Defeat at Graham Street Prims

Graham St Prims 3 Holwell 1

The Prims must have wondered what had turned up to play them as this was by far one of Holwell’s worst performances of this campaign. Maybe the stop start fixture programme they have at the moment with weeks of no activity has made the squad rusty and short of match fitness but they need to knuckle down and get back to the good run they had a few weeks ago to regain some badly needed confidence.

Both teams got off to a slow start on a blustery windy pitch Holwell slightly the better and on 5mins Michael Stevenson had a shot on goal that the keeper held on to. Prims seemed happy to play with a lone striker and aimed to catch Holwell on the break and on 11mins it happened . From a promising position where Scott Mooney had worked hard to get into the home six yard box he couldn’t get the ball to a Holwell player and from the clearance Graham St Prims opened Holwell up in the break away and Jim Slack was put through one on one with Cragg rounding the keeper and stroking the ball into an empty net.

Holwell were missing Rose through suspension and left out Hibbitt, Foster and Keast whilst giving a first start to Levi Fray on right of midfield in preference to Smedley.

After the initial set back Holwell did well to get back into the game and were on top from 15mins and on 20mins were level when good work in midfield saw Stevenson put in Mooney who beat the advancing keeper.
Holwell still looked the better but again were undone by poor defending when on 35mins Slack was set away again with a long ball into the left channel and as he broke in lifted a shot over Cragg and into the far corner for his and Prims second.

After the break the next goal was going to be crucial and though Holwell tried they could not seem to string much together and struggling to get going and chasing the match they were being caught out at the back as Sam Collins left up front alone for the home side was causing problems with the long balls being sent up by Prims defenders.

Holwell were becoming frustrated and picking up more poor bookings and the game became stop start as names went into the book with Holwell now facing the loss through suspension of Bitmead and Ridout in the next couple of weeks due to the totting up process with Mooney now also one away from a second suspension.

After one such booking Prims through in a free kick which Holwell didn’t defend well and Marc Atwall put the game beyond Holwell with a shot into the top corner on 65mins.

Holwell sent on Foster and Hibbitt to try and retrieve something but couldn’t, influence the result at this point.

Cragg was called on again with a great save on 82mins tipping a shot onto the post and away which would have made the score even worse.
Michael Stevenson had a header on target on 87mins but Hankey in the home goal managed to save.