Marine 1 Hungerford Town 3
Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Wednesday 1st January 2025
Match Report from Pete Crockett
SECOND HALF HORROR SHOW
For the next thirty-five minutes Marine rallied laudably and played some genuinely impressive football. The build-up play was slick, the energy levels good, and the home team took the game to their opponents. Balls flashed across the visitor’s goal area and on a more fortunate day blocks and parries might have fallen kindlier.
On 44 minutes Marine got the equaliser they deserved. Gabe Reivers took possession of the ball some thirty-five yards from goal. He fed an inch perfect pass into the path of OLLY MEHEW who drove into the box. The Marine player finished with a precision shot inside the far post that offered the visiting keeper no chance.
Marine started the second half well. Olly Mehew surged down the right channel and whipped in a good low cross. Gabe Reivers got on the end of it and fired a shot at goal from close range but his effort was well saved. Had Marine scored then the match may well have taken a different course. As an aside, this should not be taken as a criticism of the Marine number eight who was one of the few positives on what transpired to be a difficult day.
On 58 minutes, and against the run of play, the Crusaders regained their lead. A corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Alfie Santos, who was closed down, had the opportunity to take aim from 20-yards and hit a firm drive into the back of the Marine net. Some three minutes later things got even worse from a Marine perspective. The Crusader’s third goal was identical to the second goal but this time it was Anthony Dwyer who was the scorer with a low shot.
What then unfolded in the final thirty minutes was from a Marine perspective poor. It is not overstating it to say Hungerford could have scored four or five. In the 64th minute Anthony Dwyer hit the post; in the 67th minute Jose Marquez hit the post; in the 69th minute Hungerford had a massive shout for a penalty; and in the 79th minute Joe Shepherd had a shot well saved by Pagel.
All credit to Hungerford Town. They deserved their victory because they were prepared to dig deep when the going got tough. Their victory was less about superior technical skills and more about character and determination. Joe Shepherd was his usual tenacious and industrious self; Jose Marquez was impressive throughout; and Anthony Dwyer looked a good addition to the Crusader’s ranks.
The last half hour of the match was from a Marine perspective not good enough. For that final thirty minutes there were some Marine players who went through the motions and allowed their heads to drop. In doing so they let down the club’s supporters, they let down the management team, they let down their teammates, and worst of all they let down themselves.
There are supporters around that pitch perimeter who dig deep into their pockets to follow the team; they fuel up their cars to travel to away matches because they buy into what the club is striving to achieve; and to be frank they were hurting as a voluble contingent of Hungerford supporters frankly dissed Marine’s all too visible capitulation.
We are at that smell the coffee point of the season. Marine are now very much at risk of being drawn into a relegation scrap. With the technical ability of this set of Marine players this really should not be the case. It will though be the reality if some players do not do the ugly side with the same zeal they apply to the creative aspects of the game. Those of us travelling to Sholing will be hoping to see players work for each other and give their all.
Marine Star Man: Gabe Reivers
Hungerford Star Man: Jose Marquez
Attendance: 305
Come on Marine!
Line Ups
SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: Blue & White Hoops
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell (c) 4. Liam Angel 5. Ioan Richards 6. Anton Dworzak 7. Zack Kotwica (16. Liban Ibrahim 70’) 8. Gabe Reivers (14.Harry Williams 70’) 9. Dave Sims-Burgess 10. Michael Fernandes 11. Olly Mehew
Subs not used: 12. Jamie Edge, 15. Jake Lee, 20. Nick Peare
Goalscorer: Olly Mehew 44’
Cards:
Dave Sims-Burgess 34’, Ioan Richards 82’, Sam Turl 84’, Anton Dworzak 84’
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HUNGERFORD TOWN
Manager: Danny Robinson
Colours: White & Black
Line-up: 1. Ryan Clarke 3. Ramarni Medford-Smith 5. Jordan Rose (4. Luke Softley 52’) 6. Matt Berry-Hargraves **7.**George Smith 11. Antony Dwyer (9. Dawid Regula 80’) 14. Jose Marquez (10. Hani Berchiche 85’) 16. Louis McGrory 18. Alefe Santos (17. Louis Paget 80’) 19. Joe Shepherd 20. Rhys Tyler (c)
Subs not used: 15. Brandon Curtis
Goalscorers: Jose Marquez 37’ Alefe Santos 54’ Antony Dwyer 80’
Cards:
Luke Softley 69’, George Smith 71’, Joe Shepherd 89’
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Match Gallery
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Courtesy of Alex White Photography
Post Match Team Sheet
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Courtesy of Southern Football League
Match Officials
Referee: Dale Wotton
Assistant Referees: Aaron Baker, Sam Lomas