Holwell’s good start brought to abrupt halt!

Anstey Nomads FC 2 - 1 Holwell Sports FC

In a game they should have won and indeed be out of sight of Anstey by half time, Holwell just could not get things to click in the box. The first chance of the game fell to Scott Mooney on 2mins but he shot wide of the target and the pressure continued as two or three crosses from Graham Keast were missed as first Bettinson and then Foster were caught under the ball and could not capitalise.

Holwell looked the better of the two teams and were stringing good passes around and on 10mins it was captain Michael Stevenson who was given a chance but his left foot shot also went wide of keeper Witham’s post.

Holwell’s pressure was making Anstey defend for their lives and Clayton and Surridge in the home defence were doing well to limit the Holwell forwards with Hodgkinson playing in front of the back four also breaking up promising moves.

Holwell’s best chance of the half fell to Scott Mooney when Keast sent in a free kick on 21mins only to see his header go straight at keeper Witham.

But against the run of play Anstey managed to conjure up an attack on the right on 28mins and as Mark Preston got round the back and tried to go round Holwell’s keeper Richard Cragg, Cragg brought the player down and a penalty was awarded to Anstey. Cragg, a bit lucky to have just been shown a yellow card when some refs would have shown a Red card. Sam Surridge took the kick putting the home side in front.

Holwell got straight back on the attack but play in the final third was letting them down with shot shy forwards and over elaborate passing wasting opportunities. On 35 mins Liam Chapman had a glorious chance to level at the back post but again failed to find the target. If Holwell had taken the chances presented to them it should have been easily four one to Holwell at the break as it was they went in still behind to Anstey’s penalty. HT 1-0

It was much the same in the second half Holwell making opportunities but failing to convert – on 51mins Scott Mooney sent in a peach of a cross met by Kieran Foster at the back post when he should have scored but again a costly miss. Liam Chapman played in Michael Stevenson on 56mins, he beat two defenders but just could not get enough bend on his shot to beat Witham at the far post and the shot went wide.

Anstey started to make changes bringing on Hartopp for Coore in midfield and suddenly Anstey started to get a grip of midfield. In a rare attack on the Holwell goal the visitors were lucky to survive a second goal. Cragg quickly cleared the ball down field to Mooney who rounded the advancing keeper but still his shot, from a tight angle, hit the post instead of the back of the net. It just wasn’t to be for Holwell!

Then on 66mins Holwell found themselves two down when they failed to clear the ball. Shane Gibbs hit a shot which beat Cragg to his left and leave Holwell with a hill to clime to get anything out of the game.

Anstey made two more changes and now seemed to be the fresher of the two teams but Holwell kept trying to get something back. It had to be something special and Keast was the architect when his corner on 82mins went straight in from his corner kick. This spurred Holwell on with Tinsley replacing Foster late on and they nearly equalised on 88mins when Bettinson headed down to Stevenson who passed to Mooney, he turned sharply but his shot on the turn was smothered low down by Witham to keep Anstey in front.

One of those days really plenty of chances but failure to convert cost dearly!