Otterbourne Football Club First Team Match Reports

Saturday 15th August 2009: Otterbourne 1 Fleetlands 2

Line Up: Flood, Allen, Jannaway, Kelly, Tomlinson, Gleeson, Bedford, Clark, Breeze, Miczarek, Luffman Subs: A Kerr, Milne, Abbey

A new season with a new look team and a new look clubhouse. Having had a respectable pre season with wins over Romsey Town Res and Old Oak Medians and a defeat away at Netley, The Otters went into this opening fixture at home to Fleetlands with an optimistic outlook.

It was been a busy close season for Otterbourne with players coming in and out of Oakwood. Last season’s top goal scorer, Jamie Nash was signed by Lymington Town, Liam Davies moved to Arlesford Town, Paul Beckett decided upon a switch to AFC Stoneham. Otterbourne would like to thank the aforementioned for their services to the club and wish them well for the forthcoming season (except if/when you play us!).

Manager Bruiser selected 3 new additions to the Otterbourne squad; Nick Breeze started in the centre of midfield alongside Jim Bedford and Kevin Gleeson. Striker Richard Luffman recently signed from Sporting BTC headed the attack with young Tom Miczarek and Steve Abbey won a place on the bench.

Conditions were almost perfect for the season opener. As the game got underway Fleetlands came out of the bocks the quicker of the two teams. The defence of Paul Allen, JJ and Marc Kelly soon found themselves having to deal with a direct attacking style which was penetrating the midfield and pressing down onto Jamie Flood’s penalty area.

The Otterbourne 3-5-2 formation was struggling against the 4-4-2 of the visitors. Paul Tomlinson was having his work cut out on the left side trying in vain to pick up 2 players. Paul Clark was having an equally torrid time on the right.

Fleetlands took the lead after 2 minutes when a deflected shot from James Hardy wrong footed Flood.

The Otters regroup and tried to press for a equaliser. The home side were clearly the more physical of
the sides with Clark, Allen and Luffman not shying out the challenges.

Fleetlands hard persistence from their wide midfielders and in particular their industrial number 11 soon paid dividends when im Bedford was forced into a lunging tackle to concede a penalty after 20 minutes. John Cowley cooly sent Flood the wrong way.

The second half saw The Otters playing with more confidence. Aaron Milne replaced Tom Miczarek to add some more weight to the attack.

Andy Kerr was brought into the action to receive his obligatory yellow card. The referee kept a lid on what never looked to be a dirty game but did caution both sides for persisted fouling or dissent.

On 72 minutes Otterbourne pulled a goal back when Luffman applied pressure on a nervy Fleetlands centre half and latched onto a poor back pass. The advancing keeper was duly rounded and the debutant shot into an empty net.

The Otters threw everything forward for the last 15 minutes but Fleetlands proved to be well organised and soaked up pressure well.

A disappointing result for the first game of the season but there was plenty of positives points that shall make for an interesting midweek game away at Overton United.