Marlow 0 Marine 2
Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Saturday 1st March 2025
Match Report from Pete Crockett
MARINE SECURE A VITAL WIN
Two ripostes come to mind if anyone were to diminish this victory. The first is that in the second half Marlow pushed Marine hard and fought valiantly to the final whistle. The second is look at how determinedly a number of higher end teams in this league have had to work to get points against them – Marlow are no pushovers.
The match got off to a stuttering start as within the first five minutes Marine centre back Ioan Richards twice needed treatment. After this the early exchanges were end to end with the host’s Mitch Parker having an effort well saved by Fiachra Pagel and Marine’s Harry Williams having a close range shot blocked by the legs of Harrison Rhone in the home team goal.
The game then settled into one of contrasting styles. Marine were looking to to play the ball to feet and build from the back. The hosts to exploit the space down the flanks to get in behind Marine’s back three.
This season the period between twenty and thirty minutes seems to be a time of concerning risk for keepers as for the umpteenth time this season a custodian of the goal falls to the ground in need of treatment. The Marlow players dutifully traipsed to their dug out whilst their keeper was treated. Personally I would prefer we get rid of this too often seen charade and just offered each team a time out in the first hour of the match.
Following the restart Mitch Parker fired a shot on goal that was headed clear by a Marine defender and almost instantly Marine’s Harry Williams was thwarted by a good last ditch tackle by Chris Ovenden. In the thirty second minute Marine took the lead. A diagonal pass from Anton Dworzak sent HENRY SPALDING clear approaching the right edge of the box he checked inside, deftly moved the ball on to his left foot, and from 18-yards curled an exquisite finish inside the keeper’s far post.
The final quarter of an hour of the half saw Marine go close on several instances. There was a goal mouth scramble where Marine just could not get the ball over the line. Then just before half time a Harry Williams effort went just wide of post. Betwixt these two efforts Michael Fernandes thudded the crossbar from a penalty kick following an offence on Marine’s Zack Kotwica. At half time Marine will feel they created a large enough number of clear cut openings to have secured more than a one goal lead.
The second half saw Marlow establish a stronger foothold in the game and have the edge in territorial possession. Harry Hoath had a headed effort from a corner go close and Elijah Oladunjoye cut inside but then fired a wild effort high and wide of the goal.
In the 69th minute Marlow appeared to have equalised. Following a scramble in the penalty area the ball dropped to Harry Hoath on the edge of the area. The visiting players had pushed out appearing to trap at least one opponent in an offside position. However, Harry Hoath fired an excellent volley into the top corner.
There then followed a lengthy discussion between the referee and his assistant. Was there a player in an offside position? Was that player impeding the keeper or his view? Was there some other unseen offence? Whatever the reason the officials cancelled out the goal.
In all honesty Marine will feel they were the beneficiaries of some good fortune. However, in the non-VAR world of non-league football where officials only get one take these are not always easy calls. The officials discussed the incident for some time and it was most certainly not a decision made in haste.
Whilst Marlow continued to press with zeal they were now struggling to break through a resolute Marine defence. Indeed, Marine were beginning to pose them problems with some slick counterattacks.
In the 79th minute a lofted ball saw a chase between Marlow defender Seb D’Aversa and Marine’s Dave Sims-Burgess. The defender seemed favourite to win the chase and clear. However, he miscued his clearance and the ball bobbled goalward. DAVE SIMS-BURGESS had now got ahead of his defender and from just inside the box hit a low shot to the keeper’s right to give Marine an invaluable second goal.
The away team saw out the final minutes of the match with relative comfort to take the three points back to Wiltshire. However, even the most curmudgeonly of visiting supporter will have struggled not to feel some sympathy for the hosts over the disallowed goal. It is the type of decision that seems to go against you when at the wrong end of the table.
After the final whistle Marine’s head coach Stuart Fleetwood proffered the following comments: “In the first half I thought we were good….I felt frustrated at half time because we controlled the game…the early stages were like a basketball game but once we got the ball down, started playing, and our movement was better we were getting in at will…The second half was a completely different story. Marlow started the better but in the end we ground it out and seemed composed… It was good for Dave Sims Burgess to come on and get a goal and good for Henry [Spalding] to score on starting debut.“
On the Marlow disallowed goal he offered the following thoughts: “There are times this season we haven’t had the luck. Today we had it massively… the linesman gave it for an offside in front of Pag’s [Fiachra Pagel].. If you go by the law he was offside… Has he impacted him? I doubt it - it goes in the top corner… I would be very aggrieved if that had gone against me.“
Reflecting on the match there were a number of positives from a Marine perspective – these are summed up below:
- Henry Spalding playing his first full game since his return to the club, made some telling contributions and finished his goal sublimely.
- Anton Dworzak was outstanding in midfield displaying high energy, composure on the ball, and an astute eye for a probing pass.
- Dave Sims-Burgess after a lengthy period of injury made a cameo substitute appearance and finished his goal well.
- The back three of Jake Lee, Ioan Richards, and Nick Peare were outstanding defensively and pivotal in Marine securing their ninth clean sheet in the league this season.
Thinking long and hard about Marine’s player of the match I feel the central defenders deserve a look in. Jake Lee was calm, composed, and snuffed out dangers effectively. Nick Peare read the game impeccably, played some sumptuous passes, and was unflappable throughout. For me though Ioan Richards shaded it.
Within the first five minutes of the match he received a head injury and a leg injury. He just picked himself up and got on with the job in hand as if they were trifling annoyances. He was commanding in the air, solid in the tackle, and brave enough to put his body on the line with some crucial blocks. His was a wholehearted performance of defensive excellence and commitment to the cause.
Come on Marine!
Marlow Star Man: Harry Hoath
Marine Star Men: Ioan Richards
Attendance: 278
Line Ups
MARLOW 
Manager: Mark Bartley
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Harrison Rhone 2. Elijah Oladunjoye 4. Harry Hoath 5. Seb B’Aversa 7. Rhys Harper (12.Reuben Amissah 79’) 8. Chris Ovenden (c) 10. Mitchell Parker (19. Momodou Jallow 52’) 11. Naheer Nawaf (15.Alfie Agar 70’) 17. Miles Obodo (9.Stefan Brown 57’) 18. Mekhal Bessasa-Grant (14.Toby Raggett 57’) 20. Anduan Hajdini
Subs not used: None
Goalscorer: None
Cards:
Chris Ovenden 47’ 
None 
None 
SWINDON SUPERMARINE 
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell (c) 4. Jake Lee 6. Anton Dworzak (15.Jamie Edge 79’) 7. Zack Kotwica 8.Nick Peare 9. Harry Williams (14.Dave Sims-Burgess 68’) 10. Michael Fernandes (17.Gabe Reivers 65’) 11. Henry Spalding (12. Olly Mehew 84’)
Subs not used: 16. Lucias Vine
Goalscorers: Henry Spalding 32’ 
, Dave Sims-Burgess 79’
Cards:
Anton Dworzak 77’
None
None
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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: Colman O’Meara
Assistant Referees: Joe Alborough, Rob Alderton
