Somerset Gryphons 3 Marlborough 3
Marlborough’s away fixture (Saturday, October 18) saw a clash between the teams lying third and fourth in the table and the visitors were acutely aware the result could be crucial come the end of the season.
Gryphons had put up several good results and would be a tough team to face away from home.
Contrary to their normal method of starting away games, Marlborough came out of the traps firing and looking to take the game to the opposition. Several lightning fast attacks down both flanks caused Gryphons a great deal of trouble. To their credit the home side upped their game and had a couple of close call counter attacks of their own following some powerful clearances through Marlborough’s defensive press.
Marlborough regained the initiative after Anil Sud scored from a short corner and they could have added another minutes later when Dan Crossman was unlucky in his attempt to find the net. Then the game really took a strange turn.
Gryphons, having been shut out effectively by Marlborough’s defence, were awarded a short corner out of the blue and dispatched it with ruthless efficiency to level the scoring.
Another corner was awarded two minutes later and Gryphons scored again – leaving Marlborough shell-shocked and frustrated that their hard work had been undone by some close call decisions.
After a rallying half time team talk from Captain Rich Holman and coach Matt Way, Marlborough started the second half in complete control and domination. Once more their swift movement and precise passing opened up huge gaps in the Gryphons defence and after a beautiful flowing move striker Will Hughes pounced with a precise finish into the bottom corner to bring the scores level at 2-2.
Sensing that the game was there for the taking Marlborough continued in the same way and soon thought they had scored following a short corner that had broken down. Having retreated to the half way line to restart the game they were dismayed to find that the goal had been disallowed and a free hit awarded to Gryphons.
Following some confusion regarding ‘setting the press’ for their defensive stance, Marlborough once again pushed forward and scored from another short corner, this time without any dispute, from player coach Matt Way. Another precision goal.
With time running out the home side pressed higher but Marlborough looked to be holding strong as the defence and midfield kept hold of the ball for large periods of time and with relative ease.
With the final minute underway Gryphons were lucky in the middle of the park and the resulting break earned them a hotly contested short corner. As the whistle blew before taking it Marlborough knew that just one more piece of solid defending would see them home. Alas it was not to be and Gryphons equalised leaving the game at 3-3.
Having come so close to a win Marlborough were understandably devastated, but with all that had happened during the game the result could certainly have been worse.
The Marlborough News Online Man of the Match was striker Steve Way.
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