Comfortable 3 - 0 win for Holwell Sports.

Holwell sent the home fans happy on Saturday after a relatively comfortable win against mid table Greenwood Meadows. Though the result never looked in doubt from Michael Stevenson’s opener on 4mins this Greenwood team have several good strong technical players. What they lack is the teamwork shown by Holwell as they comfortably engineered this win to get back in winning ways.

Holwell started brightly and within four minutes were one up when Mooney won the ball on the left, passed to Mark Tinsley who managed to dig the ball out from under his feet and chip the ball into the path of Michael Stevenson(pictured) who had run from midfield, this found him one on one with the visiting keeper and Stevenson easily slipped the ball under him to open the scoring.

The first twenty five minutes saw incessant pressure from Holwell on the Greenwood defence - the home side always more robust in the tackle and first to most loose balls.

Chances came with Tom Williams given a free header at a corner but his effort was just over the bar, a shot on target by Chris Hibbitt saved on the line by Fawzi and on 28 mins the best chance when Scott Mooney was sent away but his shot went over the bar.

Greenwood hardly had anything to offer up front, managing only one shot on target all first half.

Holwell’s pressure had to tell and they came close to a second on 38mins when Stevenson and Foster combined well to send Mooney off down the flank only to be unceremoniously pulled down for a free kick on the edge of the box. Tom Williams stepped up to take the kick but his shot was way off target.

However the second goal came in the 32nd minute when Mark Tinsley was fouled out on the right side of midfield. While the Greenwood defenders tried to organise themselves Michael Stevenson took a quick free kick sending Kieran Foster away down the wing and his cross into the centre was met by Scott Mooney giving the keeper no chance.
HT 2-0

The second half started like the first with Holwell on top, two minutes in and the home side forced a corner Foster managed to flick the ball on at the front post and Hibbitt managed to get to the clearance off the line but his shot went over the bar.

Greenwood tried to make changes with substitutions but the flow was only one way – towards their goal.

On 65mins Michael Stevenson’s shot was tipped over the bar as it looked goal bound, a few seconds later Graham Wells had a chance to score but again last ditch defending saw the ball save on the line.

It took to the 75th minute before Greenwood had a shot at goal in the second half but very quickly Holwell were at them again as Scott Mooney picked the ball up in the left side channel and sent in a pin point cross to Kieran Foster who hit a great first time shot in off the keeper’s right hand post to put Holwell three up killing the game.

With one eye on next week’s FA Vase tie, Manager Simon Daws took the opportunity to rest Hibbitt and Ridout sending on Bitmead and Randall to see the game off, but still Holwell tried to increase the score when on 80mins Scott Mooney had another shot saved, the ball falling to Graham Wells who looked to have scored only to see his strong shot crash back off the post.

A decent performance by Holwell who will look to carry this momentum into their midweek fixture at home to Sutton Town AFC in the league before their big home tie next weekend in the FA vase against Rocerster FC from Staffordshire.