Saturday 29th April
Sydenhams Wessex League
Winchester City 3 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 0
It was championship party day at the Denplan on Saturday. A bumper City crowd of 445 witnessed an afternoon of good entertainment and the presentation of the championship trophy at the end of a long hard season.
Visitors Bemerton took their part in the celebrations by sportingly forming a walkway and applauding the City side on to the pitch. Bemerton though were not in any mood to let the party continue for the next ninety minutes as the match kicked off.
Within fifty seconds of the start Bemerton had forced a corner and Darren Harding was holding his head as his attempt skimmed off the top of the bar. Play switched to the other end where a City corner saw Mark Jones head narrowly wide.
Former City favourite Stuart Findlay broke through the City defence on the quarter of an hour and his low shot although beating David Hook rebounded back off the post. Findlay again on twenty-four minutes waited for a long free kick from Paul Lucas to fall invitingly before firing a shot just wide of the target.
City were not in the mood to let the visitors spoil their day. On the half hour Ian Mancey hooked the ball across the face of goal and Jamie Musselwhite was inches away from adding the finishing touch. Three minutes later City were in front. Lloyd Webber accelerated past the Bemerton defence before firing a low right footed drive past former City keeper Darren Crowfoot and in off the far post.
Webber was unlucky not to add to his tally two minutes later his shot pushed away by Crowfoot. City did not have to wait long before adding a second. A back pass from a defender to Crowfoot on the keepers non kicking side, saw a poor clearance fall for Mancey to have the easiest of tasks to control the ball before gently lofting the ball over the keeper for his thirty sixth goal of the season.
Bemerton had two chances in first half stoppage time to bring the game back within reach. Hook parried away a shot from Paul Palmer then shortly afterwards Neil Cole saw another effort go narrowly wide.
Ten minutes into the second period, Liam Green netted the goal of the match. A free kick from the edge of the box saw an excellent execution from the left footed midfielder that flew past the wall and in to the top left hand corner of Crowfoots goal.
The match itself just carried on around the large spectator base as they themselves waited for the final whistle and the celebration. Richard Mealey saw a shot saved by Crowfoot and Webber also was again denied by the keeper. Stewart Lang had a header from a Green corner just off target and Mealey having been set up shot tamely at Crowfoot.
It was all City as the game drifted away. In the final minute City’s leading goalscorer Musselwhite had an effort saved by the legs of Crowfoot but the sound of the referees whistle brought the afternoon to a close of play.
In front of the now well know City’s Bus Shelter Band an array of balloons welcomed the presentation of the Wessex League Championship trophy by League Chairman Alf Peckham to City skipper Mark Jones making his 100th appearance for the club.
Winchester : Hook, Mat Jones (Buckman 38), Smith, Mark Jones, Davies (Lang 62), Webber, Dyke, Wakefield, Mancey (Mealey 56), Musselwhite, Green Unused subs Vavrecka and Zawadski
Bemerton Heath : Crowfoot, Palmer, Slade (White), Harding, Boswell (Copping), Lucas, Renyard, Cole (Pratt) Findlay, Chalk, Mankin Unused sub Sanger
Winchester City 3 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 0
It was championship party day at the Denplan on Saturday. A bumper City crowd of 445 witnessed an afternoon of good entertainment and the presentation of the championship trophy at the end of a long hard season.
Visitors Bemerton took their part in the celebrations by sportingly forming a walkway and applauding the City side on to the pitch. Bemerton though were not in any mood to let the party continue for the next ninety minutes as the match kicked off.
Within fifty seconds of the start Bemerton had forced a corner and Darren Harding was holding his head as his attempt skimmed off the top of the bar. Play switched to the other end where a City corner saw Mark Jones head narrowly wide.
Former City favourite Stuart Findlay broke through the City defence on the quarter of an hour and his low shot although beating David Hook rebounded back off the post. Findlay again on twenty-four minutes waited for a long free kick from Paul Lucas to fall invitingly before firing a shot just wide of the target.
City were not in the mood to let the visitors spoil their day. On the half hour Ian Mancey hooked the ball across the face of goal and Jamie Musselwhite was inches away from adding the finishing touch. Three minutes later City were in front. Lloyd Webber accelerated past the Bemerton defence before firing a low right footed drive past former City keeper Darren Crowfoot and in off the far post.
Webber was unlucky not to add to his tally two minutes later his shot pushed away by Crowfoot. City did not have to wait long before adding a second. A back pass from a defender to Crowfoot on the keepers non kicking side, saw a poor clearance fall for Mancey to have the easiest of tasks to control the ball before gently lofting the ball over the keeper for his thirty sixth goal of the season.
Bemerton had two chances in first half stoppage time to bring the game back within reach. Hook parried away a shot from Paul Palmer then shortly afterwards Neil Cole saw another effort go narrowly wide.
Ten minutes into the second period, Liam Green netted the goal of the match. A free kick from the edge of the box saw an excellent execution from the left footed midfielder that flew past the wall and in to the top left hand corner of Crowfoots goal.
The match itself just carried on around the large spectator base as they themselves waited for the final whistle and the celebration. Richard Mealey saw a shot saved by Crowfoot and Webber also was again denied by the keeper. Stewart Lang had a header from a Green corner just off target and Mealey having been set up shot tamely at Crowfoot.
It was all City as the game drifted away. In the final minute City’s leading goalscorer Musselwhite had an effort saved by the legs of Crowfoot but the sound of the referees whistle brought the afternoon to a close of play.
In front of the now well know City’s Bus Shelter Band an array of balloons welcomed the presentation of the Wessex League Championship trophy by League Chairman Alf Peckham to City skipper Mark Jones making his 100th appearance for the club.
Winchester : Hook, Mat Jones (Buckman 38), Smith, Mark Jones, Davies (Lang 62), Webber, Dyke, Wakefield, Mancey (Mealey 56), Musselwhite, Green Unused subs Vavrecka and Zawadski
Bemerton Heath : Crowfoot, Palmer, Slade (White), Harding, Boswell (Copping), Lucas, Renyard, Cole (Pratt) Findlay, Chalk, Mankin Unused sub Sanger
Document last updated: 08/06/2007
