League

East Grinstead Park
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Fraser Gerrard started the match with the kick off. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Niall Hurst during the 3rd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 6th minute Ian York shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Vincent Straker saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 7 minutes of play, River Thames FC's Marcus Swift made it 0-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Vincent Straker was left in no man's land by his defense there! The supporters of River Thames FC booed when East Grinstead was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 10 match minutes in a wonderful position. Bruce Newby didn't get a good kick on the ball. A collision led to East Grinstead getting a freekick after 14 minutes play. Crispin Gilchrist hit a great ball. In the 15th minute, Ian York ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Vincent Straker was frozen by the shot and now it was 0-2. 20 minutes into the match, Ian York had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Vincent Straker. East Grinstead's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Ian York was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 0-3. Vincent Straker took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Ian York, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. The River Thames FC fans' excitement grew in the 27th match minute when River Thames FC's Ian York looked to have a clear shot with the ball near the goal. The shot wasn't hard, but the ball still rolled over the goal line to make it 0-4 before the goalkeeper had a chance to intervene. Vincent Straker made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Marcus Swift in the 32nd minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Fraser Gerrard in the 34th minute of play forced River Thames FC's goalkeeper Trev Cahill to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Ian York recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 38th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Thanks to some nice moves Curtis Hanley could shoot a difficult shot in the 43rd minute, which Trev Cahill however easily saved by the left post. After the first half River Thames FC were leading 0-4. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Ian York made a kick off. Vincent Straker stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Ian York's shot from short distance in the 53rd minute. If Matthew Pascoe had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 55th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Ian York struck a weak shot in the 57th minute. Vincent Straker didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for River Thames FC. After a defensive mix-up in East Grinstead's zone, Marcus Swift stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Vincent Straker came out of the goal and Marcus Swift tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Fraser Gerrard hit a great freekick 61 minutes into the match. Vincent Straker made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Ian York in the 63rd minute of play. In the 70th minute of the match, Ian York tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Vincent Straker saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. Marcus Swifts short, quick shot in the 71stth minute got Vincent Straker to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. 72 minutes into the match, East Grinstead's Fraser Gerrard sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Trev Cahill narrowly saved just below the crossbar. An unexpectedly hard shot by Ian York in the 73rd minute of play forced East Grinstead's goalkeeper Vincent Straker to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Aras Görkem Zümer might have been able to make a better finish in the 75th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Vincent Straker. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Aras Görkem Zümer ran back to his position shaking his head. In the 77th minute, Matthew Pascoe made a precise shot to the right of Trev Cahill. River Thames FC's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-5. Stu Weston hit a great freekick 79 minutes into the match. Vincent Straker didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Ian York went, in the 83rd minute, to the upper right corner, 1-6 was the resulting score. Vincent Straker didn't succeed in stopping the ball in the 86th minute, which inside left pole to 1-7. The audience was convinced that Ian York's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Vincent Straker was relentless in the 92nd minute of the game.