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Horncastle Town Football Club Reports

Horncastle Town Football Club Match Reports 2009/2010

Harvest FC 2 Horncastle Town 0

06-03-2010

This was a much improved performance from Town against a strong Harvest side who are favourites to finish the season as champions. Despite being without the services of Alec Enderby, Tommy Chalk, Matty Low and Michael Harness Town gave a good account of themselves and made it very difficult for the home side.

Town Manager Paul Johnson elected to play a five man midfield in behind lone striker Erik Rawdon and this proved very effective from the outset as Town enjoyed a lot of possession in the early stages. Ollie Johnson and Steve Brown worked hard in front of the back four and enabled Richard Jackson to push forward to great effect. With Tom Phillips and Jack Baxter working hard in wide areas Town began to create chances and looked the more threatening of the two sides.

Jack Baxter saw his effort blocked as he got in behind the full-back and minutes later the same player saw his low shot well saved after good work from Tom Phillips. As Town continued to press Richard Jackson fired over following a fine individual run and Ollie Johnson saw his curling shot superbly saved by the home keeper following good approach play from Andy Cooling.

Town were having to defend in determined fashion but the defensive unit of Jamie Lamming, Andy Cooling, Luke Shelbourn and skipper Chris Johnson was well organised and keeper Andy Cotton was rarely tested in the first half. A deflected free-kick was gathered easily by Town's keeper but just before the break he had to be at his best to tip a low shot just past the far post. Harvest ended the half strongly but Town dealt well with a succession of corner kicks to go into the interval on level terms.

The second half started scrappily and Town struggled to get any meaningful possession in the early stages. Harvest got much tighter to Ollie Johnson and Richard Jackson in midfield and Town were finding it harder to get forward with the same purpose that they had in the first period. Harvest took advantage of this to push forward and when their left winger found himself in space he advanced before firing a low shot beyond the advancing Andy Cotton.

Harvest now enjoyed their best spell of the game and when a long ball forward deceived Chris Johnson the home side capitalised to make it two nil midway through the half. Keeper Andy Cotton made a couple of good saves to keep Town in the game but to Town's credit they came back well in the final twenty minutes. A long throw from Tom Phillips was flicked on by Chris Johnson but Jack Baxter was unable to reach the ball. Erik Rawdon's shot on the turn went wide of the far post and substitute Scott Spooner volleyed wide as Town looked to get back into the game.

However, they were unable to break through a determined Harvest back line and had to settle for another defeat but the overall performance was much improved with all of the players acquitting themselves well on the day.

This coming Saturday Town face another difficult game when they travel to play Louth Town Reserves at Park Avenue - kick-off 3.00pm.

Town side: Andy Cotton, Jamie Lamming, Andy Cooling, Luke Shelbourn, Chris Johnson, Ollie Johnson, Tom Phillips (Scott Spooner), Richard Jackson, Erik Rawdon, Steve Brown, Jack Baxter, Subs: Ben Johnson

Lincoln Utd Reserves 6 Horncastle Town 0 (Supplementary Cup)

27-02-2010

This was a strangely lacklustre performance from Town against a determined Lincoln Uinted side who played extremely well, particularly in the first half as they established a four goal lead. Town were without the services of Andrew Cotton, Tommy Chalk, Michael Harness, Tom Phillips and Ben Johnson but this cannot be used as an excuse for their disappointing showing.

Ironically, Town started brightly with Matty Low and Jack Baxter looking lively and there was no indication of what was to follow. However, the home side denied Ollie Johnson and Richard Jackson any opportunity to get on the ball and as a consequence Town found it difficult to retain possession and Lincoln Utd took control of proceedings.

They scored with their first meaningful attack when a long throw was flicked on at the near post before being guided past keeper Lee Edwards. Town looked to respond and Jack Baxter and Richard Jackson tried their luck from distance but it was the home side who doubled their advantage midway through the half. An attempted attack fom Town broke down and the ball was switched quickly to the left but Town seemed to have escaped when Lee Edwards made a fine save but Lincoln Utd regained possession and when the ball was crossed into the near post their centre forward got across Edwards to head home.

Town barely had chance to response when a corner from the left was headed in at the near post to give the home side a convincing lead. Town would have been hoping to get into the dressing room without further damage but on the stroke of half-time a far post cross was haeded in to put the result beyond any doubt.

Town had little to play for but pride in the second half and they did enjoy a lot more possession. A clever ball from Ollie Johnson released Matty Low down the left but his attempt from a narrow angle clipped the bar. Despite having the majority of possession for the opening twenty minutes of the half that was the closest Town came to reducing the deficit and midway through the half another cross was headed home to increase the lead for the hosts.

Carl Smith, Luke Shelbourn and Tony Edwards all came off the bench to try and inject such much needed enthusiasm and Carl saw his fierce drive go just wide of the upright. However, it was the home side who completed the scoring when they broke away to add a sixth goal towards the end.

Town know that they need to respond positively to what has been a poor run of late. Their encouraging form prior to Christmas seems to have desrted them and there appears to be a lack of confidence amongst the players that needs to return quickly if they are to end the season with improved results. That will certainly not be easy this coming Saturday when they travel to play Harvest who are challenging strongly for the league title.

Town side:

Lee Edwards, Steve Brown, Andy Cooling, Alec Enderby, Chris Johnson, Ollie Johnson, Jamie Lamming (Tony Edwards), Richard Jackson, Jack Baxter, Erik Rawdon (Luke Shelbourn), Matty Low (Carl Smith)

Horncastle Town 3 Sleaford Town Reserves 4

20-02-2010

This was the proverbial game of two halves as Town's determined second half showing enabled them to emerge with some credit from the game following a dreadful first period. Town found themselves three goals in arrears at the break as the away team totally dominated proceedings but a spirited fight back in the second half almost brought Town a share of the spoils.

Town started the game nervously and they were soon on the back foot as Sleaford dominated the early stages. Keeper Andy Cotton came to clear a cross but in the process kneed Alec Enderby in the back and he had to be withdrawn with only five minutes played. Moments later Andy Cotton made an excellent save to keep the teams level but the reprieve was short lived and two minutes later Sleaford took a deserved lead. Stones and Gordon combined to set up Wilson who fired unerringly into the corner.

Worse was to follow for Town when Sleaford doubled their advantage five minutes later. Andy Cotton had pulled off another fine save to deny Stones but from the resulting corner Gordon was allowed a free header inside the six yard box and he took full advantage of Town's poor defending.

Town were struggling to get a foothold in the game with only Richard Jackson getting on the ball but they were gifted a way back into the game midway through the half. Tom Phillips was fouled on the edge of the box and the resulting free-kick somehow eluded the Sleaford keeper to give Chris Johnson his seventh goal of the season. Town then enjoyed a much better spell when they looked to be getting back into the game but two further goals for Sleaford looked to have put the result beyond doubt before half-time.

Firstly Rawdon took full advantage when Sleaford were awarded a free-kick to curl a fine shot over Town's defensive wall into the corner and moments later a Sleaford player stooped to flick on another free-kick and the ball looped over everybody into the net.

Town Manager Paul Johnson asked for a response from his players after the break and to their credit they duly obliged with a much improved second half showing. Town reduced the arrears almost immediately when Erik Rawdon flicked on Chris Johnson's free-kick for Michael Harness to slide in at the far post. This seemed to galvanise Town who played with greater belief throughout the second half. Richard Jackson and Ollie Johnson were seeing much more of the ball in midfield and with Erik Rawdon leading the line well Town looked far more threatening. Substitute Carl Smith provided width down the right and with Matty Low using his pace to good effect down the left Town looked to take the game to the visitors. Stones and Gordon were well marshalled by Steve Brown and Chris Johnson but keeper Andy Cotton still had to be alert and he pulled off three fine saves to keep Town in contention.

Jack Baxter was introduced for the final twenty minutes and his pace caused the Sleaford defence problems and with ten minutes remaining Town pulled another goal back to set up a tense finish. Matty Low was bundled over in the box and Ollie Johnson kept his nerve from the spot to register his fifth goal of the season. As Town pushed forward for a late equaliser Richard Jackson just failed to pick out Carl Smith and a far post defensive header just went wide but the closest Town came was in the dying moments when Jamie Lamming's fine volley drifted just past the upright.

In fairness Sleaford were worthy winners as they dominated Town in the first half but Town can take heart from a spirited fightback that showed a lot of character and almost brought them a share of the spoils.

Town side:

Andy Cotton, Steve Brown, Luke Shelbourn, Alec Enderby (Matty Low), Chris Johnson, Ollie Johnson, Tom Phillips (Carl Smith), Richard Jackson, Michael Harness (Jack Baxter), Jamie Lamming. Subs: Scott Spooner

Previous Horncastle Town Match Reports

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