Slimbridge 2 Marine 7

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Marine weather early Storm before blowing Slimbridge away!

Swindon Supermarine continued their impressive opening to the season with an emphatic 7-2 victory over Slimbridge at Wisloe Road, a scoreline which tells much of the story but not quite all of it.

Three league matches have now brought three victories: against two of last season’s play-off sides, Bishop’s Cleeve and Shaftesbury, and now the newly promoted Swans. The reward is an early perch at the top of the table. It is a pleasant view.

However, nobody within the Marine camp will be confusing August promise with April achievement. There remain 117 points to play for and, to borrow, somewhat imperfectly, from an old Beatles song - the road is long with many a winding turn. The sensible philosophy is simpler: play the match in front of you, learn from it, and move on.

For the opening quarter of an hour at Wisloe Road, Marine certainly had something to learn. The summer heat had taken a heavy toll on the Slimbridge playing surface. The grass had the scorched hue of Serengeti vegetation, the bounce was unpredictable and often extravagant, while the ball gathered speed alarmingly across the baked turf. Mercifully, a zephyr-like breeze offered some respite from the heat.

Slimbridge adapted the quicker. Jack Smith’s surging runs were proving particularly troublesome and one brought the hosts a corner after seven minutes. Three minutes later came the moment which, even amid the euphoria of seven Marine goals, should not be forgotten.

Olly Sully escaped his marker and released the lively Smith into the left side of the Marine penalty area. One touch brought the ball under control before Smith drove a low shot across goal. It skidded off the parched surface like a well-struck cover drive and seemed destined for the far corner. Joel Halliday had other ideas. Diving sharply to his left, the Marine goalkeeper produced an outstanding save, diverting the ball onto the far post and watching with considerable relief as it continued its journey away from goal.

At 0-0 this was a pivotal intervention. Had Slimbridge taken an early lead the resultant confidence boost might have made the evening’s outcome rather different. Marine were still under the cosh when Rhys Tyler took a knock and was forced off, Lucas Wilkinson replacing him. Yet adversity appears to be something this Marine side regards less as a misfortune than a challenge. Gradually the ‘yellow shirts’ went up a gear. The press became sharper and possession was retained more effectively - Marine began imposing themselves on proceedings.

On 18 minutes they led. Slimbridge failed to clear a scramble inside their area and Tyger Hall drove a low ball through the six-yard box. It took a couple of deflections on its travels before arriving at the back post, where Sal Abubakar’s anticipation had placed him in precisely the right spot. The finish was simplicity itself.

The pattern of the match changed comprehensively. Tyger Hall began tormenting the Slimbridge right-back, while through the centre Dan Warre operated with terrier-like persistence, denying the home centre-backs a moment’s peace. On 26 minutes came Marine’s second. Some crisp Marine passing found Warre, whose glance up was followed by a deft flick into Hall’s path. Advancing from the left edge of the area Tyger-J Hall showed admirable composure steering his shot beyond Newberry’s despairing dive and inside the far post.

Marine were now becoming a relentless footballing force. Slimbridge, struggling to contain them, briefly resorted to more muscular methods. Zach Rugman was flattened beyond the touchline, Joe Shepherd was caught by a high challenge and shortly afterwards found himself on the receiving end of another heavy tackle. Marine wisely declined the invitation to turn proceedings into a slugfest. Instead they concentrated on tightening the metaphorical thumbscrews.

On 35 minutes another passage of incisive passing released Warre, whose shot struck a defender and went behind. From the resulting corner the Marine players assembled around Newberry in the Slimbridge goal. Lucas Wilkinson swung the delivery menacingly beneath the crossbar, Brad Hooper climbed to meet it and directed his header goalwards. The goalkeeper attempted to punch clear but succeeded only in helping the ball into his own net. Own goal or Hooper’s? From this observer’s vantage point behind the goal the header appeared goal bound. The midfielder can thus justifiably make his claim to be the accredited scorer.

Then, immediately before the interval, Marine delivered two further blows. The fourth goal was a splendid team goal 45 minutes. Abubakar fashioned space on the flank with some nimble footwork before finding Hooper on the right side of the area. Hooper then swept the ball across the face of goal where Tyger-J Hall arrived at the back post to surgically apply the finish.

There was still time for Dan Warre in injury time to produce the most individualistic goal of the half. Collecting possession on the left edge of the area, he dipped one shoulder, shimmied the other way, and left his marker behind. A second defender found himself trapped in that horrible zone of uncertainty peculiar to defenders inside their own penalty area: wanting desperately to tackle but knowing that one mistimed challenge would bring catastrophe.

Caught between those two stools, he did neither. Warre simply continued past him and calmly dispatched the ball beyond Newberry. A five-goal lead at halftime is an unusual event and one that no one would have prophesied on the first quarter of an hour of the match.

Marine emerged after the interval unwilling to ease off. Four minutes into the second half an Olly Case flick-on from a set piece reached Dan Warre at the back post. His response was emphatic, lashing the ball home for his second of the evening and the visitor’s sixth.

Changes followed. Conor McDonagh, Gabe Reivers, and Jamie Edge entered the fray for Hall, Warre and Joe Shepherd, but the alterations did little to interrupt Marine’s momentum. On 59 minutes Conor McDonagh drove into the six-yard area. His initial progress was halted, but he reacted quickest to the loose ball, swivelled sharply, and finished adroitly.

Three minutes later an eighth seemed inevitable. A corner was recycled towards the back post where Edge collected possession and found Reivers. One touch was followed by a beautifully weighted pass into the path of McDonagh who appeared ready to score again before the assistant referee’s flag rudely intervened.

At seven down, Slimbridge might understandably have wished for the final whistle to arrive some half an hour early. To their credit, they did precisely the opposite. Fresh legs from the bench brought renewed energy and the hosts produced their best spell of the afternoon. On 64 minutes Jack Smith, who had remained a threat whenever possession came his way, threaded an accurate pass towards Oliver Sully and the centre-forward finished clinically.

Two minutes later the ball bounced dangerously across Halliday’s goal before eventually escaping beyond the far post. Marine’s reshuffled side was being tested but continued to threaten on the counter. With around 20 minutes remaining, Edge delivered a delightful cross which McDonagh met firmly, although his header cleared the bar.

Slimbridge gained further reward on 81 minutes. Marine surrendered possession and Theo Browne broke purposefully down the left before finding Oliver Sully who slammed home from close range for his second. Marine then restored their equilibrium and saw out the closing stages with relative comfort.

Slimbridge will inevitably feel they suffered something of a mauling, but there was credit in the manner in which they rallied in the final half hour. Sully took his two goals well, while Smith produced an impressive individual performance and consistently looked dangerous with the ball at his feet.

For Marine this was an evening when the collective quality mattered more than the individual. The spectacular attacking numbers should not obscure the foundations upon which the victory was built. During those difficult opening 15 minutes Marine had to defend with determination. Sam Turl, Olly Case, Jowan Partridge, and Rhys Tyler stood firm, while Joel Halliday’s magnificent early save may ultimately have been as significant as any of the seven goals which followed.

Once the storm had been weathered Marine’s midfield gradually took a stranglehold. The effervescent Hooper used possession intelligently, Shepherd combined ferocious commitment in the tackle with composure on the ball, while Rugman was perpetual motion.

On the flanks Abubakar and Hall were inventive and dangerous. Hall’s tormenting of the right back was one of the defining factors in Marine’s success. Warre led the line superbly. His two finishes were complemented by powerful runs, clever movement, and a relentless willingness to press defenders who were rarely allowed the luxury of feeling comfortable.

Nor did the substitutes merely make up the numbers. Lucas Wilkinson produced an exemplary performance after his early introduction - defending assuredly and using possession effectively. McDonagh got amongst the goals, Edge showed admirable composure, Reivers was industrious and passed intelligently, while Eldad Adjei gained useful minutes at the back.

After the previous match, selecting a Marine player of the match was difficult. This time it seems unnecessary even to try. Some may regard naming the entire team as player of the match a cop-out. There is, however, a serious point behind it.

Outstanding teams are created when responsibility becomes shared; when individuals understand that their own performance matters, but so too does that of the man alongside them. Individual talent matters. Tactics matter. Goalscorers matter but when a match begins as awkwardly as this one did for the first fifteen minutes there is considerable reassurance in looking around the pitch and seeing not one leader, but ten others.

Marine did not win 7-2 because everything came easily. They won 7-2 because, when it did not come easily the team dug in together. Those first difficult 15 minutes provided the springboard. Everything that followed was the reward.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 243

LINE UP’S

Manager:	Tom Deakin & Michael Palmer
Line-up:	Colours: All Blue
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1.	Ronnie Newbury (GK)
2.	Jack Holmes			12.	Hayden Evans 46’
3.	Jacob Rodgers
4.	Theo Lynden
5.	Owen Giles			14.	Charlie Matthews 63’
6.	Luke Spence
7.	Oliver Sully	64’,81’
8.	Sam Moseley			15.	James Tainton 59’
9.	Leighton Green			16.	George Shutt 59’
10.	Jack Smith (c)
11.	Steve Davis			17.	Theo Browne 79’

Subs not used: None
The editors Star Player: Jack Smith

MARINE

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: All Yellow
No:	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1.	Joel Halliday (GK)
2.	Sam Turl (c)
3.	Rhys Tyler			12.	Lucas Wilkinson 12’
4.	Olly Case
5.	Joe Partridge			16.	Eldad Adjei 60’	72’
6.	Zach Rugman
7.	Sal Abubakar	16’
8.	Brad Hooper	36’
9.	Dan Warre	48’ 50’		12.	Conor McDonagh 50’	59’
10.	Joe Shepherd			17.	Jamie Edge 57’
11.	Tyger-J Hall	45’ 51’		12.	Gabe Reivers 51’

Subs not used: None
The editors Star Players: The whole team!