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Terrors opened the 2009/10 campaign
with a disappointing draw against newly promoted
Waltham Abbey at Imperial Fields.
With Aaron Goode now seemingly permanently installed in
midfield Tooting
once again started with three central defenders in Joe
Vines, Matt York and Mitchell Nelson, with Dean Hamlin
and Jamie Byatt operating as wingbacks.
Of the new faces there were starts for Fabian Batchelor and Mitchell Nelson, whilst Colin Hartburn sat out the final match of
the suspension that began last season.
Paul Vines, starting his 151st competitive game for
the terrors, tried to test out Harris in the very first minute with a lob that bounced low in front of the
keeper, but was easily taken. Debutant Batchelor also
made an encouraging start, first
with a useful cross that Harris plucked out of the air and then
with a shot that flew just wide of the upright.
The game settled down as the visitors began to find
their feet and started to put a few moves together.
James Elmes looked useful on the left, setting up
their first serious effort with a good cross that was headed over.
The best chance of the half came on 18 minutes when
the industrious Dean Hamlin picked out Paul Vines at the back post, but his well
struck shot could only find the side netting.
Overall the half
offered little for either side to cheer about.
Dave King was called into action saving low after half
and hour and five minutes before the interval a fine long rage effort from
Batchelor was just off target. Jamie Byatt
dribbled his way through half the visiting side, but
with no support and surrounded by Green shirts he was
only able to get in a weak shot.
Half Time: Terrors 0-0 Waltham Abbey
Despite an
encouraging opening move involving several Terrors, the second half continued in the same uninspiring vein as the first, with neither side grabbing the
initiative. The turning point came after 54 minutes when the towering Purcell received his marching
orders after receiving a caution for handball, having already
collected a first half yellow. Aaron Goode
managed an on target header from the resulting free kick as Terrors tried to make the extra man
count. Hamlin in particular
continued to make his presence felt down the right as
Tooting tried to stretch the ten men. However,
width played no part in the goal. Jamie Byatt launched a
high speculative ball into to the penalty area from the centre circle.
Perhaps unwisely Harris elected to run out to meet it, but
it was the head of Paul Vines that got there first,
somehow managing to direct his high header into the net.
Four minutes later the game should have been dead and
buried when Aaron Goode dribbled into the area and set up a sitter for Byatt, who drilled it the wrong side of the post.
With less that a quarter of an hour left things started to go wrong. Joe Vines fluffed a routing clearance, presenting the dangerous
Harry Elmes with the chance to pick his spot, which he duly did, high to
Dave Kings right.
Terrors lost their way after that, repeatedly giving the ball away sloppily though
either poor passing or hopeful long balls. Abbey clearly sensed an unlikely victory and kept pressing
until the end, by which time it was probably the home side that were
relieved the hear the final whistle. |
