Saturday 23rd February
HALSTEAD TOWN 2, BLOATERS 4
With Yarmouth making
their usual rapid start, the game quickly developed into the usual pattern where Town do all the attacking and then find themselves trailing to an early goal, writes Tom Campbell.
Halstead found the net after only three minutes with virtually their first touch of the ball and went on to lead 2-0 in the
second half.
The opening goal was slightly fortunate as
Elliott Pride seemed to have the ball under control but it slipped from his hands and Halstead's Chris Bryan took full advantage.
The Bloaters of old may have capitulated but not any more. Undeterred, Yarmouth carried on taking the game to their opponents
and a shot from Stewart Roach went close before Johnny Watt hit a cracking effort from some 25 yards which was tipped over
by home 'keeper Paul Rutherford.
Steve Taylor twice tested Rutherford as Yarmouth
continued to press and Halstead were reduced to the odd break. With half time approaching, Yarmouth had enjoyed 80% of the
play but had nothing to show for it.
Halstead came more into the game after the
break but Yarmouth defended well and restricted the home side to mainly long-range efforts. Yarmouth's best chance so far
came from new boy Bruno Correia whose excellent first-time shot was saved brilliantly by Rutherford on 65 minutes.
Yarmouth were well on top when Halstead surprisingly
took a 2-0 lead after 70 minutes as Bryan hit a direct free kick past Pride. Yarmouth looked a beaten side but four goals
in the final twenty minutes put a different complexion on the game.
Stewart Roach got to the ball from a fine Adam
Sewell cross to head in the Bloaters' first. Then in the 76th minute, Yarmouth drew level when some excellent build-up play
involving Sewell, Roach and Taylor sent substitute Liam Bartley in on goal to make it 2-2.
It was all Yarmouth, and they took the lead
with the goal of the game. Johnny Watt, attacking down the right, found Roach who played in Bartley whose overhead shot left
the 'keeper in no-mans-land.
There was more to come, and on 87 minutes a
throw on the right found Adam Sullivan who played a great ball through to Nick Crawley who ran 40 yards and finished
in style after roundng Rutherford.
The Barmy Army again never gave up on their
team and played their part in a great win.
Yarmouth - Pride,
Watt (Gardiner 85), Dyer, Taylor, Palmer, Gorbould, Correia (Sewell 60), Sullivan, Roach, Crawley, Thompson (Bartley
46).
Referee - J Gibbons
Attendance - 77
Saturday 16th February
BLOATERS 2, DOWNHAM TOWN 1
The Bloaters deserved
to win as they had the lion's share of possession, but the game was far from a classic, writes Tom Campbell. Downham
scored with barely five minutes on the clock. In a break forward down the left, a quick ball inside was met by Jason Cook
who, with a sharp turn and shot, beat Pride in the Yarmouth goal.
Yarmouth then took over but spurned several
chances and Downham defended well.
The Bloaters began the second half in more
determined mood and Downham conceded a corner from which Stewart Roach headed just wide. On 65 minutes, Le Compte had a header
cleared off the line but for all their dominance it did not look like Yarmouth's day.
But Yarmouth were finally rewarded with an
equaliser after Adam Sewell replaced Ben Le Compte. Steve Taylor produced a brilliant cross for Roach whose header was dispatched
with ease past Jamie Golland in the Downham goal. This was the break Yarmouth had been waiting for and it was now all one-way
traffic. Mark Thompson and Gareth Palmer both had chances to put the game beyond doubt but it was left to Nick Crawley,
with barely three minutes left, to notch the winning goal as he calmly side-footed past the advancing 'keeper after an excellent
ball from strike partner Roach.
Yarmouth - Pride,
Watt, Dyer, Taylor, Palmer, Gorbould, Crane (Thompson 46), Le Compte (Sewell 58), Roach, Sullivan, Crawley (Gardiner
85).
Referee - R Bird
Attendance - 73
Saturday 9th February
DEBENHAM LC 3, BLOATERS 2
The Bloaters were
once again unlucky to lose a game they dominated and in which they created a host of chances, writes Tom Campbell.
The Barmy Army were again brilliant and a credit to the club.
After only seven minutes the Bloaters took
the lead. From the left, Paul Dyer produced a pin-point cross which was met with a firm header by Stewart Roach to make
it 1-0 to the visitors. Nick Crawley seemed to have made it 2-0 after 15 minutes but the referee ruled out his "goal", possibly
for a foul on the 'keeper as he awarded a free kick to the homesters.
It took Debenham 25 minutes to produce their
first chance of note but three minutes later they equalised when a rasping shot from Jamie Abbott eluded everybody in
the goalmouth and crept inside the far post.
Yarmouth were now on the back foot, and altough
Stewart Roach produced a firm header it went straight to the home 'keeper. Debenham then took the lead through a penalty on
40 minutes, apparently for holding: the spot-kick seemed to come out of the blue but Ian Gedny converted to give the Suffolk
outfit the half time lead.
The Debenham 'keeper was in top form and produced
several good saves from Yarmouth shots before the home side were awarded a second penalty kick after 77 minutes, this time
for a poor tackle with Gedny again scoring. But within two minutes, the Bloaters were back in it when Nick Crawley's
cross was met by Roach who made no mistake with his second headed goal of the game.
In the final minutes, both 'keepers produced
some excellent work to keep the score at 3-2, though Yarmouth had strong claims for a penalty in the final seconds when the
ball appeared to make contact with a home player's hand but the referee waved play on.
Yarmouth - Pride, Watts,
Dyer, Taylor, Gorbould (Le Compte 70), Gardiner (Harrison 50), Crane, Sullivan, Roach, Crawley, Thompson (R Brett 70).
Referee - S Morley
Attendance - 60
Saturday 2nd February 2008
ELY CITY 1, BLOATERS 0
The Bloaters were
very unlucky not to come away with at least a share of the points, a scrappy late goal robbing them of a point, writes
Tom Campbell. It was rough justice at Ely after an excellent effort by the whole team. However, Yarmouth had enough chances
to win comfortably, and with their effort and commitment can count themselves very unlucky.
Just after the half hour, Stewart Roach had
a shot cleared off the line and with half time fast approaching Danny Crane sent in a great ball from the left which Roach
latched on to only to see his effort come back off the foot of a post.
With Yarmouth getting on top in the second
half, Roach had a third chance to give the Bloaters the lead on 65 minutes but his header from Paul Dyer's cross went narrowly
wide.
Thompson was the next to have bad luck with
the woodwork when Mark Thompson chipped the home 'keeper - only to see his shot rebound off the bar.
Ely had a rare chance after 75 minutes when
Elliott Pride produced a cracking save, but with 87 minutes gone, the Robins broke the deadlock and the Bloaters'
hearts. With the ball pinging around the Yarmouth area, the home number nine stretched to toe-poke the ball past Pride for
an undeserved winner.
Yarmouth - Pride.
Watts, Dyer, Taylor (Le Compte 82), Gorbould, Gardiner, Crane (Sewell 75), Sullivan, Roach, Crawley, Thompson (Bartley 80).
Referee - J Smith
Attendance - 97
