Match report
Hawthorne Rangers 0 - 2 Seftonfields
by Eddie Bernard
Tell us what you think below...
Hawthorne put up an excellent fight against very determined opposition today in what was a very entertaining match for the neutral. Unfortunately, for us Hawthorne fans, the result wasn't what we wanted to see, but they played well and should have got on the scoresheet.
The game started brightly with Charlie going on a mazy run through the Seftonfields defence, but the chance went begging, perhaps due to a lack of support. It heralded a very open start to the game, with Seftonfields breaking quickly on the counter-attack, exposing the Hawthorne defence - but they wasted their opportunity as well.
It took a moment of sheer misfortune for the deadlock to be broken when, in the 13th minute, Josh made a clearance which struck a Seftonfields player. He knew nothing about the deflection, which sped into the far corner. 0-1.
The half continued with Hawthorne battling hard, defending extremely well against the pressure. Joe had the left hand side under control, while Jay T and Josh through the middle were keeping things under control.
But the real star at the back was Darren in goal. There were a few chances where Seftonfields did get through the defence, but Darren was up to the challenge every time. Whether one-on-one, catching corners and crosses, or outstanding reflex saves, he kept Hawthorne right in the game.
One particular double save was truly breathtaking - when, after making a strong stop, he got straight back up to make a fingertip save from the rebound, tipping over a fierce drive that was just creeping under the crossbar. It had all the crowd clapping in unison; and they did so again when he made another superb save to his left two minutes later.
Half time came with the scoreline at 1-0 to Seftonfields. Hawthorne were still very much in the game, but to get back in it they would need to show a bit more going forward.
The second half started brightly, with Hawthorne starting to show a little more strength to win the midfield battle. They started to get a chance or two around the box, winning a couple of free kicks and getting some long throws into the danger area.
However, it just wasn't happening. Shaun had an opportunity but it just went wide, and other attacks fizzled out before they could turn into a genuine chance to score either because of a lack of support or a lack of composure on the ball. Nevertheless, it was a lot more promising.
Meanwhile, the defence was still holding up well, and Darren made another few excellent saves, in full command of his area and seemingly communicating well with his centre backs. It was an excellent display.
It was a shame, then, that Hawthorne conceded another goal. A rare defensive mistake from Jay T left the enter centre exposed. The Seftonfields attack did their best to throw away the opportunity, and Joe came over from left back to cover - winning the tackle to stop the first striker from scoring, but a bit of confusion led to the loose ball falling to the other Seftonfields player up there - and it was a simple pass into the back of the net. 0-2.
Hawthorne did their best to get a goal in the 15 minutes remaining, but they just couldn't make it stick. Perhaps they could have been awarded a penalty when there was a suspicion that a Hawthorne attacker had been held back in the box, but the decision didn't go their way, and in the end they were pushed straight back on the counter.
The game ended fairly brightly, and Hawthorne should be proud of their second half display... but they just to need to get something to show for it at the moments when it really matters.
Overall, Seftonfields deserved their win, but Hawthorne still have positives to take from the performance, particularly the sensational form of goalkeeper Darren, and the added strength in midfield they seemed to show in the second half. They need to keep battling for the ball, even when all hope appears lost - as, maybe if they'd done so the second goal wouldn't have happened.
But, broadly speaking, it looks like some progress is being made, and Hawthorne just need to keep up their morale for the tough games ahead in the coming weeks.
| Team for the game | |||
| Darren | |||
| Adam | Josh | Jay T | Joe |
| Danny B | |||
| Shaun | Mikey | Warren | Mark |
| Charlie | |||
Man of the Match: Darren
Subs: Danny G, Eddy, Alex and James
What do you think? Post your comments below...