8 in 8 for Birthday Boy!

Eastleigh 2nd XI 1-1 AFC Wimbledon Res.

Suburban Premier League


TEAM: Grant Porter, Liam Winzar, James Screen, Tom Roberts (c), Aaron Martin (c), Niall Bryant, Aiden Sainsbury, Ciro Donadao, Adam Sheppard, Tom Price, Nathan Lynch, Zach Glasspool

SUBS: Les Wallace (on for Donadao 28), Aaron Martin (on for Price 67), Adam Wiltshire (on for Glasspool 75),

Match Report by Jamie Montigue

Playing against the league leaders AFC Wimbledon, Eastleigh's youngsters rose to the occasion to secure a very creditable point.

Birthday boy, Zach Glasspool celebrated in style with another goal to his name to make it eight goals in as many games.

Academy defender Niall Bryant was drafted in for his first ever start in the second team, partnering captain Tom Roberts in the centre of defence. Aaron Martin was rested as he will be playing on Monday night for the Under 19's in the FA Youth Cup with rivals Salisbury City.

Tom Price was welcomed back from injury and the tricky winger had a very good first game back. Another youngster, Adam Sheppard made only his first start for the second eleven this afternoon also.

Eastleigh were a little slow to get going with Wimbledon's centre forward robbing Bryant of the ball in the penalty area before blazing over to waste an excellent opportunity. Three minutes later the visitors continued their good opening to the game, forcing Grant Porter to tip around the post for a corner from a well struck half volley.

Ten minutes into the game and Brian and Adie's men looked in good stride. Tom Price's pull back from the left was blasted towards goal from Aiden Sainsbury and out for a corner off the head of ex-Premiership footballer Marcus Gayle, following some neat interchanges in the build up play.

Glasspool's first effort of the game had the keeper scrambling across his goal with a smartly and quickly taken free kick that bent round the wall and was unlucky to land just the wrong side of the mark.

Midway into the half now and Eastleigh were beginning to threaten regularly in attack. Glasspool came even closer with another beautifully curled left foot free kick that only narrowly missed the top corner.

Half an hour had been played when AFC Wimbledon finally found a reply to all of the Eastleigh pressure. Walking down the left hand side with ease, James Danahar strode forward with purpose to tee up Mark Wardell in the centre. From point blank range, Grant Porter stood tall to block with his legs and see off the danger.

Just prior to this attack, their was an early substitution for Eastleigh as Ciro Donadao was replaced by Les Wallace.

Finishing the half the stronger side, Eastleigh again came forward with probably their best move of the game. Working the ball out of a tight area from the right hand side of defence, the Spitfires displayed their maturity and skill to build up the play right the way through the team with the excellent Price eventually taking the ball forward into attack following yet further flowing football.

James Screen played a wonderful pass into the feet of Nathan Lynch, who turned sharply from the edge of the area before firing wide of goal.

Lynch, who netted a momentus hattrick last weekend, came close moments later as he got on the end of a fine delivery from Liam Winzar. The downward header denied by a decent save from the keeper.

The same pair combined with time running down in the half, as a long and hopeful ball forward from Winzar was chested down by Lynch under pressure which led to a half chance being comfortably saved.

HALF TIME: Eastleigh 2nd XI 0-0 AFC Wimbledon Res.

With no goals to separate the sides so far despite Eastleigh's upper hand in terms of possession, it was interesting to see where the game would go from here.

After a powerful run from the Wimbledon skipper resulting in a chip flying over the cross bar, Glasspool ran through to force a save at the opposite end at the goalkeepers near post.

The pleasing football from the hosts continued into the second forty-five, with yet another well crafted move being rightly appreciated from the supporters who sounded their round of applause. Following superb passing down the left, Screen played the ball into the feet of Glasspool whose shot on the turn stung the hands of Elliot Ransom between the sticks.

That man Glasspool couldn't stay away from the action and nearly made his presence felt with his third free kick of the game that floated inches over the cross bar. Just minutes later, a quickly taken dead ball from Sainsbury saw Glasspool put another effort just wide of the post on 64 minutes.

Then came the goal that Eastleigh's play deserved. Typically it was the one and two touch passing movements that led to it.

Lynch played the ball into Sainsbury who quickly threaded through for Wallace. The man who came on early in the game, nipped in ahead of his marker and into the area before being left in a heap under a heavy challenge. The referee spotted straight to the spot to award a penalty kick, from which ZACH GLASSPOOL cooly slotted home from 12 yards for the opening goal of the game to add to his birthday celebrations.


Directly after the goal, Eastleigh immediately introduced Aaron Martin for Tom Price who had run himself into the ground.

On 71 minutes, the goalscorer slid in well on the edge of the area to win back possession in a very advanced position with the deflection falling kindly for Nathan Lynch. It wasn't to be on this occasion as the tall front man skied his shot harmlessly over the bar from a decent opportunity.

AFC Wimbledon, who had been kept quiet for the best part of the entire match thus far, all of a sudden came to life and pulled level through Luke Pigden who brought the ball down nicely before volleying past Porter from close range.

1-1 was how it finished and though Eastleigh may be a little disappointed not to have taken all three points, they can take heart from another well polished performance that belies just how young and talented the squad are.

FULL TIME: Eastleigh 2nd XI 1-1 AFC Wimbledon Res.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Deal sealed with Lawshield

Eastleigh Res. 0-1 Tooting & Mitcham Utd Res.

Richard Hill