Poole Borough Football Club
Season 2003/04

THE SEASON

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Tony White - solid at the back and scored both Brough goals.

Borough Scorers: Tony White 16, 82.
Borough Man of the Match: Tony White

Borough were left to rue succession of missed chances in a game they dominated for long periods in both halves and they were left to rely on a late equaliser to secure a point against their near neighbours. The game was spoilt as a spectacle by a whistle happy referee who somehow managed to conjure seven bookings and a Cobham sending-off from an seemingly innocuous match.

James Edwards had an early chance for Borough with a shot that flew narrowly wide but Cobham forced a smart save from Adam Nash after they benefited from a poor Borough back pass. Borough stepped up a gear and Stuart Merrell latched on to a right wing cross from Matt Norris but his shot was tipped over the bar.

After 16 minutes Borough took the lead when Edwards sent over a perfectly weighted free kick from the right hand edge of the area and Tony White arrived unmarked at the near post to head home. With the referee taking his toll on proceedings the game degenerated into a stop/start affair but Borough's passing let them down which allowed the home side to begin make some in-roads.

Another Borough purple patch began on 35 minutes when Martin White picked up a loose ball from the edge of the area, but shot wide, while both Scott Smith and Matt Bircumshaw also put chances over the bar. In the final minutes of the half Cobham pushed forward and Tony White recovered to make a superb tackle after the Borough defence was caught flat footed following a long punt forward, however a minute from the break the home side drew level as a lofted free kick was steered in at the far post by Paul Glenister.

Half Time 1-1

Borough started the second half by creating further chances and came close to re-taking the lead when Bircumshaw's header from and Edwards cross was well saved. On 58 minutes disaster struck for Borough as Glenister's attempt at a shot ran wide but straight into the path of Jamie Edwards unmarked on the left who took his chance well.

Cobham could have gone further ahead minutes later as Nash could only parry a long range shot but Merrell did well to get in front of an advancing forward and hook the ball clear.

Borough now began to play with more urgency, and Smith broke through but saw his shot blocked on the line, which resulted in a frantic goal mouth scramble before the ball was finally cleared. Merrell also came close with a far post header which went just over, but Tony White finally put Borough level eight minutes from time, heading home a left wing corner.

With Cobham reduced to 10 men following a second bookable offence and five minutes of injury time added on, Borough pushed forward in numbers looking for the winner and both Hallam and Edwards headed just wide before the final whistle, which saw the Cobham players celebrating what was for them a point gained.

Borough: Adam Nash, Lee Russell, Tony White, Simon Hallam, Matt Norris (Alex Gunn 77), Stuart Merrell, James Edwards, Martin White, Steve Russell, Kieron Campbell, Matt Bircumshaw. Unused subs: Shaun Clarke, Shaun Parker.