Students too strong for West Wilts (From Wiltshire Times)

Students too strong for West Wilts

4:05pm Friday 14th November 2008 in Sport

Bristol University 3rds 4, West Wilts 3rds 1.

WEST Wilts 3rds took on a young Bristol University team at the Coombe Dingle sports complex for the sixth league game of the season.

On paper, Wilts had a strong side, with Rich Robson, Rob Robson, Dave Cooper and Andy Frost, together with last week’s heroes Alan Kilminster, Mark Brothers and Adam Way, on the team sheet, but West Wilts looked shaky from the start with little shape and no control.

Despite being a few yards off the pace striker Rob Robson had an early attempt from the top of the D that just whistled over the bar before the students took the lead with a deflected shot.

The second half began with Dave Winter replacing Rich Robson, but the students soon added a second goal, with a perfectly executed stroke awarded for a stop on the line by a West Wilts foot. The students' third goal came from a short corner midway through the second half, the ball deflecting off the keeper’s pads to be turned in at close range.

Shortly afterwards Rob Robson missed another sitter, firing the ball several yards wide of the left post. Wilts managed to get a goal back when a short corner was injected in to Kilminster, who coolly hammered the ball past the keeper’s outstretched legs, but any hope of getting anything out of the game evaporated as the students notched up a fourth goal ten minutes from the end.

West Wilts 4ths 1, City of Bath C 4

WEST Wilts went into this top of the table clash full of confidence after their run of five wins on the trot, but by the end were well beaten.

Both teams started brightly, with West Wilts having the best of the chances. Will Hardy, a recent acquisition from the fifth team playing on the left side of midfield, went close three times, testing the goalkeeper on one occasion. City of Bath continued to play their passing game and pressed Wilts well to take the lead.

Shortly afterwards West Wilts won a short corner. Pete Stacey pushed the ball out to Mike Cooper, whose weak shot rebounded off the keeper back to the waiting Tom Dowson and his shot was only millimetres away from finding the back of the net West Wilts equalised shortly after the restart when Will Hardy came in off the wing to sweep home a great shot. West Wilts continued to press home their superiority, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

City of Bath found the energy to come back into the game and regained the lead, young goalkeeper Richard Johnston twice denying them before the rebound was collected at close range and squeezed passed the left post and Nick Sharp's stick on the line.

Wilts pressed harder to try and find an equaliser only to leave themselves stretched at the back. City of Bath broke when they won the ball back in midfield and spread the ball wide to their right. The ball was struck into the D at height through a cluster of players to the back post to the youngest of the players on the pitch who finished superbly.

West Wilts 5ths 4, Swindon 0

AFTER 10 minutes Gary Adey collected a through ball from right wing paceman Ian Oldrieve and was brought down by the massed ranks of Swindon’s defence. From the resulting short corner, Russell Harvey powered in a shot past the Swindon goalkeeper.

Wilts continued to attack and Mark Wilson continued to drop deep, creating space for Harvey and Oldrieve out wide.

In the second half, Wilts continued to press, with Rob Bunce and Ian Oldrieve creating more space, and Stu Brothers making the most of it through the middle. Going forwards Wilts continued to look impressive, with Adey wasting a succession of chances created by Wilson and Harvey. Wilts eventually added a fourth goal when Harvey’s cross from the right found Adey free to sweep the ball in.

West Wilts 7ths (Badgers) 1, Wotton Bassett 0

WEST Wilts secured their first victory of the season with a comprehensive victory – even though the score line doesn’t reflect their total dominance.

The Bassett keeper was in fine form, pulling off a number of saves to keep the teams level for most of the game, but Wilts did not give up as they knew victory would be theirs if they could continue their fluid passing game.

With confidence growing all the time, the skills and controlled hockey were a joy to watch and midway through the second half it was their skipper John Agate who finally broke the deadlock with the only goal of the game.

There was a fine debut for Jake Havery and the players voted Jack Booth their man-of-the-match.