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Manager
of the month Billy Smith managed to escape the curse
of the award as Terrors battled for a well earned
point at high flying Staines. Once
again trying the 352 formation that was utilised
earlier in the season the back line included the
returning Joe Vines alongside Aaron Goode and Justyn
Roberts, with McLeod and Howell operating as
wingbacks.
Both
sides created half chances in the opening minutes,
with McDonald first beating three before being
dispossessed and then firing just wide from outside
the box. On
fifteen minutes Joe Vines found himself on the
opposition goal line heading a deep cross back into
the six yard box which was immediately cleared down
the other end for a Staines corner.
The
middle of the half saw a spell of pressure from the
home side, but with Goode in particular timing his
interceptions to perfection, the Terrors defence was
not troubled apart from one long range effort that
Dave King smothered at the second attempt.
As
the half progressed both
sides created an opening or two, but just
before the break Joe Vines caught a forward on the edge of the
area and conceded a free kick in a very dangerous
position. Watters
elected to chip the ball over the sixteen or so wall
of players straight into the grateful hands of King.
There was still time for Paul Vines to hit the
bar with a header that looped over the keeper from a
McLeod cross. Billy
Marshall won a corner from the rebound which was met
with a low header by Matt York that Wells did well to
save on the goal line.
Half Time: Staines Town
0-0 Terrors
Terrors
had the strong breeze at their backs in the second
period and almost went ahead in the first minutes as
Paul Vines latched on to a quickly taken Marshall free
kick, but his header was straight at Wells.
Marshall then embarked on a mazy run, beating
two and winning a corner from the third challenge.
The
recent outbreak of dodgy back passes continued, with the
otherwise immaculate Goode chief offender.
King was able to clear the danger, but the incident
triggered a ten minute spell of sustained attack from
the home team, forcing Terrors to defend deep and
isolating the front two.
Paul Vines finally managed to break free on twenty
minutes, getting in a weak shot when he could have
passed to the unmarked Matt York to his left.
The
home onslaught resumed and, entertaining though it
was, Billy decided it had to be stopped, electing to
replace York and Marshall with Pittterson and Pinnock.
The fresh legs in midfield did the trick and
the game resumed as an equal contest.
On the hour Paul Vines headed a clearance ball
into the path of Jason Pinnock, who shot high over the
bar. Vines won a corner from another break two minutes
later, but the home team counter attacked with a superb run down the left flank
by Coulson which ended with a cross that eluded the may
advancing yellow shirts.
Things
continued to improve for terrors when Paul Vines forced Wells to smother his low shot.
Pitterson returned to his favoured wide
position and provided a couple of useful crosses, but
it was McLeod who almost broke the deadlock just into
injury time with a right wing cross that caught the
breeze and was dropping into the top corner of the
net, forcing the keeper back pedal and tip it over.
Six
minutes into stoppage time a neat move was
started and finished by Paul Vines and resulted in a
corner. Terrors kept the pressure on and won another,
but this time Staines responded, winning a final corner themselves.
Eventually, as the sun set over the airport, Mr
Field decided that ten minutes injury time was enough
and allowed both sides to go home with a share of the
spoils. As
goalless draws go, they can be a lot worse than this
one.
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