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Weston-super-Mare AFC - Match Reports

Match reports - Season 2007 - 2008




Seagulls 3 v 1 Hawks


17/09/2007 -Blue Square South - 7:30pm

Sun & Clouds


Having won just won of their previous six meetings with their big spending visitors, Havant & Waterlooville � the last occasion way back on 29th January 2005 � but Weston went a long way to putting paid to three season�s of near misery against a team who are many pundits� favourites for the league title this season, at the Woodspring Stadium on Monday evening. The 2007-08 season may still be in its infancy, but the magnitude of this performance by Tony Ricketts� resurgent Seagulls cannot be underestimated. Weston have now won four of their five home games so far this season, scoring a total of 13 goals in the process. Of one home loss so far recorded, Weston can rightly class themselves as being �robbed� of a point on the day against an inferior Braintree team, and surely, on the culinary performances served up by �master tactictian� Tony Ricketts, it can only be a matter of time before the Woodspring Stadium plays host to attendances far in excess of the encouraging 307 attendance that watched this tussle.

In the past, performances against Ian Baird�s �Hawks� have shown a nervous tendancy by the home side, none of which was more evident than last season when Havant helped themselves to a five goal mauling of the Seagulls this time last year, which to be frank, the Seagulls never really recovered, finding themselves in near to �freefall� for the remainder of the season, and producing occasional one-off high octane shows (Dorchester last season) but overall, disjointed and apathetic conjunctures.

If Havant thought they were in for another �evening stroll� then Weston certainly had other ideas on the evening, the home side starting both positively and adventurously. Following his eye-catching cameo performance on Saturday, Ryan Harley was recalled to the midfield, playing in a deep diamond formation and he caught the eye again almost immediately with a weaving run through the middle, only to be robbed by a strong tackle by centre-back and captain Tom Jordan.

Even in its early stages, the match was high on quality, and play quickly switched from end to end in the first ten minutes; the visitors denied by a stunning finger-tip save by Ryan Northmore, from Havant�s No. 9 Jamie Slabber. Weston took the lead with a well worked goal on 11 minutes; Dean Grubb�s short corner was played back by defender Ben Willshire, finding Matty Hale, whose 35-yard lob caught the visiting �keeper Kevin Scriven in no-man�s land, the ball being helped into the net by a Havant defender trying to clear his lines. Minutes later a surging run by right-full back Barry McConnell found Holgate, who turned quickly in the penalty-area and was clipped from behind, but referee Michael Rowley, waved away penalty claims.

Havant got themselves on level terms on 28 minutes, when the ever-threatening Rocky Baptiste struck into the left hand corner for his fourth goal of the campaign, and seventh goal against Weston in all meetings! Minutes before half-time Havant�s Harkin shot wide of the Northmore�s left hand post following an impressive foray by the visitors.

As in Saturday�s case, against Bognor, Ricketts� charges unbelievably managed to step-up a further gear in the second half; young Dean Grubb was becoming a sorcerer to the hard-pressed Havant defence, and his inter-play with the forward runs of Holgate and Hopkins � whose reading of one another�s play is becoming very impressive. From a typical penetrating run at the visitors defence, Grubb was cruelly brought crashing down, and dead-ball specialist Ryan Harley�s arrowed free-kick cannoned down from the cross-bar, the Havant defence desperately trying to clear their lines!

Weston were pilling on the pressure, and it was only a matter of time before they went further ahead. On 51 minutes, Barry McConnell�s long upfield ball was again latched onto by Dean Grubb, and his low cross was gleefully turned past the visiting �keeper by Gareth Hopkins, celebrating his fifth goal of the season.

Ashan Holgate was becoming an ever increasing threat to the visitors, his precise passing finding his team-mates and his extraordinary vision a joy to watch From one such peach of a move, he found co-striker Hopkins who fired narrowly over and then from a similar mov involving Harley and Grubb, the latter deserved better luck when his stinging shot went wide of the near post.

Weston completed the scoring on 81 minutes, when Mike Taylor�s attempted header from Grubb�s corner, was impeded by a defender pulling his shirt! Holgate�s sweetly struck penalty put the Seagulls 3-1 up and secured a thoroughly deserved three-points against a demoralised Havant. The Seagulls now move up to 8th spot, and travel to Dorchester Town on Saturday with every chance of moving up to a top-six spot on this showing.

Match-night sponsors: Powell�s Solicitors (Weston super Mare)


Game Statistics

Weston-super-Mare scorers - Hale, Holgate, Hopkins
Havant & Waterlooville scorers - Baptiste
Shots on target -
Shots off target -
Corners -
Offsides -
Freekicks -
Bookings - 2
Refereee - M. D. Rowley


Scriven, Wilkinson, Gregory, Smith, Jordan, Sharp, Harkin, Taggart, Slabber, Baptiste, Poate, Subs: Annon, Pacquette, Simpson, Warner, Taylor



Team Summary

�Player� �Played� �Goals� �Yellow� �Red� �MOTM� �Ratings�
�Ryan Northmore
�[Goalkeeper]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 126/200
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Ben Willshire
�[Defender]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 122/195
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Barry McConnell
�[Midfield]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 116/195
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Billy Clark
�[Defender]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 141/220
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Ryan Harley
�[Midfield]		 Subbed Off �Official: n/a
�Fans: 133/235
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Andy Robertson
�[Defender]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 163/235
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Matt Hale
�[Midfield]		 Subbed Off 1 �Official: n/a
�Fans: 137/230
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Michael Taylor
�[Defender]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 154/235
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Gareth Hopkins
�[Forward]		 Full Game 1 �Official: n/a
�Fans: 127/210
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Ashan Holgate
�[Midfield]		 Subbed Off 1 Yellow Card Man Of The Match �Official: n/a
�Fans: 150/225
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Dean Grubb
�[Forward]		 Full Game �Official: n/a
�Fans: 167/260
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Lewis Powell
�[Midfield]		 Subbed On �Official: n/a
�Fans: 122/220
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Aaron Wilson
�[Midfield]		 Subbed On Yellow Card �Official: n/a
�Fans: 133/225
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
�Marc McGregor
�[Midfield]		 Subbed On �Official: n/a
�Fans: 152/255
�Vote:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5





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