Hopes of survival Dented by defeat Woodbridge: ‘Character will steer us clear of relegation’
Derek Sweetman's men are narrowly beaten by
Holyport 1, Spelthorne Sports 2
Holyport’s chances of survival in the Combined Counties Premier Division North received a blow as they were beaten at home by Spelthorne Sports this afternoon (Saturday).
Derek Sweetman’s men went into the break as the stronger outfit at Summerleaze, but it was the visitors who emerged victorious in this encounter.
The Spelly got their noses in front thanks to Joshua Penemo’s low drive in the 78th minute. Tanaka Gabaza then extended the advantage just under five minutes later at the back post.
Port managed to pull one back, but it was merely a consolation, scored from the penalty spot by Ashley Hunt in the 94th minute.
The result leaves them in 17th place, four points adrift of Wokingham & Emmbrook, with three games left to play of the season. CB Hounslow United’s 3-1 home defeat to
Abbey Rangers means Port remain off the bottom of the table by a point with a game in hand.
“I thought today we were okay for 55 minutes or so,” said Sweetman after the match.
“When the injuries started to pick up, I think that started to disjoint us really. We had to change people around, their positions, and stuff like that.
“Conditions weren’t great either but it’s the same for both sides. Ultimately, they took their chances when they came along, and we didn’t.”
Just four seconds were on the referee’s stopwatch when Holyport registered their first chance of the match, Usman Lalustani forcing Henry Poole into a good save.
Kickie Dzimba made sure Spelthorne’s defence were on their toes too when he tricked his way into the box shortly after before the ball was cleared for a throw in.
Now somewhat settled, Jamie Fuller chalked up the visitors’ first shot of the game in the ninth minute, but it was off target and wide of the woodwork.
Lalustani continued to torment the Spelly’s backline before Matt Ensby was called into action to deny the imposing Kevin Karanja in the 23rd minute.
Conor Lee’s free kick on the stroke of half time was caught well by Fred Chapman and a long throw in from Ensby was snuffed out as the sides went into the break on level terms.
An altercation between Lalustani and Lee after the interval demonstrated the players’ frustration with the scoreline, with both going into the book.
Next, Fuller twisted and turned past Port’s defence before screwing a shot narrowly wide. Moments after, Dzimba got his head onto an Ensby throw but it was too tame to trouble the Spelly’s stopper.
A low cross into the box from Lalustani appeared it was going to catch the visitors out, before Dzimba looked to surprise Poole with a curled effort after picking up the ball.
However, Penemo made no mistake and found the back of the net from his attempt outside the box following a swift counterattack by the visitors.
A corner for the Spelly then bore fruit as Gabaza found the space to smash away a finish past Chapman.
Much like Port’s performance in the final 10 minutes, the weather took a turn for the worse, and it looked like Sweetman’s men were going to finish the match without a goal to their names.
But Hunt - the player whose brace earned Port a victory the last time the sides met was able to convert a penalty kick in extra time after the referee had noticed a handball following a corner.
Jack Woodbridge believes Holyport’s character above all else will steer them clear from relegation in the Combined Counties
Premier Division North, with three crucial games remaining of the season.
Having been forced to cast an eye on his side’s clash with Spelthorne Sports from the sidelines due to injury, skipper Woodbridge didn’t see much wrong with their display at the weekend.
He admitted it was a game of fine margins and impacted by adverse weather conditions, with Port finding it a challenge to play their usual standard of football on the firm pitch at Summerleaze.
“To be honest, I didn’t think there was loads wrong with how we played,” said Woodbridge. “We were just maybe lacking a little bit of creativity and there wasn’t too much going forward.
“It was a game of fine margins – they didn’t have much going forward either, but they took their chances. If you score the first goal, that’s the game decided really.
“The pitch looked a bit hard, and the boys were struggling to play on it. We’ve been used to quite a soft pitch recently, so yeah, I think it played a part towards the end.
“Everyone knows where things could have been better today.
We’ve just got to sweep it under the carpet as we’ve got three massive games now. If we won today, it would’ve given us a bit of a cushion and maybe taken a little bit of the pressure off. But, CB Hounslow United – who also lost on Saturday – have two difficult games coming up.
“I think it’s all about heart and desire now. I think character is the only thing that will get us over the line. We’ve just got to buy in as a unit and whether you’re starting, whether you’re on the bench, whether you’re not playing at all – you’ve got to give it everything for the last three games and hope that it sees us through.”
With only Reading City (April
9), Wokingham & Emmbrook (April 18), and Southall (April 23) left for Port to play, Woodbridge is hopeful he will be back in defence for the last fixture and fully recovered after sustaining ligament damage to his knee against Ascot United in March.
“I’m aiming to be back for the Southall game which is three weeks away,” he said. “My injury was meant to last six weeks and it’s now been three, so fingers crossed. I’m not going to overdo it, bearing in mind it’s ligament damage. I’m still waiting for my knee to settle down fully and then I can get back to running next week. It will be nice to contribute again before the end of the season.”