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| Chinnor
Athletic (25/03/2007) 2006 - 2007 Season, Afc Hithercroft  It was a mild sunny morning with a very slight breeze for this first meeting of these two clubs, being a home game for Afc Hithercroft. The pitch was damp but generally firm underfoot but was bumpy in places because of mole activity and being cut-up from recent games. Pam ran the line for Hithercroft and the referee was Mr Clive Chard. The game got under way at 10.34am with Hithercroft having their backs to the sun during the first half. Hithercroft began to demonstrate their superior fitness right from the start and were putting the Chinnor defence under pressure. After 7 minutes the Chinnor No.2 was spoken to by the referee for verbally abusing the Hithercroft linesman (or should I say ‘lineswoman’) for showing an off-side flag. Three minutes later his name went into Mr Chard’s book after pushing and swearing at Mike Baldock when Mike had beaten him to the ball. In the 20th minute Tyrone Francis needed treatment to a ‘studding’ injury to his leg but soon returned to cause Chinnor more problems. Frank Smith had taken the resulting free-kick, approximately 25 yards from the Chinnor goal-line and had sent in a curving shot towards the right-hand side of the net but the keeper did well to push the ball clear. On 22 minutes Chinnor sent a high ball down the middle of the field which Jamaine Warner headed-on as he back-pedalled to get to the ball. Hithercroft’s centre-back, Kris Clark, managed to get back and regain the ball from the Chinnor striker before he was able to set up for a shot at goal. Two minutes later the home team were rewarded for their pressure when they sent a long ball downfield, Dan Allman pushed it forward to Tyrone who then took it on and slipped it past the advancing keeper into the right-hand side of the net. On 29 minutes Baz David took the ball down the left and sent it inside, close to the goal-line and Mike Baldock ran in to touch the ball inside the left-hand post to give Hithercroft a 2-0 lead. Five minutes later the Chinnor No.7 broke through the Hithercroft defence and hit a shot that hit keeper, Neil Stretton, in a sensitive spot leading to a short stoppage for Neil to recover. As the second half began at 11.27am the sun had disappeared behind cloud and the rest of the game was played out in alternating cloudy or sunny spells. In the 51st minute the ball was played into the middle for Kevin Howell to collect and he hit a 30-yard shot that slipped into the net beneath the keeper who failed to get a firm hold on the and so Hithercroft went 3-0 up. On the 64th minute Hithercroft played a through-ball past the Chinnor defence and Tyrone and Baz burst through the gap with just the keeper to beat. Baz took the ball towards the left post and, as the keeper came forward, Baz sent his shot wide of the post taking the harder option between scoring and missing. Baz came closer four minutes later when he hit a curving shot from the left but the Chinnor keeper got his left hand to the ball to push it round the far post. Hithercroft then made their first substitution in the 71st minute, replacing Mike Baldock with his brother, John. One minute later Baz crossed the ball into the middle and, as Tyrone and Kevin raced through, retreating defender Andrew Lee poked the ball into his own net to put Hithercroft 4-0 ahead. On 74 minutes Hithercroft sent on their second substitute Luke Revell to replace Dan Allman. Eleven minutes later Chinnor were awarded a penalty kick following a Hithercroft infringement and Wayne Croxford made no mistake with his kick to open the scoring for his side. However, within 60 seconds the goal had been cancelled-out when Frank Smith received a great through-ball from Baz and he struck it into the Chinnor net to make the score-line 5-1. The final goal of the game came in the 88th minute when Chinnor crossed the ball from the left and Daryl Hogg hit the ball just inside the right-hand post and so the game finished with a 5-2 victory for Hithercroft. Baz and Frank had used their speed down the wings to outstrip the Chinnor defence and Tyrone and Kevin proved superior in the middle of the field. Frank had spent a lot of time avoiding being brought down by some very dubious tackles and with the Chinnor defence becoming more rattled a number of free kicks had been awarded to Hithercroft (whose players had shown superb restraint). The Chinnor No.2 was extremely lucky not to have been sent off for his appalling behaviour and foul language. Hithercroft scorers: Tyrone Francis (24 mins), Mike Baldock (29 mins), Kevin Howell (51 mins), o.g by Andrew Lee (72 mins), Frank Smith (86 mins) Hithercroft M.o.M: Kevin Howell Hithercroft team: Neil Stretton (GK), Jamaine Warner, Kris Clark, Dougie Carswell, Dan Birch, Dan Allman, Mike Baldock, Kevin Howell, Baz David, Tyrone Francis, Frank Smith. Hithercroft substitutions: John Baldock replaced Mike Baldock (71 mins). Luke Revell replaced Dan Allman (74 mins) Chinnor Athletic scorers: Wayne Croxford (penalty - 85 mins), Daryl Hogg (88 mins) |
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