Swindon Supermarine 1 Windsor & Eton 1

[KarlMarx]

The Royalists travelled to Wiltshire on the back of a superb three match winning streak in the league, all against the Premier Division's supposed big guns in Brackley, Chesham United and Halesowen respectively. A team that was brought together only about a month before the start of the season proper, and one that many had written off before the first ball of the new campaign was kicked in anger, were starting to turn heads and make many realise that they were not the guaranteed three points that some had predicted. Waiting for them was a similar rising phoenix from beyond the shadows of the giant Honda car plant on the outskirts of Swindon. Supermarine had started the current campaign somewhat downbeat following both 3-1 and 5-1 defeats in their first three games. Since then their defence had tightened up with five clean sheets (three in the league and two in the FA Cup) leading up to today's meeting.

 

Windsor named an unchanged first eleven, with new singing Alex Sunasky on the bench, whilst fellow new boy Leon Soloman had a potential debut denied due to a problem with his registration. ‘Marine’ could only name three substitutes, with their squad hit by either, tonsillitis, flu or suspension.

 

The opening ten minutes gave an early indication of how the second half was to turn out due both sides playing out the start of the game predominately in the middle of the fine Webbs Wood Stadium pitch. Suddenly the game sprang to life in the twelfth minute when a Swindon corner met the header of Centre Half Leigh Henry, with his effort being cleared off the line by the perfectly placed Jeff Brown. From this clearance, Windsor surged forward and within a minute, a David Pearce cross was met by Royalists’ Captain David Woozely, whose header just edged wide of the left post. Four minutes passed when Delroy Preddie pulled of his first top class save when he tipped an edge of the eighteen yard box from Nick Stanley over the his bar, however Preddie’s stoic defence was breached in the 22^nd minute when a 20 yard daisy cutter from Marine’s Ben Wells just eluded his fingers and tucked the ball into the right hand corner of the Windsor goal. 1-0.

 

However, the visitors were to show the never say die approach that has been the backbone of it’s climb up the league table, when three minutes later, the ever energetic, hard working wing play of David Pearce made a perfect low cross into the Marine six yard box, only for Fiston Manuella to brush the ball just the wrong side of the near post.

 

Windsor’s positivity was finally rewarded in the 31^st minute when a David Pearce free kick from the right side touchline floated over Swindon Town loanee Mark Scott into the marine goal. Surely this could an early nominee for goal of the season? Did he mean it? Was it intended for the penalty box only to be caught in the wind? Only David can tell us the answer to this one. 1-1.

 

From there, the play had swung in Windsor’s favour and in the 38^th minute a long lob to Pearce put the diminutive winger in sight of goal, only for Scott to deny him and put the ball out for a corner. A minute later, the first yellow card of the game was delivered with Jeff Brown penalised for pulling back Marine’s Sam Morris. Again both midfield units controlled the play, with only a driving effort from Swindon’s left winger Nick Stanley sailing over the Windsor goal.

 

The second half was often a turgid affair with a midfield battle ensuing and Marine swopping their neat passing game for long balls down the middle of the park to striker Kyle Tooze, of which Justin Clayton dealt with confidently and maturely. The home side had a penalty appeal waved away on 47 minutes by the referee when Clayton tangled with Tooze and appeared to bring him down, and in the 60^th minute, the Swindon front man’s frustration got the better of him, when he was booked for a late hit on Chris Owens. Their best effort to that point came nine minutes later when Tooze flashed an effort straight across the Royalist’s goal and on the 90^th minute a point blank header, following a corner, again from Leigh Henry, was denied by a match saving, brilliant stop from the excellent Preddie. This had been the pinnacle of Swindon pressure in the final minutes of the game, as Windsor found themselves down to ten men following the dismissal of the otherwise superb Jeff Brown for a second yellow card after he clipped Stanley from behind on 80 minutes. Michael Chennells also saw yellow in stoppage time when his protesting at the referee led to a booking for dissent.

 

Whilst the second half did not match the open passing game employed by both sides in the first, it was a fine game played out two sides who seemed to settle for a draw. A good and fair result away from home for Windsor against, like themselves, a talented young team.

 

Windsor & Eton: Preddie; Brown, Clayton, Woozely, Owens; James (Ewang 52 mins), Parsons, Manuella, Wadieh (Sunasky 72 mins), Pearce; Chennells. Subs Not used: Dowdican, Bernard, Tom Mudge.

 

Royalists Man of the Match: Justin Clayton – Shook off early nerves to have his most assured game yet.

Edited October 2, 2010 by KarlMarx

[Dick Scratcher]

Bah!! Not the same as hearing about it on the radio.

 

Most disappointing!

 

 

[Stag Whippet]

'Windsor named an unchanged first eleven, with new singing Alex Sunasky on the bench'

 

Does this chappie play football as well as sing ??

 

good report,

 

wierd, W & E seem to be becoming the second result I look for.

[sparksy]

Exellent report Karlmarx and i totally agree Justin Clayton was again the best player on the pitch! Thought a draw was a fair result today and we remain unbeaten away from home in the league. Looking forward to tuesday as long as it dosen't rain to much!

[Rother]

Very informative report. Nice one.

[KarlMarx]

Thanks for the compliments.

 

I had a good chat with Dave Mudge before the game. I hadn't spoken to him before, but I was very impressed. Unlike some managers I've spoken to in the past, I found him to be extremely positive, knowledgeable and down to earth, and was given a good insight into the team and his and the club's aspirations. I'm not going to divulge what was said as, as far as I am concerned, it was a private conversation and I assured him (seeing as I'm 'press' - albeit amateur!) that anything confidential will not be made public by myself, but what he said gave me a great deal of confidence that the team is in very good hands.

[Fuzzy Royal]

Nice detail in the report, one thing I would say is that I thought our defence looked disjointed yesterday. The defence has been getting better and better however yesterday seemed to lack cohesion. Jake also didn't look his normal fnatastic self giving the ball away a beat too easily, by contrast Dave P looked superb, winning everything (including headers against some sizeable defenders!!) and scoring a cracker. I wonder if the pitch hindered out passing game, it didn't look particularly even (the ball kept bobbling with both teams losing control of the ball a bit too often) and the grass was quite long evident by players passing ball quite hard even from close range.

 

What I will say is the effort and work rate of our team was superb; Chennels barely got a sniff but worked his socks off and when we went down to ten men they pulled together and did what was required to get the point.

 

We will play better than that and lose I am sure, but if they maintain the levels of effort and dedication they put in today we will be okay and you won't hear me complaining about them.

 

Well done to the players and management, a point away at Swindon is a point well earned.

 

One other thing, att: 143, really? Where were the other 70 odd hiding then, in the bar watching the golf?!?!?

[Mrs_Cat]

It probably wasn't the best of games to watch for any neutrals but a point away from home is always welcome.

 

I thought we looked a little bit out of sorts at the back in the 1st half but normal service was resumed in the 2nd.

 

1-1 at half time was probably fair but 2nd half Swindon seemed to move up a gear and really put us under pressure. However despite having most of the play and pinning us back in our own half for long periods Swindon didn't really create any clear cut chances.

 

The sending off was fair enough, the 1st yellow might have been a bit harsh but he was never going to get away with the 2nd one.

 

Again you couldn't ask anymore from the players, they all kept running, hassling and chasing lost causes all afternoon, even towards the end when down to 10 men.

 

10 games into the season, top half of the table, undefeated away from home. Realistically you couldn't ask for more.

 

 

[DorisTWanderer]

Mudgey is a top man, great with people, positive at all times. Works constantly to improve the football club and football team.