Marine 4 Exmouth Town 2

Match Report from Pete Crockett

AN EXCELLENT START TO THE SEASON

The home team started on the front foot forcing several corners. One of these saw visiting keeper Aaron Dearing do well to claw away a cross shot knocked into a crowded six-yard box. With ten minutes on the clock Marine’s Dan Warre had a shot on target. Bringing the ball down deftly he cut inside but scuffed his 20-yard effort.

Sal Abubakar hit a powerful strike on goal

Four minutes later some excellent build up play down the right wing saw an Exmouth cross whipped in that was met by a Ben Griffith header that cleared the crossbar. Midway through the first half Sal Abubakar hit a powerful strike on goal that was well saved by the visiting keeper who was already having a busy afternoon.

Sal Abubakar squares the ball for Sid to tap in

Sid scores the first goal of the season

In the 26th minute Marine took the lead. Some sloppy defensive passing saw Sal Abubakar intercept a misplaced pass and break clear down the right.

He looked up and squared a perfect low cross to SID GBLA who adroitly netted from close range.

The visitors went close to equalising some five minutes later with several of their players advancing to get on the end of an excellent Joe Belsten cross.

However, an impressive goal saving challenge was made by Marine’s Sam Turl who was laudably alert to the danger.

On thirty-nine minutes it was Exmouth defender Michael Landricombe who defended well stopping a mazy Tawana Changa run with a perfectly timed tackle.

Two minutes later Marine scored their second when SID GBLA outmuscled Exmouth’s Ollie Knowles to fire home from an acute angle just inside the penalty area.

Sid scores the scores his second from an acute angel

The first second half chance of substance occurred after five minutes. Marine’s Dan Warre broke clear of a square defence down the inside right channel – his cross shot whistled wide of the far post.

The match was now one of attack and counterattack and three minutes later the visitor’s Matt Wright rolled a pass into the path of Ben Griffith who from just inside the penalty area scuffed his effort which was easily gathered by Lucas Myers diving to his right.

Debutant keeper Lucas Myers has just saved an Exmouth penalty from Matt Wright

On 61 minutes Marine got their third, Dan Warre slalomed his way past a couple of defenders as it they were training ground dummies. He then drilled an inch perfect cross into that corridor of uncertainty between keeper and back four.

Substitute FRANKIE MONKS, who had only been on the pitch a minute or so, scored with his first touch as he netted at the back post with a similar finish to the first for an excellent team goal and a 3-0 lead.

Frankie Monks scores the third goal after just coming off the subs bench

With eighteen minutes remaining Exmouth Town had the lifeline with a penalty awarded to them after some sloppy passing allowed Exmouth’s Isaac McCue to advance into the box where they were clumsily felled by Josh Grant. Matt Wright took the spot kick, but it was well saved by recent signings Josh Myers in the Marine goal.

Despite this miss Exmouth Town were having their best spell of possession and penning Marine in their own half. On 76 minutes they got one back when a thunderbolt of a strike from ETHAN SLATER that nestled into the top corner of the goal giving Myers no chance. It was a goal worthy of the admission money alone!

It was Marine who scored the next goal in the 81st minute. Some inept defensive play saw Marine’s DAN WARRE gain possession on the left-hand edge of the box. He jinked past defenders and from a more central position fired a fifteen-yard shot inside the keepers near post.

Dan Warre scored Marine’s fourth goal

Still the chances were being created. On 87 minutes Marine substitute Dani Gonzalez fed an inch perfect pass into the path of Dan Warre who forced visiting keeper Aaron Dearing into yet another good save.

In injury time the visitors were awarded their second penalty of the match – this time for a shirt pull on Callum Shipton in the penalty area. Whereas the first award was unquestioned by Marine players this one surprised them. Up stepped ISAAC McCUE who sent Myers the wrong way to convert the spot kick.

Isaac McCue scores for Exmouth from the penalty spot

This was an excellent game of football with both sides contributing to a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. Those with Exmouth Town allegiances will be disappointed that their team’s defensive laxity aided Marine’s first two goals. Two of their players particularly caught the eye – Joe Belsten, who looked an accomplished player, and Aaron Dearing who made some excellent saves.

Exmouth keeper Aaron Dearing had an excellent game to keep the Marine scoreline down

From a Marine perspective every player put in an excellent shift. They worked with industry, closed and pressed with energy, looked a threat in the attacking third, and for large chunks of the match defended resolutely.

If there was a gremlin in the day it was that for fifteen minutes after the third goal the tempo reduced and passing got a little ragged. Not a disaster but something to learn from.

Dan Warre edged the star man award but there were a large number of players who had a good game!

When a player of the match is nominated I tend to canvass a range of supporters. For todays match seven players were mentioned. That must be indicative of a good team effort. For me Dan Warre edged it, but it could have been anyone of several.

At the end of the match Marine manager Bobby Wilkinson offered the following thoughts:

“I was very pleased to get that win today. We worked hard to get it and scored four really good goals. We are still nowhere near the finished article and still some way off where I want the boys to be, but it is a good start. It was a cool, calm performance with eights and nines across the park“.

“Sid (Gbla) was excellent today and took his two goals well, Frankie (Monk) scored with his first touch off the bench, and Dan Warre worked tireless too. I am really pleased for keeper Lucas Myers. He played well and perhaps arguably deserved a clean sheet. His penalty save was sensational. He is a top lad and I hope we can help him develop“.

“We are going to take each game as it comes this season, we have been together for six weeks. Things will take time to click, but I am delighted for the chairman Jez Webb, who puts his time and money into the club, and he deserved this result today“.

“Finally, I want to say a massive thanks to the supporters who came out today, the volunteers who have worked so hard to get the pitch and stadium ready for the game and, of course, thanks to my staff and my players for working so hard. Today should be about them. Now its on to Sporting Club Inkberrow on Tuesday – Come on Marine!“.

Attendance: 247

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: Blue & White Hoops
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1	Lucas Myers [GK]
2	Sam Turl (c)		25’
3	Piotr Petrynski
4	Josh Grant
5	Nick Rhodesl			15	Josh Blyth 90’
6	T’wanna Changa		5’
7	Sal Abubakar		70’	17	Jonny Efedje 85’
8	Jamie Edge		59’	14	Dani Gonzalez 90’
9	Dan Warre	82’
10	Sid Gbla	26’ 41’		12	James Harding 83’
11	George Alston			16	Frankie Monks 60’	61’

Editors Star Man: Dan Warre
Subs not used: None

Managers:	Kevin Hill & Gary Pearce
Line-up:	Colours: Red & Black
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1	Aaron Dearing [GK]
3	Josh Cann			8.	Callum Shipton 65’
4	Ollie Knowles
5	Jacob Shore			12.	Ed Butcher 65’
6	Mike Landricombe (c)
7	Jack Kennell			17.	Richard Keates 79’
10	Luke Steer			18.	Sam Morcom 70’
9	Ethan Slater	75’
11	Ben Griffin			15.	Isaac McCue 70’	90’pen
16	Joe Belsten
19	Mark Wright

Editors Star Man: Aaron Dearing
Subs not used: None