Marine 1 Westbury United 2

Match Report from Pete Crockett

ERROS AND PROFLIGACY COST MARINE POINTS

From a Marine point of view this was one of those evenings when a match splits itself cleanly into two distinct acts, the first encouraging, the second dispiriting.

That Marine reached the interval a goal down scarcely reflected the quality of their opening half-hour, while Westbury United, once in front, produced a display of defensive discipline and game management that ultimately decided the contest.

Marine began with purpose and poise. Their passing was crisp, their movement imaginative, the ball moving with a tempo that suggested confidence and clarity of thought. Inside two minutes Sid Gbla wriggled clear and squared for Piotr Petrynski whose effort from the edge of the box flew narrowly over.

Soon after, a lung-bursting overlap from Sam Turl almost created the opening goal, only for a timely defensive header to deny Gbla a close-range headed chance.

The pressure was sustained. Gbla, a constant irritant to the visiting defence, appeared to be clipped in the area, one of those incidents where referees tend to err on the side of caution once the white lines intervene.

Then on ten minutes came Westbury’s first meaningful foray and with it the lead. Jamie Jordan teased his way down the flank and whipped in a low cross which Olly Case, attempting to cut it out at the near post, diverted agonisingly into his own net.

It was a cruel reversal but Marine’s response was admirable. Max Hemmings forced a sharp save from distance, Zach Rugman then saw a goal bound effort hacked off the line from the resulting corner. On another day, Marine might have been two goals to the good.

Rugman’s enforced withdrawal on the half-hour disrupted their rhythm yet Marine still fashioned chances. Gbla was tripped from behind in the box as he broke away from his marker, contact clear, the ball nowhere near the defender’s foot.

The expected whistle never came. A minute later a free-kick was awarded for a far less obvious foul on Sal Abubakar prompting derisory cheers that reflected growing bewilderment at officiating decision making.

All that early fluency, however, ebbed away after the interval. Where before Marine had trusted their passing now they sought the killer ball too early and too often. Possession was surrendered cheaply, momentum lost. Westbury, to their considerable credit, defended with intelligence and resolve, keeping their shape and closing down passing options.

They were also adept at slowing the game pushing restarts to the margins of tolerance — as most sides protecting a lead will do — they were aided by a referee whose supervision of these delays was meek and whose management of such incidents might be deemed by some to have lacked firmness.

The second Westbury goal, in the 84th minute, stemmed from a casual loss of possession deep in Marine territory. Josh Jenkins seized upon it. He released Jack Witcombe whose shot struck the post before Bevan Cross lashed home the rebound.

Marine did muster a late rally. In the 92nd minute Rapha Oppong delivered an excellent cross which Frankie Monk finished smartly, Monk in the final minute then whipped in a delectable cross which Max Hemming headed just over. Yet time, never plentiful, was scant indeed.

In a second half featuring seven substitutions, three cautions, two goals and an abundance of lethargic restarts the allocation of just five minutes of added time felt woefully inadequate.

To dwell exclusively on the officiating would be to miss the broader point. Marine were excellent early on, uninspired later, and undermined themselves by their own errors that turned a competitive contest into an uphill struggle.

Westbury, once ahead, were disciplined, organised and astute in the arts of game management. That combination, allied to Marine’s second-half decline, proved decisive.

The Marine players need to learn the lessons from this match but also build upon the qualities they showed at Portishead Town. When they passed the ball crisply and moved with zest in the first half of this game they looked a decent side. When they got drawn into speculative long balls in the second half they merely played into the hands of their opponents.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 192

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: Blue & White Hoops
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1	Luke Purnell [GK]
2	Sam Turl
3	Piotr Petrynski
4	Olly Case	11’og
5	Jamie Edge
6	Tawana Changa
7	Dayo Sonoiki			12	Rapha Oppong 59’
8	Max Hemmings
9	Conor McDonagh			14	Joe Owiti 59’
10	Sid Gbla			15	Frankie Monk 60’	92’
11	Zach Rugman			16	Sal Abubakar 33’

Editors Star Man: Sam Turl
Subs not used: Josh Blyth

Manager:	Ricky Hulbert & Lewis Potter
Line-up:	Colours: All Green
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card	No	Substitute
1.	Joel Butler [GK]
2.	Steve Hulbert			5	Adam Cotterill 74’
6.	Dan Restorick
7.	Jack Whitcombe (c)
8.	Brad Selwood		68’
9.	Ackeem Stewart			18	Ali Sen 79’
11.	Bevan Cross	86’
14.	Ethan Witchell
16.	Cole Fleming			20	Josh Jenkins 70’
17.	William Taylor			10	Aaron Witchell 71’		76’
19.	Jamie Jordan

Editors Star Man: Dan Restorick
Subs not used: Ryan Bole