Magpies 1 Gosport Boro. 0 - SLPS 24/9/24 Match Report added

Graham's Match Report -

Wimborne Town 1 Gosport Borough 0 - Southern League Premier South - 24 Sept 2024

What a difference a goal makes! After three games without one, Matty Burrows, with a little help from his friend Lewis Beale, netted from close range, and that was enough to end Gosport's eight match unbeaten run in league and FA Cup games.

Manager Tim Sills made two changes: Lewis Beale made his first start of the season, and flying winger Matty Burrows returned to the starting line-up. And it was those two who combined to bag the all-important goal on ten minutes.

The game started as it would go on: Sam Roberts stopped a first Gosport attack with a crunching tackle; Josh Carmichael arrowed an inch-perfect diagonal to Burrows wide on the right; and the men in yellow counter-attacked at speed and in numbers for the first shot of the game on nine minutes which went wide. However, Wimborne's first shot in the next minute brought a better reward - a goal! A throw on the left deep in Borough territory resulted in Beale shooting from near the by-line, goalkeeper Gosney parried, but Burrows was first to the loose ball to net from close-range. A first goal for over 300 minutes - no wonder players and supporters celebrated!

And confidence flowed through The Magpies. Will Fletcher won headers against his defenders; Beale joined in with a flicked header which saw Fletcher just beaten in a foot race by the experienced keeper; Fletcher crossed from the right but found no taker; Cam Munn's header from Burrows' cross brought a diving save from Gosney; Carmichael's lofted pass was volleyed into the box where Fletcher brought another diving save from Gosney; Burrows sprinted past his full-back to deliver a dangerous low cross; Beale hit Fletcher's deep cross against the sprawling shot-stopper; Fletcher headed Sam Jackson's deep ball across the face of the goal; and a man in yellow cynically brought Burrows down as he sprinted onto Harry Morgan's pass.

Gosport, too, were playing well with confidence, with the dynamic Murray pulling the strings in midfield. Kavanagh, on the right, passed inside for Stanley to shoot wide; Adam Biss had to hook a through ball away, then head the next attack clear; and as we moved into the one additional minute, Carmichael sprinted back to stop the speedy Yearwood down the left. Despite all of Borough's clever inter-play and crisp passing, Ross Flitney did not have to make a save during the half.

After the break, as you'd expect, Gosport came out looking for an equaliser, and dominated possession for the rest of the game. But they came across a well-organised and determined defence: Flitney raced out of his goal to head their first attack into touch; Carmichael sprinted to intercept; Harvey Wright, in another man-of-the-match performance, headed a cross away, then perfectly timed a sliding clearance; Jackson intercepted; Roberts headed a cross behind; Wright volleyed clear; Baker ran back to help his defenders; Fletcher headed a corner clear; Biss stopped Stanley's charge; Roberts tackled; Wright cleared; and Flitney's defensive wall repelled a couple of free-kicks. For all the visitors' possession, and they fluently moved the ball from one side to the other and back again looking for openings, Flitney only had to make one save, although he did have to make some great catches under pressure.

But it was far from one-way traffic. Fletcher headed Biss's cross wide, then brilliantly controlled a high ball before making space to shoot over; Jackson set up Munn for a shot which Gosney diverted for a corner; and The Magpies came within a whisker of doubling their lead on eighty-five minutes when Fletcher headed Matt Neale's free-kick against the bar. Then, after seven additional minutes, referee Whittington gave a final blast on his whistle, and players and supporters could relax and celebrate a well-deserved victory.

Have no doubts, this was an excellent win. Gosport finished fourth last season, a mere three points behind second-placed Totton, and came into this game on a rich vein of form. As in Saturday's game against Supermarine, Tim's team dominated the goal attempt stats - this time 14 -7. The Magpies defended as a unit, harried and hassled in midfield as a unit, and attacked as a unit. Three points, a second clean-sheet in three days, a Tuesday evening crowd of over 500 - this was a very good evening at the office!
And a final word on the travelling Gosport supporters behind the goal - all twenty of them, who loudly sang and chanted throughout the game - respect!

Wimborne: Flitney, Biss, Roberts, Wright, Jackson, Carmichael (Neale 59), Morgan, Beale (Baker 69), Munn, Burrows (Ryan 77), Fletcher
Unused subs: Cocklin, Walker

Attendance: 517

Match stats:

Magpies
Borough

Goal attempts on target 7/1
Goal attempts off target 6/5
Goal attempts blocked 1/1
Corners 1/3
Fouls conceded 15/13
Offside 3/1
Cards 2Y/4Y

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