Hanwell Town 1 Marine 3
Southern League Premier South | Saturday 25th March 2023
Match Report from Aleck Everard
SUPER HOOPER THE HERO
It was a massive Saturday for Swindon Supermarine as they took on one of their biggest challenge of the season and came home with three points. Marine were on the road again as they headed down to London to take on Hanwell Town. Manager Lee Spalding was forced into changes from midweek when Liam Armstrong was recalled from his loan spell back to Gloucester City late on Friday night due to an injury to there keeper and with Josh Gould still sidelined Marine were forced to turn to midfielder Brad Hooper to step up between the sticks.
Will Tunnicliff also missed out with a recurrence of a hamstring after returning in midweek and was replaced by top scorer Harry Williams back after his groin injury which kept him out for over a month with Ryan Campbell dropping into the left back position. The final change saw George Dowling starting the game in place of Joe Tumelty who dropped to the bench.
Stand in keeper Hooper was forced into an early stop from Isaac Olorunfemi as a nervy Marine took to the field but they soon settled into the match and started to knock the ball around well. From one of these excellent team moves James Harding was put through on goal but slipped at the vital time and scuffed it wide. Hanwell’s Matt McKenzie then went close at the other end heading just wide of the goal.
In the seventeenth minute Hanwell’s Lewis Cole was booked for a late one on Sam Turl as Marie started to dominate proceedings. Harry Williams headed just wide before a George Dowling free kick was well held by R’avan Constable in the home goal. Another free kick whipped in by Henry Spalding saw Williams go close with a header again with some appeals for a push in the back waved away. The pressure was building and the goal came in the thirty-seventh minute. Zack Kotwica broke through the middle and he timed his pass to perfection to Harry Williams who made no mistake, taking the ball around the keeper and slipping the ball into the net for his thirty-third of the season with twenty-eight in the league.
With no further action in the half Marine would have been delighted to limit the efforts on goal whilst taking an excellent one themselves but knew with the wind against them in the second half it would be backs to the wall. MacKenzie saw yellow for a very late challenge on Jamie Edge before a very scary moment for Marine. A massive goal kick from Constable took a high bounce and went straight over Hooper’s head but thankfully it was wide of the post!
Hanwell opted to make a change with Tom McElroy replacing Tony Cheshire but this did not have the desired effect and a minute later and on the hour Marine doubled their advantage. Another excellent team move and a brilliant through ball from Spalding saw James Harding race away from the Hanwell defence before unleashing a thunderbolt of an effort to leave Constable grasping thin air. That is eighteen goals now for the hit man in just seventeen starts.
Hanwell went on the attack after this and we saw Marine putting bodies on the line to block three chances in a row inside the penalty box, an immense effort from the whole back line to stop the shots. But this was the Toon Army’s best spell of the game and they were not to be denied as there new signing and debutant Imran Kayani headed home from a deep cross to give keeper Brad Hooper no chance on sixty-six minutes. Hanwell were pushing hard to level but the move of the match saw Marine manoeuvre a superb counter attack with Henry Spalding giving it the finish it deserved with a lovely curling effort into the corner to kill the Hanwell hopes with twenty minutes left to go for his seventh goal of the season.
A raft of subs from both sides followed, with Joe Tumelty on for Harry Williams after a great first shift back, Tom Sharpe returning after a while on the bench for the hard working George Dowling and a late showing for Swindon Town loanee George Cowmeadow on for Henry Spalding. But Marine saw out the game well with the only scare being a late free kick which soared over the bar. The final whistle saw rapturous scenes with all the players applauding Brad Hooper for his efforts at stepping up to the plate on the day.
So the play off push continues and with Poole Town to visit the Webbswood next Saturday it sets up the first of a series of massive home games.
Line Ups
HANWELL TOWN 
Manager: Chris Moore
Colours: Black & White
Line-up: 1. R’avan Constable 19. Isaac Olorunfemi 3. Keano Robinson 4. Harry Rush (c) 5. Calum Duffy **6.**Tony Cheshire (14. Tom McElroy 59’), (15. Jack Hutchinson 82’) 7. Lewis Cole (12. Dan Carr 70’) 8. Mat McKenzie 9. Imran Kayani 10. Kain Adom 11. Abdul Seidu-Osman
Subs not used: 16. Jacob Gardner-Smith, 17. Max Merrick (GK)
Goalscorer: 
Imran Kayani 66’pen
Editors Star Man: Mat McKenzie
Cards:
Lewis Cole 17’, Mat McKenzie 51’, Isaac Olorunfemi 60’ 
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Swindon Supermarine
Manager: Lee Spalding
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Brad Hooper 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Jamie Edge 5. Tyrone Duffus 6. Mat Liddiard (c) 7. Henry Spalding (16. George Cowmeadow 80’) 8. George Dowling (17. Tom Sharpe 77’) 9. Harry Williams (12. Joe Tumelty 70’) 10. James Harding 11. Zack Kotwica
Subs not used: 14. Malik Sesay, 15. Zac Guinan
Goalscorers: Harry Williams 38’ James Harding 60’ Henry Spalding 70’
Editors Star Man: Brad Hooper
Cards:
None
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Supermarine TV
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Courtesy of Mike Wray
Post Match Team Sheet
Match Officials
Referee: Harrison Blair
Assistant Referees: Scott Crowhurst, Tom Healy
