Frome Town 3 Marine 1

Match Report from Pete Crockett

MARINE SHOW FIGHT BUT FALL TO LEAGUE LEADERS

There are winter evenings that seem to conspire against the traveller and this was one of them: a grey dismal trudge across Wiltshire, the roads slick, the sky sombre, the mood suitably Dickensian as Swindon Supermarine slipped over the Somerset border to confront a Frome Town side eyeing the summit.

Shorn of the suspended Zach Rugman and Sam Turl, and lacking their stricken trio of forwards - Dan Warre, Joe Beardwell and Frankie Monk - the visitors arrived depleted but not without intent.

From the outset the hosts played with the assured cadence of a team accustomed to winning. Within a minute Archie Ferris’s header threatened to breach the Marine goal, only for Luke Purnell, alert and unflustered, to paw it away. More was demanded of him as Frome surged repeatedly, Albie Hopkins probing, Callum Gould prompting, the red shirts moving with the fluency of a side very much November’s form team. Gould’s rising effort on 15 minutes cleared the bar, the warning growing louder.

The home team’s likely breakthrough came on twenty minutes. A Hopkins’s corner - a teasing, measured thing - picked out Archie Ferris who had stolen enough daylight to turn the ball in from close range. Too easy those of a Marine disposition would mutter and, in brutal honesty, they would be right.

Yet Marine flickered. Max Hemmings, the captain, struck from distance on 25-minutes but diving keeper Kyle Phillips was equal to it. The keeper then scrambled to block follow-ups from Rapha Oppong and Sid Gbla, though the raised flag might have offered Frome an alternative reprieve.

At the other end David Duru whipped the side netting when he might have done more, and the visitors’ anxiety at each Hopkins delivery was soon justified again. Eight minutes before the break Wayne Maidment met another corner and, amid hesitant Marine defending, bundled home a second. It was a another soft goal to concede. In the final minute Marine’s Rapha Oppong’s late first-half burst was halted when his well struck effort was blocked by a stout red shirt.

Marine could have wilted. To their credit they did not. On 56 minutes Max Hemmings curled an in-swinging corner that had to be headed off the line. The same player then drove a fierce strike straight at Kyle Phillips in the host’s goal.

Josh Grant’s vigour lifted the visitors further. His surge on 76 minutes sent Sid Gbla away, the shot dragged wide but the intent firm; soon after George Alston’s skewed effort crept across the face of goal, a reminder that Frome were no longer quite as at ease. Indeed, only Maidment’s late attempt - skimming past Purnell’s post - reasserted the home side’s threat.

Then came JOSH BLYTH rising with admirable conviction to power home a header from a corner in the 87th minute. Marine at last had their foothold. For a brief flickering spell the home supporters shifted uneasily that nervy end-game tension creeping in.

However, pressing for the equaliser Marine were caught at the death. Frome broke away from a Marine attack and George Dowling’s lob looped off the bar and Zac Drew quick to the rebound fashioned the finishing blow in stoppage time. The scoreline broadened again, not entirely reflecting the visitors’ second half defiance.

Frome were resolute at the back and industrious in midfield. However, their potency was up top with Harris Feltham probing from midfield, Albie Hopkins knavish on the ball, and Archie Ferris sharp around goal. This trio showed why they occupy the division’s loftiest perch.

Marine, by contrast, will brood over the pair of set-piece concessions that made their task so steep. Yet they did not fold. Two goals down at the interval, weakened by absences, they battled through to the end and gave the league leaders an uneasy finale.

The highly competent performance from the officials—referee Paul Barber and his assistants – was most certainly worthy of praise. The man in the middle was calm, unobtrusive, and authoritative.

In the final reckoning defeat at the home of the league’s standard-bearers carries no disgrace. The pride lies in the refusal to yield, the willingness to stand firm in adversity. Maintain that grit and the rewards will come.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 328

Manager:	Danny Greaves
Line-up:	Colours: All Red
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card	No	Substitute
1.	Kyle Philips [GK]		89’
2.	Harry Lucas
3.	Sam Heal			21	Dan Dodimead 74’
4.	Sam Teale (c)			10	Zach Drew 52’	94’
6.	Callum Gould
9.	Archie Ferris	20’
11.	Albie Hopkins			8	George Dowling 79’
12.	Brendan Holmes
14.	Warren Maidment (c)	38’
16.	David Duru			18	Theo Llewellyn 86’
17.	Harris Feltham

Editors Star Man: Harris Feltham Subs not used: 13. Dan Brabham

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: Blue & White Hoops
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1	Luke Purnell [GK]
2	Josh Grant			15	Josh Blythe 85’	87’
3	Tawana Changa
4	Tom Farnsworth
5	Olly Case		57’
6	Jamie Edge			12	Rhys Williams 67’
7	Sal Abubakar			17	Jonny Efedje 67’
8	Max Hemmings
9	Rapha Oppong			12	Jo Owiti 67’
10	Sid Gbla			14	George Alston 67’
11	Dayo Sonoiki		87’

Editors Star Man: Josh Grant
Subs not used: None