A System Reboot may be necessary if Holwell are finally to get going?

Burton Park Wanderers FC 6 – 3 Holwell Sports FC

Holwell’s stuttering start to this campaign continued on Saturday away to Burton Park Wanderers losing six three.

It sounds bad but in spells Holwell did more than enough to suggest they do have the ability to straighten this malaise they have got themselves into and get themselves back on track.

Excuses are irrelevant as the squad available to Andy Gray on Saturday should have been a better match for Burton Park.

However when your goal keeper fails to turn up for the match and you have no other natural keeper available any planning done in training, in the run up to the game goes straight out the window?

Ben Betteridge stepped forward to go in goal so immediately the left side of defence is weakened, the players are naturally agitated with some now forced to play out of position.

It looked like Betteridge had made a confident start as he did well to save a rasping shot in the very first minute and indeed did well to get to a free kick a minute later parrying away an equally fierce goal bound attempt but unfortunately his parry was gobbled up by Mason Thomas on his debut at Burton Park Wanderers to open the score.

Holwell went on the attack after this and from a corner on the right O’Grady just missed as he stabbed the ball goal ward only for keeper Clark to turn it away.

There then followed a good move involving Baker, Hazeldine and Foster who shot over as it seemed Holwell were getting to grips with the game.

But the home side were on the hunt for more as Gerrard shot at goal the ball coming off the right hand post and across the goal before Holwell cleared it away for a corner. Campbell and Gerrard were beginning to run the show now as Otshudy on the right and Mason on the left were giving full backs Surridge and Calver severe problems.

On 15mins Gerrard got return for his endeavours increasing the home side’s lead as Holwell looked all at sea.

Matt Hendey passed up a great chance on 19mins to haul the visitors back into the game shooting wildly over when no one was in attention.

The home side intensified Holwell’s woes when Campbell made it three nil on 20mins with a strong hint of offside as officials ignored that he picked up the ball to finish past Betteridge from a position in front of another attacker who had over run the ball.

There was just no stopping Karabo Motshweni as he weaved his way through the Holwell defence to blast the fourth on 30mins. A goal worthy of any match to be honest as the ball looked as though it was stuck to his feet.

However Holwell kept trying as Ridout headed onto the bar moments later from a corner and seemed to get reward for their tenacity when Hazeldine clawed one back on 40mins after Baker had beaten four defenders before playing in Hazeldine.

Holwell still had chances and a wayward shot over the bar by Foster could have given more confidence to the visitors just before half time.

Ambrose replaced Cowling at half time as Holwell set about getting something out of this match but the home side were still on the hunt as Thomas struck again on 55mins. However to Holwell’s credit they got another back two minutes later as Baker yet again supplied a great through ball for Foster whose shot was saved but followed in by Liam Ambrose.

Hendey wasted another chance on the hour mark as Holwell pressed playing better than they had in the first half.

However the home side were awarded a harsh penalty on 74mins as Betteridge was adjudged to have fouled a BPW forward Thomas stepping up to score and secure his debut hat trick for the home side.

Holwell battled to the end and can take some comfort that this could have been a lot closer than the score suggested as Ridout forced home a third for Holwell in the 82nd minute.

Holwell: Betteridge, Calver, Surridge, Bitmead, Ridout, Hazeldine, O’Grady(Fjodorovs), Baker, Hendey(Nikolajevs), Foster, Cowling(Ambrose)