United miss a trick yet again
NEW MILTON TOWN 1-1 HAYLING UNITED Wessex League Premier Division By STEPHEN HAYWARD at Fawcetts Field
FOR the third match running, Hayling took the lead, but were unable to capitalise on their advantage and came away from their trip to the New Forest with just a point.
The best of the early chances fell to Nathan Paxton but he was thwarted by a fine save at his feet by Sam Webb after five minutes.
It settled into a game in which neither side really tested the keepers.
On 18 minutes Linnets Dominic Allen had a great chance for the hosts when he was put in down the left,
He cut inside but his good effort hit Harrop's side-netting, as the visitors breathed a sigh of relief in the 19th minute.
Allen was proving to be a very nimble and mobile opponent, and he should have put the Linnets ahead after 33 minutes but his execution was not the best and Harrop had no problem saving the attempt.
Neither team capitalised on their approach play, and with the defences just doing enough the sides went in at half-time level.
The Humbugs opened the second period brightly enough, and when Billy Huntley managed a rare cross into the box, it was Paxton who managed to get a head to it.
But he couldn't steer it on target and it drifted wide of Webb's left-hand upright.
When the visitors goalkeeper met a cross with an attempted punch clear on 57 minutes he could only watch as it fell at the feet of Lewis Avery.
But from the edge of the area and with under no pressure from the visitors' defence, his attempt went well over the top of the Humbugs' bar.
A breakthrough for United very nearly came on 62 minutes when a positive run and cross by Mark Greenway found Paxton, who met it on the volley.
His sidefooted effort brought out a tremendous point-blank save from Webb to keep the score at 0-0.
The goal came though just a minute or so later - this time from down the opposite flank when full-back Kevin Hayward drove a cross-shot into the area.
It took an unfortunate deflection off a New Milton defender and beat the helpless Webb.
In almost a repeat of Hayling's last two games, the visitors were again unable to push on after taking the lead.
New Milton came back at them with some renewed dynamism and none more than the impeccable Allen.
He managed to get onto the end of a cross from the right on 70 minutes.
But under severe pressure from skipper Jack Salter-Vaile, the striker was just unable to get his effort on target.
He followed that up with a right-foot free kick which had Harrop diving to his left to finger tip it past the post.
With the visitors somewhat on the back foot the inevitable happened, and on 84 minutes Allen managed to turn his marker.
His crisp strike beat the Hayling keeper in the top corner, to level the score and earn the New Forest side a point.
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Weather for Hayling
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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