Otterbourne Football Club 1st Team Match Report

Saturday 7th January – Otterbourne FC 2 AFC Stoneham 4

By Steve Harrod, 1st Team Manager,
Oakwood Park, Otterbourne

What a derby as it had everything!

Otters started the brighter of the two sides and Stoneham conceded two early free kicks against new signing Kabir. These were delivered into the box but no Otters player was at the back door to head them home!

The next chance fell to Spreadbury from a Stagg cross which he took on his chest and volleyed past the out stretched Chapman and into the onion bag.

Otters were causing problems against the team of Stoneham super stars and it was great to watch but then they succumbed to a sucker punch when a ball got humped down the middle and we didn’t clear it which left Beck an easy finish.

The rest of the half was mainly Otterbourne with Kabir, West, Milne, and Stagg & Spreadbury causing problems for Stoneham.

Half time came and went just reminding people that it would take another 45 of the same effort to win this game.

With five minutes of the re start Judd played a ball through to Spreadbury who was away from the defence. The last defender managed to get back and hack Spreadbury down it was a penalty and the defender should have walked but the lenient referee let them get a way without even a booking!
Kabir stepped up and smashed the ball home.

Kabir had to come off with an old back injury and was replaced by McMahon.

Stoneham changed their formation and it worked for them as they scored an equalizer after some sustained pressure.

For whatever reason we were hanging on rather than going forward and after again a long spell of Stoneham pressure they popped up with two more goals from the evergreen Higgins.

I was proud of our team’s efforts today against a very strong Stoneham side that just edged a very good local derby.