Hanwell Town 1 Marine 2

Match Report from Pete Crockett

A setback only paves the way for a comeback

Evander Holyfield’s words, “A setback only paves the way for a comeback“ rather summed up how the previous weekend’s disappointing defeat against Harrow Borough proved to be the setback before a comeback. What a transformation!

Seven days earlier Marine put in one of their poorest displays of the season. This Saturday they produced one of their best. They started strong and the pressing, tenacity, and energy levels lasted throughout the match.

On the previous Saturday it was genuinely difficult to identify an outfield player who had a good match. This weekend it was impossible to identify a Marine player who produced anything less than an impressive performance.

In many respects what was most pleasing was that the players grafted to earn the right to showcase their quality. When pugnaciousness was required the team dug deep but when the opportunity arose to out pass their opponents they took it.

Marine dominated the early exchanges with Sam Turl and Ryan Campbell’s overlaps from deep troubling “the Geordies” defensively. These two combined well in slick passing interplays with Henry Spalding and Zack Kotwica. This was a feature of the match that lasted the full ninety minutes and gave the host’s an unremitting defensive headache.

Marine took the lead in the 7th minute with a wonderful team goal. Some fluent passing saw Jake Andrews pick up the ball in midfield. He glanced up and hit a magnificent precision fifty yard cross-field pass into the path of the overlapping Ryan Campbell on the left flank. The Marine left back advanced with gusto towards the dead ball line leaving chasing defenders in his wake.

Campbell hit a perfect low cross towards the front post. The cross was met impeccably by Harry Williams who had adroitly got ahead of his marker. Eight yards from goal, and with only the keeper to beat, there was little doubt of the outcome as the Marine man hammered the ball past Sam Beasant.

This goal seemed to awaken the hosts and they started to impose themselves more effectively on the game. However, Marine’s defensive shape and discipline often meant crosses were being whipped in from deep. These crosses were well managed by the two Marine centre backs Ioan Richards and Mat Liddiard.

Whilst the home team had a strong physical presence up front they did struggle to create many clear-cut openings. A few shots were fired at goal from the edge of the Marine box. There were also a couple of worrying penalty area goal mouth scrambles but Fiachra Pagel thwarted efforts on goal by either good positioning or a couple of excellent saves on the stretch.

The hosts having to come out and chase the game suited Marine who were now a constant threat on the counterattack. On 30 minutes a back post cross from the left found Henry Spalding. The run was perfectly timed but, on the stretch, the Marine man was unable to get his half-volley on target.

Two minutes later Marine doubled their lead. A ball was knocked forward. Harry Williams out battled one of “the Geordies” centre backs to advance on goal. As he entered the area with only the keeper to beat he was scythed from behind. The referee blasted his acne thunderer and pointed to the spot and Jake Andrews calmly netted the penalty kick as he sent Beasant the wrong way.

Prior to the penalty being taken Marine players enquired why the defender had not been sent off. The official seemed to be applying the “double jeopardy” ruling which means the defender was the recipient of a caution rather than a dismissal.

The second half started in a similar vane to the first. Marine were going toe-to-toe with their opponents defensively. In the 55th minute Hanwell thought they had pulled one back when Sam Evans put the ball in the back of the Marine net. However, the flag was raised for an offside and the travelling Marine faithful breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Marine were still having spells of quality passing that created openings. One of these opportunities saw Harry Williams in the 71st minute force two sharp saves from Sam Beasant; another incident saw the same Marine player get ahead of his marker and debatably seem to be bundled over; and the Marine striker also saw a back post effort go just wide.

In the 67th minute Sam Turl also seemed certain to head in a left-wing cross at the back post. However, Hanwell Town’s Isaac Olorunfemi put in a courageous challenge to thwart Marine’s full back. Both players incurred head injuries with the home team player having to leave the field of play looking worryingly dazed and went to hospital for treatment, but the post-match news looked positive, we wish him a swift recovery.

In the final third of the match the hosts were fizzing some dangerous crosses into the Marine box. They were also causing Marine problems with set pieces. However, they were not creating many clear-cut openings with Marine’s two centre backs defending with fortitude and skill.

In this section of the game where Marine were having to dig in deep the perpetual motion and ball carrying runs of Liban Ibrahim in midfield meant that the host’s central midfielders found themselves unable to have time to dwell on the ball and pick a pass.

In the 85th minute Hanwell Town did pull a goal back when a right-wing cross from Fabio Sole was netted by Elliot Benyon at the back post although defender Mat Liddiard may have got the final touch before the ball went in the net.

The final ten minutes saw Marine under the cosh but a combination of dogged defending, astute substitutions, and good game management saw Marine survive the onslaught for three valuable points.

This was a very good Marine performance in which every player produced an eight out of ten, or better, display. Fiachra Pagel made some good saves and came for crosses with confidence; Sam Turl and Ryan Campbell put in high energy shifts overlapping with zeal and defending with determination; Mat Liddiard and Ioan Richards were commanding and courageous; Jake Andrews pinged some magnificent passes from the centre of midfield whilst Liban Ibrahim ran and ran and ran; Zack Kotwica and Henry Spalding not only showcased their creative capabilities but scrapped and battled from start to finish; and the front runners Dave Sims-Burgess and Harry Williams gave the hosts defence a torrid old time.

In the final minutes Marine also bought on three substitutes in Levi Irving, Joe Tumelty, and Jamie Edge. This was a fraught time to enter the fray but all three of them did everything that was required.

One of the toughest aspects of leadership is managing an underperformance. It requires a combination of honest criticism and the positivity to re-focus on a team’s strengths. All credit to management and players for the way in which they bounced back from the previous weekend’s disappointing defeat. The standards have been re-set and will need to be maintained for the final ten matches of the season.

Come on Marine!

NB – On a personal note I have very much enjoyed our visits to Hanwell Town. A friendly club and good supporters. Let us hope this fixture can be repeated at this level in 2023/24.

Editors Hanwell Star Man: Sam Evans
Editors Marine Star Man: Ioan Richards and Zack Kotwica

Attendance: 256

Line Ups

HANWELL TOWN
Manager: Chris Moore
Colours: Black & White Stripes
Line-up: 1. Sam Beasant 2. Dan Carr (12. Jenson Wright 69’) 3. Isaac Olorunfemi (15. Dan Fosu 69’) 4. Fabio Sole 5. Calum Duffy (c) 6. Dwayne Duncan 7. Jacob Bancroft 8. Matt MacKenzie 9. Sam Evans 10. Elliott Benyon 11. Roger James
Subs not used: 14. Abdul Seidu-Osman 16. Jack Hutchinson 17. Jaden Ogwuazor
Goalscorer: Elliott Benyon 85’
Cards:
Elliott Benyon 90+2’
None
None

Swindon Supermarine
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Mat Liddiard 5. Ioan Richards 6. Jake Andrews (c) 7. Zack Kotwica 8. Liban Ibrahim (12. Joe Tumelty 82’) 9. Dave Sims-Burgess (12. Levi Irving 75’) 10. Harry Williams 11. Henry Spalding (12. Jamie Edge 89’)
Subs not used: 16. Matt Bower, 16. George Dowling
Goalscorers: Harry Williams 8’ Jake Andrews 38’pen
Cards:
Harry Williams 72’
None
None

Match Gallery

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Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Team Sheet

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Match Officials

Referee: Tolu Sangowawa
Assistant Referees: Richard Marus, Nigel Freelove