Foxhole 3 Millbrook 2

[Darin Morse]

Foxhole 3 Millbrook 2

Saturday 6th February 2010

Foxhole were evidently keen from the off to extend their winning run to three games and, after Nicholls had headed wide Pinhammer's corner within thirty seconds, poor defending from Johnstone allowed Griffin to race clear and finish with aplomb with barely a minute played. Soon Griffin had centred for Pinhammer to nod a good chance past the upright and had himself volleyed over as the Foxes eagerly strived to press home their advantage, but they had to wait until the eighteenth minute when incisive interplay between Rowe and Griffin provided Kenny with an easy sidefoot past the badly exposed Gill. Millbrook had hardly strung two passes together until outside-left Tambu began to threaten, first by heading over Reed's corner, and then with a series of fine crosses, from one of which Holland had to react smartly to deny Evans. By now, the Foxes had taken their foot off the pedal, and they were lucky when, from another outswinging Reed corner, Johnstone's goal-bound header was fortuitously blocked. However, the initiative was regained before the break when Gill saved well from Griffin, who next shot wide from a tight angle following excellent aggression by Kenny.

The dangerous Tambu failed to re-appear for the restart, but his replacement Waters contributed in no small way to an open and entertaining second-half. The home rearguard found his blond locks difficult to track, particularly once the impressive Mackellar was withdrawn on the hour moments after Rowe had emphatically crashed home the third from the edge of the box, having been cleverly picked out by Nicholls. Wth nothing to lose, the visitors swarmed forward, right-back Dan Gill testing Holland with a fierce drive. Carpenter's clumsy challenge on Ferguson allowed Thomason to rifle a screamer into the top corner from thirty yards with a quarter of an hour to go and there were still nine minutes left when another free-kick awarded against Carpenter was fired against a post by Ferguson, presenting Applegate with a simple tap-in. The excitement proved too much for Evans, who talked his way into the book, but Foxhole held on amid concerted pressure, happy to watch Richards' long-range effort during interminable stoppage time sail towards the late winter sunset.

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

Millbrook (4-4-2): James Gill; Dan Gill, Richard Jones, Ryan Thomason, Darrell Johnstone; Matt Reed, Ovi Tambu (sub. Ben Waters), Zac Pearce (sub. Jason Richards), Ben Ferguson; Ben Applegate, Shaun Evans.

Referee: Mr Graham Allen (St Austell).