Weston v EBFC - match report

[shadwellarmy]

(Taken from the WSM club site):

Weston 2 - 4 Eastbourne



07/04/2007 -League Game - 3.00pm


Weston's relegation fight took on new meaning after this comprehensive defeat at the hands of Eastbourne Borough at the Woodspring Stadium on Saturday. A shadow of the team that won so comprehensively last week at Dorchester, it was certainly a case of after the lord mayors show. The Seagulls were well and truly put to the sword by a ruthless Borough side that enhanced their late run towards a play-off spot.

The game had barely started before the visitors took a third minute lead when slack marking from a throw in allowed Allan Tait room to cut inside and beat Ryan Northmore with a low drive.

Strike partner Andy Atkin was then booked for a late high boot challenge on Northmore who required treatment before he could carry on. Things then got worse for the home side on 13 minutes when a long kick from keeper Lee Hook found Atkin in space and he ran on before beating Northmore with a curling shot into the bottom corner.

Weston's first real effort saw Leon Hapgood fire wide but they had better luck on 18 minutes when Ryan Harley moved down the left, his pass inside found recent new signing Stuart Douglas and his first time shot swerved beyond the despairing dive of Hook to give the home fans something to cheer. Northmore then came to Weston's rescue when he pulled off a point blank save to deny Tait and at the other end an overhead kick from skipper Matt Rose just narrowly missed the post.

The second half saw Weston come out with more purpose but again it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score. From a corner Atkin headed back across goal to Tait but somehow Northmore managed to get his legs in the way and divert the shot over the bar from just two yards out.Craig Loxton saw his shot charged down before the visitors increased their lead on 78 minutes, when after some neat interpassing the ball was put through to Atkin and he made no mistake from 10 yards, and the writing was on the wall for the Seagulls on 84 minutes when full back Neil Jenkins was allowed the room to race into the area and although his first effort was blocked by the legs of Northmore his follow-up found the back of the net.

Weston did manage to pull a goal back on 86 minutes when from another long ball upfield Douglas managed to turn his marker and shoot home from just inside the area for his third goal in two games, but it was too little too late.

This defeat has done serious harm to the Seagulls fight to stay in Nationwide Conference South, the game on Easter Monday against bottom club Bedford Town away, and the game on Saturday against second from bottom Basingstoke Town, at the Woodspring Stadium, are now must win games if the Seagulls are to have any hope of saving their season.

Half Time 1 - 2 Attendance: 261 Star Man Tait (Eastbourne)


Westons Team Included - Northmore, Robertson, Bailey, Gurney, Rand, Rose, Loxton, Hapgood (McGregor 66), Hopkins, Douglas, Harley (Chapman 77). Subs not used Honeywell, Johnson, Kilgour.


Game Statistics

Weston-Super-Mare scorers - Douglas 18, 86
Eastbourne Borough scorers - Tait 3, Atkin 13, 78, Jenkins 84
Shots on target -
Shots off target -
Corners -
Offsides -
Freekicks -
Bookings -
Refereee - W Bull


This was created by Stuart Marshall

[Jim "Convertedeagle" Stewart]

Pretty accuarate account of a splendid afternoon on the road for the bots in yellow. The match report didnt say however how inept the referee was. Andy Atkin was borderline for a red card for the challenge on the keeper. How on earth the Weston number 6 stayed on the park, heaven only knows. maybe all in wrestling and throwing two opposition players to the ground within ten seconds of each other is acceptble parctice in the west country. The number 10 was lucky too to escape any form of punishment for shoving his head at marc pullens chest!! ( would have been his face had Marc not towered over him) The linesMAN didnt have the faintest idea of the off side rule... giving very bad decisions on 2 or 3 occasiions against us. The linesLADY seemed much more competent... Still gripe over and three points brought back to Sussex. Special mention to for Lee Hook who for the second game in recent weeks got clobbered and picked him self up to finish the game ( you have to feel for Deano tho. Twice he has got the pink top on, only to throw his gloves to the ground, in what i presume is despair, but could be relief!!!)

[shadwellarmy]

It seems that the offside rule has been changed. It's the only explanation for some of the linesmen's decisions the last few weeks. Against both Havant and Histon there was a linesman who seemed to be waving his flag at random (and not only against us). I was level with the mad lino for the second half against Histon and he twice waved for offside with a Histon defender at least ten feet closer to the goal-line than any other player - and in direct line of goal from the position of the ball. And once signalled offside at a freekick before the kick had been taken! Mind you, he also stopped a good Histon break for an offside that could only have been taking place in another ground, or possibly an alternate reality.
But even he was better than one of them against Farnborough, who I don't think made a single decision all day, just spent the match watching the ref and waving his flag frantically about two seconds after the ref blew his whistle.
A change to the offside rules, only known to certain elite linesmen, is the only explanation. The lino's all seemed to be reasonable until about six weeks ago, now most of them are insane!

[maz]

perhaps the referees are watching their counterparts on Champions League ;D

[shadwellarmy]

No, I think it is all a vicious plan by the Canadian government to rule the world.
To try to create Canadian cultural control of all sport, they are paying linesmen to interpret the offside rule in football the same way as it is in ice-hockey.
Take my word for it - within five years Man Utd will be playing in the 'Maple Leaf Premiership'!