Poole Borough Football Club
Season 2004/05

THE SEASON

Results, Reports

Latest News

Fixtures

Appearances/Scorers

Reserves

PBFC Youth

Add your comments on the match.

Sean Hebdon
Celebrated his 100th appearance for Borough with a faultless display at the back.

Conditions

Cloudy and mild

Borough Colours

Gold and Black quarters, Black shorts, Gold socks.

Cranborne Colours

Black and White striped shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks.

Direction of Play

Borough defended club end first half.

Officials

Referee: Mr M.Driffield
Assistants: Mr L.Simpson & Club Official

Borough Scorers: Jamie Holland 2, 83; David Perry 37, 68; Tony White 62.
Borough Man of the Match: Sean Hebdon

Despite turning round two goals ahead, Borough delivered a less than convincing first half performance, but a much improved display after the break saw the Hornets deservedly pick up their first double of the season, with the strike pairing of Jamie Holland and David Perry both registering a brace.

The match was also a significant milestone for Sean Hebdon and Matt Bircumshaw who both chalked up their 100th Borough appearance.

Borough had the best possible start, taking the lead inside two minutes when Andy Coles headed a defensive clearance back across the area and Jamie Holland steered the ball home at the far post.

The Cranes used the first half advantage of the slope well and on 13 minutes a quick ball forward found James Antell clear in front of goal, but Adam Nash stood his ground well to block the shot. Further Cranborne pressure saw a succession of chances, but in each case the final finish was off target. However on 29 minutes a home corner from the right was met with a far post header, but the ball came back off the bottom of the upright.

Against the run of play though, Borough increased their lead on 37 minutes as Gary Fooks intercepted a defensive clearance from a corner and fed the ball to Hebdon in the area whose shot on the turn was diverted into the net at the far post by Perry.

Borough could have gone further ahead five minutes before the break as Tony White headed a corner back across the goalmouth but Holland's volley went just over. Cranborne however nearly gave themselves a life-line on the stroke of half time with a long range shot which cannoned off the Borough bar.

Half Time 0-2.

Borough came close to increasing their lead within a minute of the restart, when Holland broke through the offside trap on the left before squaring to Perry in front of goal, but his final shot was blocked by a defender.

Tony White however scored the all important third goal on 62 minutes as Dan Herrington swung in a testing corner from the right and the Borough boss beat the home defence to head in from three yards out.

Herrington was provider again for Borough's fourth on 68 minutes with a superb run, carrying the ball through from the half way line to the edge of the area before squaring to Perry who made space before hitting an unstoppable shot into the top left hand corner.

With the home defence beginning to tire, Holland was able to exploit the additional space to hit a shot from 20 yards out which Del Llano in the home goal did well to tip over. Minutes later he again broke down the left and made the by-line before cutting back and shooting narrowly over.

Holland though was not to be denied his second, and with seven minutes remaining he again found space wide down the left before turning goalwards and from the narrowest of angles beat Del Llano with a low shot which went just inside the far post.

Borough: Adam Nash, Dan Cockwell (Shaun Clarke 46), Tony White, Gary Fooks (Ben Truan 72), Sean Hebdon, Dan Herrington, Danny Moore, Jamie Holland, David Perry, Andy Coles (Andy Barham 59), Matt Bircumshaw.

The Verdict ..............................

"It was a bit of a battle in the first half," said Tony White. "Their pitch slopes from side to side and the grass was quite long but we got an early goal and that helped settle us down. The second half was all us really. They are a young enthusiastic side who work hard but we are brimming with confidence at the moment and were far more clinical."

Villagers manager Will Haggarty said: "The injury crisis we have has got even worse and although we competed in the first half we never turned up in the second. Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves but we paid the price for conceding an early goal."