Holwell's good win --- tainted!

There were so many good things to take out of this match on Saturday, a thunderous finish by Kieran Foster to put Holwell one nil up, two well worked goals from Jay Kirkby to banish his recent lean spell, another solid performance by Billy Stubbs in the heart of defence capped off with a goal after the keeper dropped the ball at his feet, Liam Chapman continuing his progress improving week by week with another good performance on the left, a goal for Aaron Ridout and a well taken penalty by captain Dominic Hallows.

Home fans eagerly awaited the return to Holwell by Scott Mooney and Manager Daws pitched him right in at the start following 45mins in a reserves friendly on Thursday evening. Making an immediate impact up front, Anstey had no answer to his quick witted footwork and guile which left the visiting defenders at times bemused causing them to miss time tackles and concede countless fouls as they tried to get to grips.

Holwell started the quicker and on two minutes Bitmead was given a chance to open the scoring with a header at the back post just missing from a cross by Chapman. On 10mins Holwell just couldn’t get the ball in the net as several had a chance but found their way to goal blocked by desperate defending. Anstey couldn’t be discounted though and on 12mins Shane Gibbs warmed Craggs hands with a decent shot and within a minute Stuart Rose came to Holwell’s rescue with a goal line clearance.
Mooney was certainly making a big difference to Holwell up front and began to attract closer and more forceful markingand on 25mins the game flared up when Mooney was tackled high leaving stud marks down the inside of his right thigh.

After settling things down and talking to both skippers the referee sent off Anstey’s Jonathon Armson for the tackle. However many in the ground could not understand why Mooney was only booked following his poor reaction to the tackle. There was also an unnecessary reaction by other home players who don’t seem to want to learn lessons from what happened at the end of last season.

This seemed to affect Holwell worse than the visitors for a time as it was the home side that were totally ragged for the next few minutes – but on 35mins Foster broke the deadlock and lifted the mood with a wondrous strike from the edge of the 18yd box which keeper Symmonds only heard as it hit the back of the net.

Holwell went two up on 47mins when Mooney’s guile won a free kick on the right – crossed in by Hallows Symmonds didn’t cope with the cross at all and dropped the ball for Stubbs to prod it home.

Anstey tried to get back on terms and on 51mins Shane Gibbs stormed into the Holwell box sending over a low cross which was cleared but only as far as Jon Tature who drilled his shot passed Cragg from 20yds.
However within a minute Holwell had restored their two goal lead when Mooney was brought down in the box and a penalty was awarded. Skipper Hallows scoring from the spot.

Take nothing away from the ten men from Anstey, they still tried to get back on terms though conceding more bookings as they went and on 65mins Cragg found himself under the ball as it dropped to Zak Ginvert to make the score 3-2.

Holwell went further in the lead when bizarrely Keeper Symmonds lost control of the ball to put the ball into his own net for number 4.
Holwell brought on Smedley for Foster on 66mins and immediately Smedley started to torment the visitors defence feeding in Jay Kirkby who missed one of his easier chances but Kirkby atoned for his miss on 74mins when a pass from Smedley presented him with a great chance which he took superbly for number 5 and only a minute later a through pass from midfield found Kirkby one to one with a defender who he fended off before scoring Holwell’s number 6.

Mooney’s return and Holwell’s good work was tainted after the forward found himself sent off for a second unnecessary booking on 70mins. Not the return anyone had hoped for, not withstanding his efforts up front and the impact he had made.

Aaron Ridout completed the scoring with Holwell’s seventh on 88mins.