Sturminster Newton 0  Sturminster Marshall 0

Stur Line-up :

1.Paul Maitland, 2.Ryan Mole, 3.Marc Jackson, 4.John Elliot, 5.Lloyd Bird, 6.Graham Duff, 7.Fedja Selimovic, 8.Sam Goodman, 9.Darrell Williams, 10.Mark Henson, 11.Rob Morley

Substitutes:

12. Danny Bagg, 14.Matt Lambert (for Jackson 55), 15.Matt Jones (for Selimovic 80), 16. Trevor Walker

Star man: John Elliot

Stur gave debuts to Marc Jackson and Sam Goodman in this battle of the Sturminsters and both players acquitted themselves well in a battling team performance. John Elliot switched to centre half to accommodate Jackson and turned in an assured performance alongside Lloyd Bird at the centre of the Stur defence.

The early exchanges were even as both teams probed for weaknesses, but Stur gradually began to get a grip on the game and began to push Newton onto the back foot. Both Williams and Selimovic missed good chances to open the scoring for Stur, but Newton were dangerous on the break and Maitland had to make a brave save at the feet of a Newton forward when he broke through and looked certain to score.

The second half continued in the same vein. Both sides played open, attacking football. Stur created the clearer cut chances but again the chances were squandered. Only a tremendous save from Maitland kept Newton from taking the lead when he tipped a goal-bound header round the post.

In the dying seconds the Newton keeper somehow managed to block a point blank effort from Morley and a tremendous scramble ensued in the Newton six yard box. The ball was eventually scrambled clear for a corner and this proved to be the last action of an entertaining game.