A TALE OF TWO SMITHS
By Mick Magic
Saturday August 16th, 2008 KO: 3:00pm [League]
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Fleet Town |
Corinthian-Casuals |
While Matt Smith would have been celebrating two goals and a bonus point on leaving Calthorpe Park, Fleet’s Eddie Smith must have been cursing his misfortune. With barely 2 minutes gone, he tapped inches wide of an empty goal, then had his penalty saved in the second half, rounding it all off by having a point blank potential match winner saved by Colin Harris in the 88th minute.
It was a nervous start from the both the Southern League play-off stars and the amateur game’s eternal underdogs, but there were spells of fine passing football on display.
Town’s ex-Aldershot player James Field showed much of his usual inventive flair, but the last ball simply wouldn’t fall. For the Casuals, Dale Hennessey energetically chased everything, and Tom Jelley surged forward on numerous occasions, sadly unrewarded.
The deadlock finally broke when Jamie McClurg, turning on a short cross, competently put the ball away to give the home side an advantage. The lead lasted five minutes and the teams went in level at half-time.
The Casuals were caught cold in the opening minute of the second half, Field getting the goal he richly deserved. Shortly after, his intelligent play put through Mark Anderson, who shot narrowly wide. But Fleet were never the same after the penalty miss and it was a battle-scarred Matt Smith who took advantage of a little indecision, hitting a 25 yard drive through attackers and defenders, leaving Paul Smith with little chance.
Fleet will probably feel they should have won the game comfortably, but the Casuals never stopped scrapping and could even have snatched it late on, so it would be hard to begrudge them a very hard-earned point.
Entertainment: ***½
Star Man: James Field (Fleet Town)
Team
| PLAYER | GOALS | OG's | C,S/O | S |
| Colin Harris |  |
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| Carlos Talbot | |
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| Dale Hennessey | |
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| Richard Price | |
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| James Rieve | |
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| Russell Banyard | |
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| Matt Smith |  |
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| Tom Jelley | |
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| David Ocquaye | |
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| Lee Matthews | |
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| Tyrone Myton© | |
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| SUBS | P | |||
| Mark Towse |  |
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| Jason Hanif | |
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| Ryan Hughes | |
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Attendance: |
110 |