Humbugs humble bright Poppies
HAYLING United earned a well-deserved 2-1 victory against high-flying Bournemouth Poppies in the Wessex League Premier Division, on Saturday.
Hayling came to Bournemouth with only a Portsmouth Senior Cup win behind them, having played very little football over the past few weeks.
They weren't helped by a dearth of players and manager Mark Poulton was without Lenny Burney, Billy Huntley, Gary Oliver, Jack Salter-Vaile and also Kevin Hayward who has left the first-team squad after many seasons' service.
The home side opened the game the brightest when on two minutes Saadi volleyed a pass through to Culliford, but he could only manage to drag his shot across Harrop's goal.
Manager Ken Vaughan was stunned on five minutes when the Humbugs took the lead with Graham Gillman providing a defence-splitting pass to Nathan Paxton who shot emphatically past skipper Jason Harvell in the Poppies' goal.
The home side's response was to spend the next five minutes putting the visitors under pressure but to no avail.
After 16 minutes a double save from United's Tony Harrop – firstly from Webb and then from Mansell – managed to preserve the Humbug's slender lead.
At this stage in the game the home side were by far the more dominant and Paul Roberts was unlucky to see Harrop keep the forward out again.
Young defender Matt Kirby was having a bit of a baptism by fire sitting alongside the experienced Sean Thurgood.
But he and the other players who had been called up for the game were doing just enough to keep Bournemouth out.
The Poppies pressed towards the end of the first half which resulted in a number of corners.
Eventually they had the ball in the Humbugs' net but the celebrations were cut short as the scorer had adjudged to be off-side.
The home side continued to dominate the proceedings at the start of the second period, with Mansell, Saadi and Roberts working the Hayling defence hard.
On 57 minutes they were rewarded when Roberts delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post where the dangerous SAADI volleyed home to equalise.
Hayling's only chance in the opening 20 minutes of the second half fell to George Way. But his resultant shot was saved easily by Harvell in the Poppies' goal.
The Dorset crowd were rocked on 75 minutes when teenager Paxton beat two defenders and poked a shot goalwards.
The keeper managed to get down and save but the rebound went to GILLMAN who sidefooted into an empty net for a priceless three points in a season of struggle.
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Weather for Hayling
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
