03/04/2010

Dorset League Division 2

Maiden Newton 1  Sturminster Marshall Res 6

This was village football as it used to be in the days when flat cap wearing half backs used to spend every Saturday afternoon kicking lumps out of nancy boy inside forwards. Lashing rain, a pitch which looked as though it was more used to hosting a herd of grazing cows than a game of football, windowless and showerless changing facilities and a warm welcome from a bunch of volunteers who make Maiden Newton & Cattistock what they are - a genuinely friendly grassroots football club.

Stur played down the considerable slope in the first half and took full advantage. Erkan Mete opened the scoring after 9 minutes when he latched on to a defensive slip up and placed his shot into the bottom corner of the net. Joe Wood and Luke Geddes were both denied by the woodwork and Tom Rudd hit his shot straight at the goalkeeper with the goal at his mercy but it looked to be only a matter of time before the lead was extended. It happened after 20 minutes when Rudd set up Geddes who headed home. Mete hit the third on the half hour mark, and it looked as though the visitors would run riot, but brave and at times desperate defending from the home side kept the half time score down to three.

HT: 3-0

The home side had the advantage of the slope in the second period and began to make more of a contest of it, but there was never any question of the visitors releasing their grip on the game. Steve Johnston rounded the keeper but his shot was cleared off the line and he then became the third Stur player to be denied by the woodwork when his shot was deflected onto the post.

Tom Rudd scored the fourth after 55 minutes when he beat two defenders before placing his shot wide of the keeper and into the bottom corner of the net. Rudd grabbed his second of the match before Steve Johnston scored the goal of the day, controlling a dropping ball and firing home in one smooth movement.

Scott Bennett came on for his first action of the season and with his first touch of the year he managed to rob Erkan of a deserved hat trick when he was caught off side.

The home side's consolation came courtesy of a last minute penalty which was confidently dispatched past Andy Talbot in the Stur goal.