Otterbourne Football Club First Team Match Reports

Saturday 22nd August 2009: Clanfield 3 Otterbourne 1

Line Up: Flood, Willson, A Kerr, Jannaway, Kelly, Tomlinson, Gleeson, Bedford, Clark, Miczarek, Luffman Subs: Abbey, Pervin

After responding to their season opener defeat at home to Fleetlands, Otterbourne notched up a fine 2 – 1 victory on the road against Overton in the mid week. The Otters drove up the A3 with confidence to face a traditionally tricky Clanfield side.

For once it was nice to visit Clanfield and it not be a freezing January/February afternoon with horizontal rain whipping in over the hills from the coast. If one thing stayed consistent it was the narrow unforgiving sloping bumpy pitch. Still, it is the same conditions for both sides.

The Otters made little change to their side as Manager Bruiser stuck to the 4-4-2 formation that won at Overton. Nick Breeze was absent with debutant Craig Willson drafted into left back.

The Otters lost the toss and were forced to play down the slope. The game started off eventfully as Richard Luffman jostled past the Clanfield centre half and appeared to be bundled to the ground. The referee was having none of it and waved play on much to the annoyance of Luffman .

With ten minutes on the clock a sweeping movement from 20 yards inside the Clanfield half saw the home side craft out a well worked opener against the overall run of play.

To their credit Otterbourne took note of this and up their game. Kevin Gleeson and Jim Bedford took control of the midfield. Paul Clark was enjoying the space he was receiving on the right as he darted down the wing applying excellent crosses to the waiting Luffman and Miczarek.

Chances were starting to come Otterbourne’s way as Luffman’s long range effort was tipped over the bar, as was a fine drive from Paul Tomlinson. Even Willson got in on the action with another fine shot.

Moments before halftime Clanfield failed to clear a superbly floated Clark free kick and Andy Kerr latched on to the ball to even the scores.

The Otters came out for the second half knowing that they had to maintain the pressure on Clanfield as they had done during the closing period of the first.

Sure enough The Otters continued where they left off. Miczarek, who was having a fine game, had a shot cleared off the line. A Luffman header, again from a Clark cross, was saved by a busy Clanfield keeper.

On 67 minutes Clanfield broke into the Otterbourne Penalty area and the midfielder was felled under a clumsy challenge by Paul Clark. Otters keeper Jamie Flood got a hand to the resulting penalty but the pace was enough to fire the home side ahead.

This knocked the stuffing out of Otterbourne and in turn invigorated Clanfield. Suddenly the home side started to attack the Otterbounre defence using the slope to their advantage. The defence of Willson, Kerr, Jannaway and Kelly tried in vain to clear their lines, only for the ball to pumped back in again.

The killer blow came with 15 minutes left as Clanfield put the game to rest with another well worked goal.

Clanfield hit the bar twice in the closing minutes as The Otters clung on to respectability.

An indifferent start to the season, 2 loses and 1 win. Otterbourne must learn from the last 7 days as they prepare for another tough battle against QK Southampton at Oakwood on Tuesday.