Winchester City 5 Marine 2

Match Report from Pete Crockett

MARINE CRASH OUT OF THE FA TROPHY

This report needs to start by giving credit to Winchester City for an impressive performance. They finished their chances clinically and fully deserved their victory. From a Marine perspective the brutal reality is if you concede five in a cup tie you are destined to be knocked out.

For the first five minutes Marine followers will have been happy as the away team took the game to the hosts. However, it was the visitors that had the first effort of note when an effort from IK Hill went just wide.

Tommy Wright scored a hattrick for Winchester
Image from Alex White Photography

In the 7th minute the home team took the lead. The experienced Tommy Wright received the ball on the left-hand edge of the area. He dribbled across the front of the box and in the vicinity of the penalty arc fired a well-placed shot just inside the right hand upright of the Marine goal. The harsh truth from a Marine perspective - he was given too much time and space to pick his spot.

Three minutes later things got even worse for Marine. Luka Chalwell won a free kick just outside the penalty box where Marine set up a two-man wall. It was an open invite to fire a over the top of the the two players and Tommy Wright took the challenge on and hit a belter of an effort inside Luke Purnell’s left-hand post.

Ryan Campbell set up Marine’s first goal and had a good game
Image from Alex White Photography

Marine’s Harry Williams was then thwarted by the Citizens Luke Cairney who dived bravely at the striker’s feet to stifle what looked a promising opening. Marine also had an appeal for a penalty when Sam Turl appeared to be caught by a clumsy defensive challenge in the box.

It would have been a harsh call but those of a Marine disposition might ask, somewhat ruefully, if it was any more robust a coming together than the one that led to the free kick for the host’s second goal.

Harry Williams scored Marine’s first goal
Image from Alex White Photography

In the 18th minute Marine were back in the game. Ryan Campbell ran with pace down the left flank. Ten yards from the goal line he fizzed a perfect cross into that corridor of uncertainty beyond the keeper’s reach but behind the central defenders. The trajectory was in the perfect spot for an advancing striker - Harry Williams got on the end of the cross volleying the ball past the keeper. A really good goal.

Two minutes later the host’s created another opening. Josh McCormack played in the irrepressible Tommy Wright who shifted the ball onto his right foot but fired his effort just over the bar.

Winchester then had efforts from IK Hill and Daniel Jones that both cleared the bar. However, they did not have to wait too long for a third. In the 39th minute Josh McCormick played in IK Hill on the edge of the area. He deftly switched the ball to his right foot and placed his effort into the bottom corner. From a Marine perspective this was a poor goal to concede with some decidedly “after you Claude” defending.

Winchester’s Ik Hill scored two of the Winchester goals
Image from Alex White Photography

In the third minute of first half injury time it could have been even worse for Marine. IK Jones showed some excellent skill to beat three Marine defenders. He chipped a lofted ball towards the back post but Tommy Wright’s effort from close range cleared the cross bar. That said the offside flag was raised and his effort would probably have been annulled.

Marine went close in the 49th minute when a Harry Williams effort slid just past the far post. In the 55th minute Marine’s Jose Marquez then forced a good save from Luke Cairney. However, a minute later the hosts had their fourth. IK Hill broke clear down the left. He cut into the Marine area and curled his effort around Luke Purnell and into the back of the net.

Around the hour mark the host’s Tommy Wright completed his hat trick as the Marine defence was carved open for a fifth goal.

Sam Turl had a busy afternoon marking one of Winchester goalscorers Ik Hill
Image from Alex White Photography

Credit to Marine they kept going forward and created a number of good openings. In the 72nd minute a powerful Dave Sims-Burgess header saw the host’s keeper make a good goal-line save with his foot. Then in the 86th minute a Zack Kotwica effort in the six-yard box was pushed wide by the home team’s custodian.

In the 90th minute Marine got a deserved consolation goal. A Harry Williams effort was blocked on the line and Dave Sims-Burgess made no mistake thumping the loose ball into the back of the net from close range.

Dave Sims-Burgess scored a late second goal for Marine
Image from Alex White Photography

From a Marine perspective four themes emerge.

1. Some of Marine’s poor defending/closing down in and around the box was decidedly helpful to the host’s cause. This is not just down to the defenders. The midfield has a role to play in screening in front of the back four.
2. Going forward Marine actually created plenty of openings of their own. The home team’s keeper made a number of good stops. In that respect the margin of Marine’s defeat probably flatters Winchester City.
3. This defeat was not down to lack of effort. The players kept attacking until the end. However, the grim reality was that Marine were defensively far too naïve. You can play an abundance of good football but if you fail to do the less glamorous defensive side of the game effectively you will, in all likelihood, lose.
4. To crash out of the FA Cup and FA Trophy at the first hurdle is fiscally not good for the club and disappointing for Marine supporters.

It is difficult to think of many positives. The main one for me is that Harry Williams put in a good shift leading the line, and Marine’s first goal was well crafted. Dave Sims-Burgess also got a goal and posed a threat when he came on as a late substitute.

Come on Marine!

Editors Winchester Star Man: Ik Hill
Editors Marine Star Man: Harry Williams
Attendance: 197

Line Ups

WINCHESTER CITY
Manager: Craig Davis
Colours: Red & Black
Line-up: 1. Luke Cairney 2. Josh McCormick 3. Dan King (c) 4. Dan Bartlett 5. Callum Berkley 6. Keiran Douglas 7. Luka Chalwell (16. Dom Panaser-Dowes 25’) (14. Alex Wilkie 58’) 8. Dan Jones (17. Olly Balmer 65’) 9. Tommy Wright (12. Jordan Rose 75’) 10. Sima Mlambo 11. Ik Hill
Subs Not Used: 15. Harry Nevins
Goalscorers: Tommy Wright 7’, 11’, 60’ , Ik Hill 38’, 57’
Cards:
Dan King 76’, Olly Balmer 90+2’’
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SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Luke Purnell 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Jake Lee (15.Ioan Richards 65’) 5. Liam Angel (20.Nick Peare 85’) 6. Jamie Edge (12.Dave Sims-Burgess 58’) 7. Liban Ibrahim 8. Anton Dworzak 9. Harry Williams 10. Jose Marquez 11. Olly Mehew (14.Zack Kotwica 30’)
Subs not used: 13. Dan Brabham
Goalscorers: Harry Williams 18’ Dave Sims-Burgess 89’
Cards:
Jose Marquez 86’, Dave Sims-Burgess 90+5’
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Match Gallery

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Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Match Highlights

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Courtesy of Winchester City FC

Match Officials

Referee: Oscar Whiting
Assistant Referees: Robert Walczak, Kraimir Petrov