Cobham Sports 3  Sturminster Marshall 1

Paul Maitland, Matt Saunders, Dan Haysom, Lloyd Bird, John Elliot, Mark Henson, Graham Duff, Rob Morley, Sam Mason, Dan Lane, Darrell Williams, Fedja Selimovic, Karl Foster, Craig MacLeod, Paul Allsopp, Ryan Mole.

The Stur performance for the first 45 minutes was dire. There is no other word for it. Well actually, there are plenty of other words for it – quite a few of which were used at half time – but none of them are really suitable to use in print. We did create a couple of good chances, but both were snatched at and put wide of the goal. Cobham took the lead mid-way though the half. From our point of view it really was a bad goal to concede. Poor marking, a lack of awareness and a seeming reluctance to tackle allowed the goalscorer to run freely into our box and pick his spot. Our defending wasn’t much better for the second goal and we could have no complaints at the 2-0 half time score.

The second half performance was much better. For twenty minutes or so, the Cobham goal was under real and sustained pressure for the first time in the match, and it we were looking as though we were going to get back into the game. Any realistic hope of that happening was dashed when Darrell Williams was sent of for upsetting the referee by “using foul and abusive language”. The letter of the law was applied I suppose, but if every player who used a bit of Anglo-Saxon vernacular on a football pitch was sent off then not too many games would finish 11 v 11.

Shortly after The first dismissal, a Cobham player was sent off for a second wild tackle on Lloyd Bird. Lloyd’s reaction, which was to give the player a friendly tap on the cheek in a “now that was naughty” type of manner, was deemed to be violent conduct and he too ended up taking an early shower. Again, the letter of the law may have been applied, but violent conduct? Such decisions leave me bemused to say the least.

John Elliot scored a late consolation when he bundled the ball over the line following a melee in the Cobham area. There could have been an interesting finish had a late Graham Duff effort gone in, but it thumped off the cross bar with the keeper stranded. All in all, a disappointing night.

You may notice that these match reports have a slight Stur bias. Well that is because I am biased. If any budding journalist would like to take over the task of producing these reports please let the Chairman know and I will gladly step aside. Failing that, I am afraid you are stuck with my efforts for the season.