Poole Borough Football Club
Season 2009/10

Borough Line-up
1. Simon Higgins (Malara 57)
2. Dan Molyneaux
3. Alex Grimason
4. Kenny Strong
5. Steve Tricky
6. James Pinder n77
7. Ryan Moore
8. Max Wilcox n75 (Balinski 77)
9. Dominic Allen
10. Martin Warren (Gallagher 73)
11. Joe Toghill

Substitutes
Jakub Malara (for Higgins 57)
Sean Gallagher (for Warren 73)
Lucasz Balinski (for Wilcox 77))
Kieran Mulvey
John Bates

Portland: Carroll, Charles, Gay, Perkins (Maxted 50),
Whyton, Miles, Skelton, Godfrey (Greatrex 65) Price,
White, Halloran.

Scorers

Conditions
Warm & Sunny

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

Portland Colours
All Blue

Direction of Play
Borough defended Club House end first half

Officials
Referee: Mr Tom Richardson
Assistants: Mr George Chritchell & Mr Aaron Greaves

	Portland United (1) 1,
	Poole Borough (0) 0.

Dorset Premier League
Saturday 12th September 2009

Kenny Strong getting his head to a corner which went narrowly wide

More Photos

A Portland goal on the half hour was all that separated the two sides in an entertaining game at Grove Corner, but Borough again struggled to convert their good approach play into goals, and despite throwing bodies forward in the final 15 minutes, the Hornets were unable to break through a resolute Blues back line.

The first half opened brightly with both sides probing down the flanks and Borough's first chance came on 9 minutes when Dominic Allen fired in a low shot on the turn from 35 yards out, but Nick Carroll in the home goal got down smartly to collect. Carroll was tested again at long range by Joe Toghill on 15 minutes, but the keeper was equal to the shot again, holding the ball at full stretch.

Borough's best chance of the half came on 22 minutes when James Pinder cut in from the left and rode two tackles as he jinked into the area but his final shot went narrowly wide of the far post.

Portland showed their intent though on 26 minutes with a dangerous cross into the area and Dan Molyneaux did well to out jump a home forward and deflect the ball for a corner. However Borough found themselves behind three minutes later, when a quickly taken free kick from the half way line saw the ball fed down the right before being centred to Alex Halolran on the edge of the area who made space to fire a low drive into the bottom right hand corner. 1-0.

Borough came close to equalising on 37 minutes when Kenny Strong saw his header from a left wing corner drop narrowly wide, but the Hornets had a let off 4 minutes later when Jake Price found himself clear through on goal but shot wide.

Half Time 1-0

The Blues could well have doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart when the normally lethal Matt White broke clear of the Borough defence and with only Simon Higgins to beat he fired his a low drive the wrong side of the post.

Borough settled and on 53 minutes Allen won the battle between two defenders to latch onto a long ball forwards but he lifted his final shot just over the bar, while a minute later Toghill broke down the left before cutting inside and seeing his low drife from a tight angle drift narrowly wide of the far upright.

On 57 minutes Simon Higgins had to be replaced by Jakub Malara after a recurrence of his knee injury, but Borough continued to press on 59 minutes Toghill teed up Max Wilcox from 25 yards out, but his rising shot just cleared the bar. However Portland remained dangerous on the counter attack and White put another chance wide when well positioned, while minutes later Molyneaux made a fine tackle to deny Price as he broke into the area.

With 15 minutes remaining, Borough went to three at the back in order to push for the equaliser and almost immediately Allen was denied by Carroll after a neat step-over wrong footed a home defender in the area, making space for an angled drove which stung the keeper's gloves.

Pinder was causing the home side big problems down the right and on 81 minutes after beating a defender he knocked the ball inside to Allen whose dipping shot just cleared the bar, while as the game moved into stoppage time Pinder saw a low shot go wide.

And just before full time Borough had their best chance to draw level as Carroll could only parry a close range effort from Pinder and a home defender just beat Gallagher and Toghill to the loose ball to clear to safety.