Saturday 23^rd August 2008

IPSWICH WANDERERS 0, BLOATERS 4

Ipswich Wanderers – 1 Jack Foster, 2 Matthew Morgan, 3 Ross Beech, 4 Joshua Brown, 5 Stuart Simmons, 6 Danny Hyam, 7 Ian Radnor, 8 Matthew Buckle (c), 9 Marc Wake, 10 Camillo Douglas, 11 Shawn Pugh.

Substitutes: 12 Alistair Brett, 14 Danny Carnell, 15 Jerrell Layne, 16 Matt Gilson.

Bloaters – 1 Elliot Pride, 2 Adam Sewell, 3 Olly Savage, 4 Dominic Smith, 5 Adey Ager, 6 Alan Darby, 7 Darren Lamb, 8 Adam Sullivan (c), 9 Stewart Roach, 10 Nick Crawley, 11 Scott Woodcock.

Substitutes: 12 Gareth Palmer, 14 Mark Thompson, 15 Liam Bartley, 16 Jake Reed, 17 Michael Hilton.

Referee – A Titman (Peterborough)

Yarmouth sent out an unchanged side for the third game of the season with youngster Jake Reed restored to the bench in place of Jose Vide as the only change from the Hadleigh line-up.

Yarmouth went straight onto the attack and a Sewell throw on the right found Roach who crossed into the box for Crawley whose header forced Foster to palm the ball away. A Sullivan piledriver brought the home ‘keeper into action again, this time pushing the shot up and over the bar for a corner. Although this brought no reward, Yarmouth kept the pressure on and from another Sewell throw by the corner flag Roach sent in a shot that had Foster scooping the ball off the line in desperation. The game was still only four minutes old as Woodcock sent in a wicked cross that, however, went out past the far post unconverted.

Wearing their new Brierley Foods –sponsored shirts for the first time this season, Yarmouth were in irresistible mood and it was not until the seventh minute that the home side broke out but Sewell showed excellent tackling skills to halt their first attack. Then the Bloaters were back at the other end, again with a Sewell throw which found Roach who crossed for Crawley to nod down but Foster saved.

The Yarmouth defence were so alert that Pride had hardly touched the ball yet. A huge clearance found Lamb who touched the ball to Crawley whose twelve-yard shot went over after twelve minutes. A sublime tackle by Darby showed just how determined the Bloaters were not to slip up today against relegated Wanderers and they were helped by the home side frequently getting themselves offside.

Yarmouth’s midfielders were encouraged to get up themselves and a run by Smith ended with Sullivan trying one of his long-range shots but the ball ended up in the netting above the goal. It was 22 minutes before Wanderers engineered their first shot but Brown’s effort went harmlessly wide.

The visitors’ pace and flair was giving the homesters a torrid time and Yarmouth finally broke their resistance after 28 minutes. A long Sewell throw to Roach at the far post was put out for a corner and when Woodcock sent the kick in, again to the far post, Roach rose to nod the ball past Foster for his second goal of the season.

Pride was then called on to make his first save of the day but it did not extend him unduly, and Crawley showed by his tackling back that he has more to his bow than just scoring ability. Lamb, who had been always looking for a shooting opportunity, found another after 37 minutes when, taking a pass from Crawley, he slotted a superb finish through Foster’s legs to make it a comfortable 2-0 lead. The quality of this goal even had the home fans muttering praise.

Before the interval, a concerted Yarmouth attack finally saw Smith have the shot smothered by Foster, who then in added time juggled with a Crawley header from a corner.

HT 0-2

Upon the resumption, Woodcock and Roach created an opportunity for Crawley but the latter’s shot was not quite strong enough to beat the beleaguered ‘keeper, and a weak shot from Douglas was all Wanderers could muster in reply. Douglas looked the most threatening of the home forwards and a long pass to him spelled possible danger but Pride got down well to smother the shot. The Bloaters’ stopper was called into action again but Brown’s weak free kick from the edge of the box was easy meat.

Wanderers were at last putting up a challenge but Yarmouth’s marking was so secure that Hyam dithered and the chance was gone. Sullivan moved forward again and his angled shot brought a save out of Foster, then a Roach shot beat the ‘keeper but was kicked off the line by Hyam.

Roach slipped a beauty of a pass through to Smith in midfield but his attempt to reach Crawley was intercepted. Then in the 65^th minute any chance of Wanderers getting back into the match disappeared as they were reduced to ten men: Foster and Roach chased for a through ball with the ‘keeper just winning the race but unfortunately for him he was just outside his area when he collected the ball. The dismissal was automatic and the ‘keeper did not even wait for the red card to come out.

Wanderers’ response was to take off Beech and put substitute Gilson between the sticks. Their loss may have galvanised the home side briefly as they won three corners in a couple of minutes and from the third Radnor’s header beat Pride but came back off the face of the bar.

Yarmouth’s reply was swift however: Woodcock raced away down the left and with the home defence all at sea, Roach slammed the ball beyond Gilson for his second of the game after 78 minutes.

Still, and to their credit, Wanderers would not lie down and substitute Brett shot over followed by a Buckle free kick from which Brown put just over.

Yarmouth made three substitutions in quick succession: Thompson for Crawley after 84 minutes, Bartley for Roach after 86 and Reed for Woodcock in 87. A minute later the icing on the cake was supplied by Smith who put the ball in the net after a scramble following a brave save by Gilson. In the final minute Bartley saw a well-struck rising shot superbly taken by Gilson to prevent the nap hand.

Attendance - 44