Villa’s cheap goals cost the Royalists
Cooper satisfied with side’s display if not the result
Three cheaply conceded goals aside, Windsor boss Mark Cooper was fairly happy with his side’s efforts in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to league leaders Hanworth Villa.
Villa are in the process of opening up an enormous gap at the top of the Combined Counties Premier Division North table and are yet to be beaten in any of their 21 matches, however, Windsor ran them pretty close at Stag Meadow.
All their goals came in the first half with Michael Kamara, Meshach Williams and Sam Merson finding the net. But the Royalists bounced back well after the break and were somewhat unfortunate not to add to Danny Horscroft’s goal which made it 3-1.
He pulled one back with a strong header at the far post from David Hoar’s corner kick and Lindell Stewart also had a strike ruled out for the home side, but Simon Haughney’s men – as they’ve done so frequently this season – were able to hold onto their two-goal lead for the remainder of the match.
Cooper said: “You give them (Hanworth Villa) anything and they are clinical. We gave them three cheap goals but outside of that, it was a very even game, and perhaps one we wanted more. To go into the break 3-0 down after performing well was hugely frustrating. But credit to our boys, it could have gone one or two ways in the second half, given that Hanworth ended up 8-0 winners last
week. Our boys, as they have been all season, were determined and persistent to get a goal back. We also had a second ruled out shortly after, scored by Lindell (Stewart). If that had stood, then, with 20 minutes to go, we could well have got something.
“We were so offensive – we were the home side so we couldn’t just submit to defeat. We got after them and we were dangerous from set pieces all day. I think they were pretty relieved when they heard the final whistle.”
Cooper added: “On the positive
front, we had a great tenacity, and the boys just didn’t give up. On the frustrating front, it was the soft goals we conceded – you just can’t afford to do that against a good side. I felt Lindell’s goal was harshly chalked off and if we could have made it 3-2, I fancied us getting something from the game. It was a hugely competitive afternoon.”
The result leaves the Royalists in 10th place ahead of their next match at home to another of the front runners, Abbey Rangers, on Saturday week (January 29).