Foxhole 3 Plymstock 4

[Darin Morse]

Foxhole 3 Plymstock 4

Saturday 17th March 2012

Desite dominating the game Foxhole slumped to yet another defeat after conceding three sloppy goals early on and being unable to capitalise sufficiently on a host of chances, including a sixty-sixth minute penalty which Mewton blasted straight at Kellond. However the vastly improved performance, spearheaded by the recalled Rundle and the hard-working Spaul, at least suggested the apparently inexorable slide to finishing third from bottom may yet be avoided.

In order to achieve that, though, the Foxes must surely eliminate soon the kind of defensive howlers which abounded inside the first quarter. On seven minutes, Ryan Holland inexplicably fumbled Cole's tame effort to allow the appreciative Easton to tap home from a few inches, almost immediately followed by Burgoyne netting a second from only marginally further out, the home defenders seemingly transfixed by the bright sunshine. To their credit the response was rapid, incisive play from Spaul and Kenny being rounded off by a clever lob on fourteen by Griffin, who was soon to fire narrowly wide from twenty yards while Spaul almost made Ashley Pook pay for some inauspicious defending with an effort which grazed the upright.

Against the run of play Yates made it 3-1 with a free header at the far post to Hill's corner, but the remainder of the half was centred exclusively around the Plymstock area without, it must be said, ever really inconveniencing Kellond. The visiting keeper was able to easily gather Kenny's weak header and watch as Griffin's fierce goalbound shot was deflected to safety and Stephen's header dropped harmlessly wide, and he and his overworked teammates knew their luck was in when Griffin's close range effort was ruled out for offside and the referee failed to spot Ashley Pook's clear handball, although Mr Forse did deem Stephen's obstruction against Burgoyne and Easton's foul on Stone worthy of cautions.

With his first strike for Foxhole, Mewton was to notch the game's fifth goal inside thirty seconds of the restart following a fine run and he soon instigated a move which culminated in Kellond denying Spaul, who then curled agonisingly wide following clever work by Rundle. Bradley's booking for an injudicious push on Mewton was indicative of the pressure the visitors were being placed under by a Foxes outfit displaying far more vigour than of late, but their exigence was to be eased by the extremely dubious penalty awarded on the hour when Burgoyne found himself prostrate after Stephen's challenge. Jamie Pook confidently despatched the spot-kick; it was just a pity that Mewton could not do the same six minutes later after Duthie had been penalised for pushing Stephen.

Although Plymstock may argue they had the opportunity to extend their lead when Ryan Holland denied both Jamie Pook and Hill, and Yates was unable to convert Burgoyne's flick to the far post, these chances were the inevitable result of the home team's gung-ho approach, striped shirts flooding forward in an ultimately futile attempt to salvage at least a point. Rundle's brilliant volley dipped over the woodwork and his left-footed drive flashed wide while another Griffin blockbuster ricocheted away before Spaul's cross found Mewton, whose tremendous volley crashed into the net off the underside of the bar at the beginning of six minutes of stoppage time. Unfortunately the equaliser could not be found, Rundle coming closest following a quick free-kick with a shot which was beaten away by Kellond. The match ended controversially when Jamie Pook's yellow card for dissent was swiftly followed by a straight red after the final whistle following an altercation with Spaul.

Foxhole (3-5-2); Ryan Holland; Adam Holland, Ryan Stephen, Joe Stone; Connor Mewton, Ben Thomas (sub. Ross Turton), Ben Spaul, Richard Faircloth, Aydan Rundle; Richard Griffin, Sam Kenny.

Plymstock (4-4-2): Liam Kellond; Pete Bradley, Matt Hill, Duncan Duthie, Ashley Pook; Danny Edwards, Myles Easton, Jamie Pook, Tom Cole; James Yates, Phil Burgoyne.

Referee: Mr Paul Forse (Saltash).

[Muddy_patch]

Have to say that your report seems a little biased this week. For you to say that you dominated this game is definately an un-fair reflection on the encounter. With a scratch side, and only the bare eleven, credit must go to the plymstock lads, who simply out-battled you, and out-played you.

[goosefish]

and ur not biased are u muddy patch lol