Wednesday 12th July
Winchester City 0 Eastleigh 2
Hampshire Chronicle Cup
Eastleigh regained the Hampshire Chronicle Cup with a relatively comfortable performance against a hard-working Winchester City side. City gave a debut at right back to Summer signing, Sam Wyeth, but otherwise the Winchester line-up had a familiar feel to it.
After City won a corner in the first few minutes, there were some nervous moments in the City defence as Steve Forbes, in particular, caused concern to the home back four. Eastleigh won an indirect free kick almost in the six yard box after 19 minutes following a back pass to the City keeper, Dave Hook, but, in the ensuing melee, the ten-man City wall cleared the ball off the goal line.
The visitors continued to make the better openings and went ahead after 25 minutes, when a Ryan Ashford cross from the right edge of the area found an unmarked Steve Forbes who headed home from two yards. The lead was almost doubled barely a minute later when a rasping drive from Danny Smith was destined for the top corner until Hook hung onto it. City’s best chance of the first half came after 38 minutes when Christer Warren knocked the ball down into the path of Jamie Musselwhite who, although he slipped as he shot, forced a decent save from Wayne Shaw.
Eastleigh started the second half with a raft of substitutions, and were 2-0 ahead after 59 minutes when Andy Forbes, on his old hunting ground, slotted home a right wing cross. Four minutes later, an Eastleigh free kick from just outside the area was cheekily chipped over the City wall, and substitute keeper, Mark Zawadski, was forced to make a double save in the ensuing chaos.
As City came more into the game, a Warren free kick from the left after 65 minutes was put just past the post by Mark Jones. Warren was in the thick of the action again seven minutes later when his shot from the edge of the area was palmed away by Shaw at full stretch.
The game opened up in the last twenty minutes as the players, back in training for less than a fortnight, began to tire, leaving space where earlier in the game no quarter had been given. Following a flood of substitutions to both sides, the game seemed to be quietly petering out, although there was still time for City’s substitute, Paul Marks, to cross from the right for Liam Green to force a save from Shaw.
In the end, the Conference South side deserved their victory, always looking the more composed side, although the commitment and workrate of the City side, so early in pre-season, could not be faulted.
Winchester City: Hook, Wyeth, Smith, Mark Jones, Mat Jones, Vavrecka, Webber, Warren, Musselwhite, Mealey, Green. Subs: Zawadski, Marks, Isle, Flood, M Rogers, Davis, S Lewis. Sub not used: Mancey
Eastleigh: Shaw, J Smith, Oliver, James, Marshall, Hodgson, D Smith, A Forbes, Town, S Forbes, Ashford. Subs Ngwa, Dutton, Wheeler, Puckett, Thomas, Roberts, Jarvis, Hughes, Musselwhite
Hampshire Chronicle Cup
Eastleigh regained the Hampshire Chronicle Cup with a relatively comfortable performance against a hard-working Winchester City side. City gave a debut at right back to Summer signing, Sam Wyeth, but otherwise the Winchester line-up had a familiar feel to it.
After City won a corner in the first few minutes, there were some nervous moments in the City defence as Steve Forbes, in particular, caused concern to the home back four. Eastleigh won an indirect free kick almost in the six yard box after 19 minutes following a back pass to the City keeper, Dave Hook, but, in the ensuing melee, the ten-man City wall cleared the ball off the goal line.
The visitors continued to make the better openings and went ahead after 25 minutes, when a Ryan Ashford cross from the right edge of the area found an unmarked Steve Forbes who headed home from two yards. The lead was almost doubled barely a minute later when a rasping drive from Danny Smith was destined for the top corner until Hook hung onto it. City’s best chance of the first half came after 38 minutes when Christer Warren knocked the ball down into the path of Jamie Musselwhite who, although he slipped as he shot, forced a decent save from Wayne Shaw.
Eastleigh started the second half with a raft of substitutions, and were 2-0 ahead after 59 minutes when Andy Forbes, on his old hunting ground, slotted home a right wing cross. Four minutes later, an Eastleigh free kick from just outside the area was cheekily chipped over the City wall, and substitute keeper, Mark Zawadski, was forced to make a double save in the ensuing chaos.
As City came more into the game, a Warren free kick from the left after 65 minutes was put just past the post by Mark Jones. Warren was in the thick of the action again seven minutes later when his shot from the edge of the area was palmed away by Shaw at full stretch.
The game opened up in the last twenty minutes as the players, back in training for less than a fortnight, began to tire, leaving space where earlier in the game no quarter had been given. Following a flood of substitutions to both sides, the game seemed to be quietly petering out, although there was still time for City’s substitute, Paul Marks, to cross from the right for Liam Green to force a save from Shaw.
In the end, the Conference South side deserved their victory, always looking the more composed side, although the commitment and workrate of the City side, so early in pre-season, could not be faulted.
Winchester City: Hook, Wyeth, Smith, Mark Jones, Mat Jones, Vavrecka, Webber, Warren, Musselwhite, Mealey, Green. Subs: Zawadski, Marks, Isle, Flood, M Rogers, Davis, S Lewis. Sub not used: Mancey
Eastleigh: Shaw, J Smith, Oliver, James, Marshall, Hodgson, D Smith, A Forbes, Town, S Forbes, Ashford. Subs Ngwa, Dutton, Wheeler, Puckett, Thomas, Roberts, Jarvis, Hughes, Musselwhite
Document last updated: 08/06/2007
