Foxhole 2 Dobwalls 4

[Darin Morse]

Foxhole 2 Dobwalls 4

Saturday 2nd January 2010

It had all begun so well. Seconds after Rowe had planted a free header over the bar from Johns' outswinging corner, Nicholls capitalised on Castle's fumble to fire the Foxes ahead but any optimism so generated was soon cut short with another desperately disappointing performance. Although Rowe's shot on the turn was saved, there was precious little evidence of Foxhole pressing home their advantage in an otherwise forgettable opening half-hour, and a decidedly ordinary Dobwalls outfit started to win many of the individual battles. It was therefore no surprise when Dillon equalised on 33, having been afforded way too much time to pick his spot from eighteen yards. From that moment until half-time the home team enjoyed perhaps their best spell, regaining the lead after 37 minutes when a mid-air collision between Castle and Dillon presented Nicholls with his second present of the match. Ansell may have earned a spot-kick had he fallen following a clear foul (Griffin predictably being booked for his protests) but, moments before the break, Dillon was adjudged to have caught Rowe and this time a penalty was awarded. Alas, Rowe blazed over and the sickening feeling suffered by many of the home faithful was proof enough that the turning point had been reached.

The second-half display was, I'm afraid, pretty woeful. Hazeldine's effectiveness was badly affected by his early caution for a poor challenge on Smith, while the eagerly-awaited return of Griffin following his mammoth suspension did not produce the spark that has been missing for even longer than he was. Smith's leveller from the edge of the box on the hour had been coming and Dunn may have done better from an admittedly tight angle even before Skews made it 3-2 from long-range with twenty-three minutes remaining. Griffin heading a half-chance wide notwithstanding, Foxhole seldom appeared capable of salvaging a point, and their fallibility to the high ball was again cruelly exposed when the unmarked Dillon's somewhat mixed afternoon culminated in his volley beyond Holland with eight minutes left. Tapper twice went close to heaping further embarrassment on the beleaguered Foxes, driving a shot narrowly wide and nodding Collings' centre just past the upright. Given that the points had long since been sealed, Matt Lindsay's booking for dissent in stoppage time was needless; that Griffin could only find Castle's legs rather than the net when clean through at the death epitomised yet another bleak afternoon.

Foxhole (3-5-2): Ryan Holland; Adam Holland, Tony Mackellar, Dexter Lawrence; CJ Bird (sub. Chris Grose), Richard Griffin, Scott Ansell, Bobbylee Johns (sub. Nick Carpenter), Lee Hazeldine (sub. Ross Pinhammer); Mark Rowe, Liam Nicholls.

Dobwalls (4-4-2): Jamie Castle; Nick Collings, Joe Smith, Andrew Davey, Jeff Dillon; Matt Lindsay, Simon Skews, Spencer Wilson, Steve Tapper; Lee Caers (sub. Alex Lindsay), Stuart Dunn.

Referee: Mr Dave Green (Launceston).

[The Gooner]

Pretty accurate report Darin.

Had the penalty gone in the result may have been different.

Dobwalls performance in the second half was a far cry from the shambles of the first albeit against a tiring team lacking in self confidence.