Tuesday 14th March
Sydenhams Wessex League Cup 1st Leg
Winchester City 0 A F C Totton 0
This League Cup semi final tie never lived up to any expectations of a free flowing match that one might have expected between two teams from the top six of the Wessex League table. In fact the match produced City’s first goalless draw in a competitive fixture since January 2001.
Chances were created early on with Mark Osman bringing a good save out of David Hook whilst Ian Mancey returned from suspension and saw his long-range effort met with an equally good stop from Ian Brunnschweiler. The rest of the opening half saw the best chances fall to Totton midfielder James Roden who first lofted a shot over the top of the bar and then headed a Kevin Reacord corner just wide of the target.
The biggest talking point of the game came three minutes into the second period. Pete Smith and Lee Thorne challenged for the ball just inside the City half and a crack was heard all around the City ground. Both players laid motionless for what seemed an age as both physiotherapists ran to their respective players. Smith got to his feet and hurried away whilst Thorne lay on the ground in obvious distress. The match was held up for twenty minutes as the crowd waited for an ambulance to arrive and enter the field of play and take Thorne to hospital with a broken leg.
The match had only restarted for minutes when Tottons former City defender Matt Troon was shown a second yellow card of the evening for throwing the ball away. City though could not break down the ten-man Totton side for the final thirty-eight minutes.
On the hour it was Totton who almost took the lead Hook saving with his feet from Gareth Byres. As City took the play to the other end Brunnschweiler clawed a low Smith shot into his body. Soon after Danny Wakefield broke through but his shot was also saved by Brunnschweiler.
In a little flurry of activity a moment of indecision between Mark Jones and Hook allowed Floyd Hamodu a chance but Hook recovered to block the strikers attempt. Then David Goss met a header from a right wing corner and saw his attempt cleared off the City goal line.
As the game was drifting away to a stalemate, Michael Gosneys free kick was headed goalwards by Roden but Hook saved. A misplaced Liam Green pass fell for Byres who set up substitute Mark Piper. Hook though stood firm to deny the young striker.
In the final minutes Ian Buckman fought for the ball in the Totton area, the ball came across the face of Goal where a defenders clearance rebound cannoned off Mancey but again Brunnschweiler managed to stop the effort.
The second leg is at Totton next Tuesday. In the other semi final first leg Andover beat Poole Town 2-1.
Winchester : Hook, Buckman, Smith, Mark Jones, Davies, Wakefield, Dyke, Webber, Mancey, Musselwhite (Kneller78), Green Unused subs Vavrecka, Bicknell, Rackham and Chapman
A F C Totton : Brunnschweiler, Thorne (Golden 48), Troon, Potter, Goss, Roden, Reacord, Gosney, Osman, Hamodu (Piper 69), Byers Unused sub Sims
Winchester City 0 A F C Totton 0
This League Cup semi final tie never lived up to any expectations of a free flowing match that one might have expected between two teams from the top six of the Wessex League table. In fact the match produced City’s first goalless draw in a competitive fixture since January 2001.
Chances were created early on with Mark Osman bringing a good save out of David Hook whilst Ian Mancey returned from suspension and saw his long-range effort met with an equally good stop from Ian Brunnschweiler. The rest of the opening half saw the best chances fall to Totton midfielder James Roden who first lofted a shot over the top of the bar and then headed a Kevin Reacord corner just wide of the target.
The biggest talking point of the game came three minutes into the second period. Pete Smith and Lee Thorne challenged for the ball just inside the City half and a crack was heard all around the City ground. Both players laid motionless for what seemed an age as both physiotherapists ran to their respective players. Smith got to his feet and hurried away whilst Thorne lay on the ground in obvious distress. The match was held up for twenty minutes as the crowd waited for an ambulance to arrive and enter the field of play and take Thorne to hospital with a broken leg.
The match had only restarted for minutes when Tottons former City defender Matt Troon was shown a second yellow card of the evening for throwing the ball away. City though could not break down the ten-man Totton side for the final thirty-eight minutes.
On the hour it was Totton who almost took the lead Hook saving with his feet from Gareth Byres. As City took the play to the other end Brunnschweiler clawed a low Smith shot into his body. Soon after Danny Wakefield broke through but his shot was also saved by Brunnschweiler.
In a little flurry of activity a moment of indecision between Mark Jones and Hook allowed Floyd Hamodu a chance but Hook recovered to block the strikers attempt. Then David Goss met a header from a right wing corner and saw his attempt cleared off the City goal line.
As the game was drifting away to a stalemate, Michael Gosneys free kick was headed goalwards by Roden but Hook saved. A misplaced Liam Green pass fell for Byres who set up substitute Mark Piper. Hook though stood firm to deny the young striker.
In the final minutes Ian Buckman fought for the ball in the Totton area, the ball came across the face of Goal where a defenders clearance rebound cannoned off Mancey but again Brunnschweiler managed to stop the effort.
The second leg is at Totton next Tuesday. In the other semi final first leg Andover beat Poole Town 2-1.
Winchester : Hook, Buckman, Smith, Mark Jones, Davies, Wakefield, Dyke, Webber, Mancey, Musselwhite (Kneller78), Green Unused subs Vavrecka, Bicknell, Rackham and Chapman
A F C Totton : Brunnschweiler, Thorne (Golden 48), Troon, Potter, Goss, Roden, Reacord, Gosney, Osman, Hamodu (Piper 69), Byers Unused sub Sims
Document last updated: 08/06/2007
