Poole Borough Football Club
Season 2009/10

Borough Man of the Match

Alex Grimason

Borough Line-up
(Ratings)
1. Simon Higgins (7)
2. Ben Wright (7.5) (Molyneaux 55)
3. Keith Whatling (7)
4. Ross Mills (7)
5. Alex Grimason (8)
6. James Pinder (7) (Gallagher 74)
7. Martin Sault (7) (Strong 74)
8. Max Wilcock (7.5)
9. Dominic Allen (7)
10. Martin Warren (7.5)
11. Lucasz Balinski (7.5)

Substitutes
Dan Molyneaux (for Wright 55)
Kenny Strong (for Sault 74)
Sean Gallagher (for Pinder 74)
Joe Toghill
Jakub Malara

Scorers

Conditions
Sunny and warm.

Borough Colours
Gold & Black Hooped Shirts,, Black Shorts & Socks

Blandford Colours
All Blue

Direction of Play
Borough defended Turlin Moor end first half

Officials
Referee: Mr Gary Childs
Assistants: Mr Adam Baker & Mr Nathan Lee

	Poole Borough (1) 3,
	Blandford United (1) 2.

Dorset Premier League
Saturday 22nd August 2009

Max Wilcox (left) heading home a corner to put Borough 2-1 up

More Photos

Despite dominating the first half and playing some superb attacking football, Borough were unable to capitalise with the goals required to take the game away from a much improved Royals side, and the Hornets were left to hang on for a narrow victory after Ross Mills struck the winner from the penalty spot.

Borough were quick off the blocks and Martin Warren was unfortunate on 5 minutes to see a shot on the turn blocked by a defender. A minute later and the Hornets had the ball in the back of the net when Dominic Allen sent Jame Pinder clear on the left but when he slipped the ball through to Lukasz Balinski to shot home, the Pole was adjudged to have been offside.

On 11 minutes Balinski came close again with a thundering free kick from 30 yards out which left visiting keeper Terry Martin rooted to the spot as the ball cannoned off the angle between post and bar. And the Hornets had a second goal chalked off on 19 minutes this time Pinder finding himself offside when tucking home a through ball from Warren.

Blandford however came close following a break away on 21 minutes when Jamie Haylock found himself clear through on goal but he steered his shot off target. And against the run of play the Royals found themselves a goal up on the half hour when the Borough defence struggled to deal with long punt forward from Martin and Chris Trent stole in to lift the ball over the advancing Simon Higgins in the home goal. 0-1.

Borough though continued to press and on 34 minutes Warren saw his header from a corner go narrowly over, while Warren again came close on 41 minutes when his shot went narrowly wide after being sent clear down the right.

However Borough got back on level terms in first half stoppage time when a strong run down the right by Balinski saw him outpace two defenders before rifling past Martin. 1-1.

Half Time 1-1.

Although Blandford stepped up their game after the break, the majority of the play remained in their half and on 60 minutes Martin Sault was only inches wide with a diving header at the far post as he looked to convert a right wing cross from Allen.

The Hornets had a let off on 62 minutes when another long punt forward from Martin sent Trent through on goal, but he shot wide. However a minute later Borough took the lead when Max Wilcox met a right wing corner with a powerful header which a defender on the line got a foot to, but couldn't keep out. 2-1.

Blandford though were back on level terms on 70 minutes when Matthew Hubbie rose unmarked to head home a left wing corner. 2-2.

Back came Borough and Sault saw a stooping header go narrowly wide, while Allen again carved out space down the right before sending in a near post cross to Wilcox whose volley went just over and a Blandford defender was forced to clear off the line when one of his team mates deflected a corner goalwards.

Finally the Borough pressure finally paid off on 77 minutes when Warren was tripped as he cut across the penalty area and Ross Mills stepped up to bury the spot kick. 3-2

Blandford however were determined not to give up without a fight and they pushed Borough back in the final few minutes, only to be denied by a superb block from Simon Higgins to deny a close range shot on the turn. Deep in injury time Sean Gallagher came close to making the game safe for the Hornets as he latched onto a through ball from midfield and slid the ball past the advancing Martin but also just the wrong side of the upright.