Pre-season Friendly
Wantage Town 1 Winchester City 3
An entertaining pre season match against last seasons Hellenic League Division One East winners, saw a non full strength City side turn out comfortable victors.
City gave a debut to manager Neil Hards’ son Alex in the City goal, aged 18 having just been released by Portsmouth. Young Hards though was subjected to a heavy challenge on thirty-four minutes, which saw the youngster helped from the pitch with an elbow injury. Having no recognised goalkeeper on the bench, 42 year old Hards senior took over the role that he had played in for so many years with Plymouth Argyle, Newport IOW, Havant, Cheltenham Town, Cirencester and Newport County amongst others.
City were by that time a goal down. The home side had started at a blistering pace, and were showing they were not to be taken in awe of their opponents. Jon Mills the home striker had already caused the City defence concerns before he netted on nineteen minutes following a poor clearance by Hards junior, Mills being set up by his strike partner Richie Claydon.
Hards was helped from the field not too long after. In the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the half allowed for the injury, City were back on level terms when Mark Smiths corner was met with a David Goss downward header that nestled into the net.
Within two minutes of the restart City were ahead. Another Smith corner, this time met with a powerful Kieron Hall header that gave home goalkeeper Paul Belcher no chance.
On fifty-four minutes City had the opportunity to increase their lead. Smith a constant menace to the home side was brought down in the area by Paul Bedwell. Stuart Cannie took the penalty but his effort was pushed away by Belcher.
City though scored a third goal on sixty-nine minutes. Jamie Musselwhite had left his marker and was en route to goal when Belcher advanced from his area and upended the striker. A free kick awarded on the edge of the box was coolly despatched by the quick thinking Smith for a deserved goal.
City : A Hards (N Hards), Rogers, (Whitehouse), L Green, Hall, Goss (S Dixon), Austen (Blake), Brewster (Chahal), Laidlaw (Moss), Musselwhite, Cannie (J Dixon)
Wantage: Belcher, Lamont, Marsh (T Scrawley), Bedwell (Austen), Nelson (Emsden), Jamie Mills, Jones (Brian), Bourne, Jon Mills (Day), Claydon (Morrison), Tyler (Fairchild)
Wantage Town 1 Winchester City 3
An entertaining pre season match against last seasons Hellenic League Division One East winners, saw a non full strength City side turn out comfortable victors.
City gave a debut to manager Neil Hards’ son Alex in the City goal, aged 18 having just been released by Portsmouth. Young Hards though was subjected to a heavy challenge on thirty-four minutes, which saw the youngster helped from the pitch with an elbow injury. Having no recognised goalkeeper on the bench, 42 year old Hards senior took over the role that he had played in for so many years with Plymouth Argyle, Newport IOW, Havant, Cheltenham Town, Cirencester and Newport County amongst others.
City were by that time a goal down. The home side had started at a blistering pace, and were showing they were not to be taken in awe of their opponents. Jon Mills the home striker had already caused the City defence concerns before he netted on nineteen minutes following a poor clearance by Hards junior, Mills being set up by his strike partner Richie Claydon.
Hards was helped from the field not too long after. In the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the half allowed for the injury, City were back on level terms when Mark Smiths corner was met with a David Goss downward header that nestled into the net.
Within two minutes of the restart City were ahead. Another Smith corner, this time met with a powerful Kieron Hall header that gave home goalkeeper Paul Belcher no chance.
On fifty-four minutes City had the opportunity to increase their lead. Smith a constant menace to the home side was brought down in the area by Paul Bedwell. Stuart Cannie took the penalty but his effort was pushed away by Belcher.
City though scored a third goal on sixty-nine minutes. Jamie Musselwhite had left his marker and was en route to goal when Belcher advanced from his area and upended the striker. A free kick awarded on the edge of the box was coolly despatched by the quick thinking Smith for a deserved goal.
City : A Hards (N Hards), Rogers, (Whitehouse), L Green, Hall, Goss (S Dixon), Austen (Blake), Brewster (Chahal), Laidlaw (Moss), Musselwhite, Cannie (J Dixon)
Wantage: Belcher, Lamont, Marsh (T Scrawley), Bedwell (Austen), Nelson (Emsden), Jamie Mills, Jones (Brian), Bourne, Jon Mills (Day), Claydon (Morrison), Tyler (Fairchild)
Document last updated: 21/08/2007
