became another victim of poor refereeing when Steve Sutherland took him on, and was awarded a free kick for a theatrical dive. Goodchild's reward was a yellow card.
Scott won a free kick in the 81st minute after a strong run down the left. Gray took it and found Scott in the area. He headed across the face of the box but the defence cleared the danger. Unfortunatley O'Hara was then injured from a late challenge by Goddard when he bravely came out to stop the danger. He was limping and unable to take the goal kick, so the 86th minute kick had to be taken by a defender. It went straight to the visitors who put Carney through, having been played onside by the defender taking the kick. He volleyed the ball over the hobbling O'Hara who moments later had to be withdrawn. This was a disappointing end after a great rearguard battle from the Leafe.
Whyteleafe: O'Hara (Mann 87), Hudson, Harney, Reeve, Broomhead, Goodchild, Green (Murray-Price 61), McLean, Gray, McKenzie, Scott.
NB. click on thumbnail for full size picture
Michael Harney |
Andrew Martin |
Broom (pointing) and |
Ali Reeves |
Broom jumps and |
McNamara jumps and |
Taff |
Broomhead |
Asher Hudson heads |