2002 - 2003 Season - Match Reports
GB Lyndhurst 1 - 2 Southampton City 8th September 2002
Birthday Boy Brad Bags Points For City
There were three new signings in the 14 for the first game of the season with Simon Cook, Ian Rendell and Dan Bundy all making their debuts. Brad Cron also made his first appearance for over two years following his serious knee injury. The match against CSSFL newcomers GB Lyndhurst kicked off in bright sunshine on a hard and uneven pitch.
In the early stages, both teams struggled with the uneven bounce and neither keeper was seriously tested. In fact, there was only one serious threat on goal in the first half when, on 31 minutes, Lyndhurst attacked down their right wing and a near post cross was deflected goalwards by City defender Ian Thurston forcing keeper Ade Holman to make a fine one-handed save low down to his right. The teams when in at half time with the match scoreless.
The 2nd half was a much more open affair. Julian Larkin cleared off the line following a Lyndhurst corner and Si Cook was foiled by an excellent save when one on one with the Lyndhurst keeper. The deadlock was broken on 61 minutes when City took the lead. A patient build up in midfield saw the ball swept out wide to the right wing where Dan Stacey put in a excellent far post cross. Substitute Stu Bridle got up well to head the ball back across the six yard box where Si Cook just beat Julian Larkin to the ball to head into the roof of the net from two yards for a well earned debut goal. The lead lasted for only four minutes as Lyndhurst burst into action and forced the City defence into an error. Pete Cron sliced his volleyed clearance into the path of the Lyndhurst striker who scored despite Ade Holman getting his hand on the cross shot.
The game continued to swing from end to end but it was City who scored the decisive goal on 74 minutes. Once again the ball was well worked out to Dan Stacey on the right wing. Another superb far post cross was met by Brad Cron who headed home despite the close attention of two defenders. The goal capped an excellent display by Brad whose return to football coincided with his birthday. City held on to the lead quite comfortably for the last 15 minutes to secure a winning start to the season. Whilst all players had good performances, Dan Stacey was the man of the match, with his telling crosses leading to both goals.
Southampton City 0 - 2 AC Sports 15th September 2002
AC Sports Too Strong For City
Southampton City's first home match of the season at Totton College ended in defeat, when they were beaten by AC Sports. The side from the previous week showed just one change, with Dan Bundy starting in place of Julian Larkin who was unavailable.
AC Sports started the match at a whirlwind pace and immediately put the City defence under extreme pressure. The defence was given no time on the ball and in the 9th minute chaos reined as Ian Thurston lost the ball on the left and as a low cross came in Ade Holman was forced into making two point blank saves. It was all one way traffic until the 27th minute when Mark Dando put Brad Cron through one on one with the AC Sports keeper who parried his shot and Simon Cook screwed the rebound just wide under pressure from two defenders. City should have taken the lead on 35 minutes following a good move. Dan Stacey swung in a low hard cross which Simon Cook failed to connect with properly but the keeper only parried his shot, and the ball trickled over the line before the keeper dragged in back into play. As the City player's celebrated, the referee waved play on. With City now having the lion's share of the play, they spurned another good chance with Brad Cron blasted into the side netting from an acute angle. As the match neared half time, AC Sports broke the deadlock. Once again, the City defence gave away the ball cheaply and when the cross was swept in from the left, the AC Sports striker Stacey collected the ball, side-stepped Stu Parsonage and lifted the ball into the roof of the net. The half time whistle went a minute later.
City started the second half in a somewhat subdued state, and their opponents put them under more pressure looking to increase their advantage. They came close to scoring in the 52nd minute when a good shot thundered off the underside of the bar but made no mistake on the hour mark when they did score their second goal. City lost the ball in midfield as they were going forward and AC Sports played it to their Centre Forward, Stacey who had time to pick his spot as the defenders backed off and he blasted an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from 20 yards for his second of the match.
That goal knocked the stuffing out of City and in truth never looked able in coming back into the match. There were a number of substitutions as AC Sports took their foot off the gas seemingly happy with their two goal advantage and there was no further score.
Harefield 4 - 4 Southampton City 22nd September 2002
City Hold On For Draw......Just
City were involved in an eventful match at The Clump Inn against Harefield which saw them take a 4 - 0 half time lead but finished with them hanging on for a point as their opponents rallied well in the 2nd Half. With Peter Cron unavailable, City welcomed back Stu Bridle and Julian Larkin. John Mouland made the starting eleven with Ian Rendall and Dan Bundy dropping to the bench.
City settled well in the bright sunshine but the bare, bone hard pitch made good football impossible. Both sides had chances to take an early lead and City had to thank some woeful finishing to remain level. At the other end, Brad Cron squandered a good chance when he screwed his shot across the goal after Mark Dando had sprung the offside trap.
The game burst into life on 26 minutes. Ian Thurston swung in a free kick from his own half, Mark Dando headed the ball on and Si Cook held off the centre back to fire home from 10 yards. Just 3 minutes later City went 2-0 up. Again a free kick on the half way line was launched forward by Dan Foot. Chaos reigned in the Harefield defence as the ball bounced over the Goal Keeper's head and straight into the net. Harefield went straight on the attack from the kick off and a low shot from just outside the penalty area hit the base of the post. City's third goal came a minute later as John Mouland's superb pass down the right hand channel found Si Cook who strode forward and slid the ball under the keeper. Unbelievably City scored their 4th Goal in 12 minutes when Si Cook was crudely brought down in the penalty area as he was about to shoot. Mark Dando calmly slotted the penalty into the corner of the net. Unfortunately Si Cook suffered a nasty ankle injury and was unable to continue.
City expected a 2nd half onslaught from Harefield and that is exactly what they got. The defence held firm for just 9 minutes before Harefield got a goal back with a excellent shot from 20 yards which gave Ade Holman no chance. Just 5 minutes later the ball was in the City net again as they failed to deal with a deep corner which was headed in by an unmarked centre forward. Harefield continued to dominate the game and it was no surprise when they scored a 3rd goal on 70 minutes. It came from another corner when Dan Stacey just beat Ade Holman to the ball but unfortunately he bundled it into his own net. As the minutes ticked by City grimly hung on but poor defending from another corner gifted Harefield an equaliser with their unmarked centre back headed home on 83 minutes. City were now under extreme pressure and were indebted to Ade Holman who made 2 fine saves to keep them in the match. Even then there was enough time for City to find the net again as Stu Bridle fired home in injury time only to be harshly adjudged offside. The referee blew the final whistle moments later.
Although the City players felt despondent in losing a 4 goal lead, perhaps a draw was the fair result. Man of the match was Si Cook who at last found his shooting boots and no doubt the final score would have been different had he not been injured.
Southampton City 6 - 4 AFC Bursledon 29th September 2002
Bursledon And City In Goal Feast
For the second week running, Southampton City conceded four goals but scored six of their own to take 3 points. Si Cook and Dan Stacey were both injured and with Stu Bridle unavailable it meant that Cliff and Pete Cron, along with Dan Bundy made the starting eleven. Stu Parsonage was played up front with Brad Cron following his 5 goals for his Saturday club the day before. The match kicked off in bright sunshine with the Totton College pitch in superb condition.
Within the 1st minute City took the lead as Dan Foot's pass put Stu Parsonage through one on one with the Bursledon keeper who made a good save from the initial shot but could do nothing as the striker rolled in the rebound. It was all one way traffic and City almost had a second on six minutes when a Stu Parsonage shot was cleared off the line. The second goal did come 3 minutes later when Brad Cron's testing right wing cross flicked off the head of a Bursledon defender and floated over the keeper's head into the net. City continued to control the game but were caught out by a Bursledon counter attack on 29 minutes as their centre forward burst through. Ade Holman stopped his first shot but the Bursledon attacker cleverly clipped in a shot over his shoulder which bounced into the unguarded net. City regained their two goal lead on 42 minutes when Brad Cron followed up well to place a low shot in the corner of the net after Stu Parsonage had his effort well saved. Still the goal scoring wasn't over as Bursledon fought back. They were awarded a free kick in the centre circle which was fired in the penalty area. Dan Bundy got up well but the ball flicked off his head and over Ade Holman for the second own goal of the match. City therefore held a slim 3-2 lead at half time.
The second half began in scrappy fashion and it was not until 63 minutes before the next goalmouth action and that led to the Bursledon equaliser. Dan Foot sliced a clearance towards his own goal where Ian Rendall and Ade Holman both hesitated and the Bursledon forward nipped in to find the net. Bursledon really had their tails up now and went close again four minutes later but their centre forward came off second best in a collision with Ade Holman on the edge of the area. With 15 minutes remaining Bursledon got their noses in front for the first time. Once again, City's defensive frailties were evident as they failed to clear a long ball into their area, leaving the opponent with time to blast the ball past Ade Holman. To their great credit, City didn't let their heads drop and were soon on the attack. John Mouland hit the inside of a post from a 20 yard free kick and then had a similar effort which was inches over. As the minutes ticked by, it didn't look like they would get the equaliser they deserved. With just 5 minutes remaining, John Mouland's deep cross was picked up by Brad Cron who neatly turned his marker. He then unleashed a wonderful drive from the angle of the penalty area into the top corner of the net. A minute later City were in front as Stu Parsonage dived full length to head Julian Larkin's cross in off the far post. Within 90 seconds, City scored their sixth goal as Stu Parsonage bundled the ball in on the goal line as the Bursledon keeper hesitated after Brad Cron's shot was deflected high into the air. City had scored three goals in little over 4 minutes to secure an unlikely 6 -4 victory with Stu Parsonage grabbing the Man of the Match award as well as his hat-trick.
Southampton City 2 - 2 Drummond Arms 6th October 2002
City Disappoint In Drummond Draw
Southampton City were held to a 2 - 2 draw by the Drummond Arms in a disappointing match at Totton College. Work commitments meant that City were without keeper Ade Holman and influential captain Mark Dando. It meant that last week's hat-trick hero Stu Parsonage played in goal and there were recalls for Dan Stacey, Ian Rendall and a first appearance of the season for Matty Cron.
The match started at a slow pace in the bright autumn sunshine and the first chance fell to Drummond on five minutes when Stu Parsonage saved well to his right. City found it hard going and had to wait until 16 minutes for their first meaningful shot when Brad Cron fired into the side netting from a Dan Stacey corner. Within a minute, City found themselves a goal down after giving the ball away cheaply from a throw in on the half way line. Drummond quickly moved the ball forward and squared it to their centre-forward who had time to pick his spot with a sweetly struck shot. City countered well and levelled things almost immediately. Dan Stacey right wing corner was cleared back to him and his follow up cross found Brad Cron unmarked in the six yard box and he made no mistake. The game continued to be a scrappy affair with Drummond having the better of the possession without creating any real chances. The match was interrupted on 35 minutes when a dog ran onto the pitch and showed some nice touches until it was retrieved by it's owner. On 41 minutes, Drummond took the lead after an uncharacteristic error by Stu Parsonage when he dropped the ball following a corner and it was swept into net by the on rushing attacker from close range. On the balance of play, Drummond just about deserved their half time lead.
The second half continued much as the first half did with neither side playing particularly well although Drummond did hit the crossbar with 20 yard shot on 49 minutes. Six minutes later, after a period of City pressure, they got back on terms again. There was some neat build up play in midfield and the ball was played out to Stu Bridle. His pinpoint cross into the area was met by Dan Bundy who had out jumped his marked and he headed firmly beyond the dive of the Drummond keeper. The game continued to switch from end to end without either really threatening to score again. Drummond did come close on 84 minutes when Stu Parsonage was forced into a save. In injury time, Drummond should have taken all three points when they broke free. As the forward broke into the box, substitute Gary Taylor made a last gasp tackle but the ball broke free to an unmarked Drummond forward who blasted over from six yards with just the keeper to beat. All in all it was a disappointing match but in was another point which keeps City in the top half of the table.
Southampton City 3 - 2 AFC Bursledon 13th October 2002
City Battle To Cup Victory
City had to battle hard to overcome Junior One Rivals, AFC Bursledon, in a rain soaked DR Ryder Trophy 1st Round Tie at Totton College. Manager Cliff Cron had the luxury of picking from an almost full squad, with the exception of long term injury victim Si Cook and Julian Larkin and he opted to pair Stu Parsonage and Brad Cron together up front again after their performance against Bursledon in the league fixture a fortnight earlier.
City started brightly in the heavy rain and swirling wind and the pace in the opening 10 minutes was frantic with the ball zipping off the wet turf. City made their first real attack count on 12 minutes when they took the lead. The ball was played out to Brad Cron on the right, he beat his man and put in a shot from the angle of the penalty area. The ball looped over the keeper but hit the far post but it rebounded kindly for Stu Parsonage who fired home from 4 yards with the keeper stranded on the ground. Bursledon tried to rally but the City defence were looking strong and snuffed out all the visitors attempts. With Mark Dando and Dan Bundy controlling things in central midfield it only looked a matter of time for City to extend their lead but they had to wait until a minute before the interval for their 2nd goal. Ian Thurston played a long ball down the line from his left back position. Stu Bridle won a 50/50 challenge with the Bursledon full back and raced away. He then put in an excellent low cross which was met by Brad Cron on the half volley at the far post and he made no mistake in blasting home.
Bursledon began the second half well and put City under pressure. They very nearly got back into the game on 55 minutes when they headed against a post from a free kick. The game was becoming very scrappy and littered with niggly fouls and off the ball incidents. It was one of these fouls that led to City's 3rd goal on 58 minutes. Stu Bridle was crudely brought down in the centre circle but got up quickly and rolled the free kick to Dan Bundy. He picked out Brad Cron totally unmarked on the far post and again he made no mistake in firing home. City looked home and dry but their defensive jitters surfaced again. They had a let off on 67 minutes when Bursledon hit the post again from a break away but they weren't to be denied on 73 minutes when Dixon's shot from 25 yards sailed into the net despite Ade Holman getting his hand on it. The game continued at a fast pace but it seemed that City had weathered the storm until 2 minutes from the end when Cliff Cron and Ade Holman got in a right mess going for the same ball leaving Dixon a simple chance to net his second from 5 yards. In the four minutes of injury time, Bursledon's frustration at not getting an equaliser led to Dixon cynically bringing down Mark Dando. The referee had finally lost patience with the number of fouls in the game and gave the Bursledon striker a straight red card. Moments later, the final whistle went. It was a good performance from City who deserved to progress into the 2nd Round with Dan Bundy probably the man of the match.
Southampton City 4 - 6 Crow's Nest (AET) 20th October 2002
Stone The Crows - City's Extra Time Horror Show
City made just one change
from the starting eleven that defeated AFC Bursledon with Ian Rendall replacing
Stu Bridle who had to work. Gary Taylor returned to the substitutes bench.
The pitch at Totton College was in excellent condition as the match kicked off under overcast skies and with a gusty wind. Crow’s Nest had an early strike that just went wide. City responded immediately and took the lead on 4 minutes when Stu Parsonage continued his excellent goal scoring form by heading in Dan Stacey’s near post cross. City’s attacking football in the early stages was superb and the Crow’s Nest keeper made several excellent saves. Crow’s Nest slowly came back into the game and on 35 minutes drew level after converting a penalty that was harshly awarded against Ian Rendall for pushing. City rallied well and almost retook the lead on half time when Stu Parsonage’s 20-yard drive smacked against the crossbar.
City started the 2nd
half on the attack and on 50 minutes went 2 – 1 up when Stu Parsonage’s shot
was deflected into the path of Ian Rendall who drove home his first goal for the
club from 18 yards. This lead only lasted 10 minutes when a Crow’s Nest
attacker broke free from a suspiciously off side looking position to score
easily. The game continued to be an end-to-end affair but two Stu Parsonage
goals on 78 and 80 minutes looked to have settled the tie. Firstly, he fired
home from just inside the penalty following a good build up and then he
completed his hat trick by evading the Crow’s Nest defence and lobbing the
keeper from 2o yards. However, City being City, crumbled under intense Crow’s
Nest pressure and it saw them concede 2 soft goals in the last 5 minutes to take
the tie into extra time.
Crow’s Nest were
obviously buoyed by their late escape and scored an excellent goal 3 minutes
into extra time with their forward lobbing Ade Holman from some distance. With
the players from both sides tiring there were few chances in the remainder of
extra time. With just 2 minutes remaining though, Brad Cron missed a glorious
chance to take the match to penalty shoot out, scuffing his shot with the keeper nowhere.
This miss summed up City’s morning and it was no surprise that Crow’s Nest
went straight up to the other end and score their sixth goal to seal the tie.
Hamwih 2 - 0 Southampton City 27th October 2002
City Blown Away - Literally
With just one change from the previous week's line up, John Mouland coming in for the absent Dan Stacey, City hoped to get back to winning ways at Stoneham Park against Hamwih. With Gale force winds and a sloping pitch, skipper Mark Dando won the toss and decided to kick up the slope and against the strong wind.
City almost took an instant lead when Ian Rendall burst into the penalty area and chipped his shot over the keeper. Unfortunately his shot held up in the wind just long enough to allow a defender to clear off the line. Hamwih went on the have a lot of the ball and Ade Holman had to be quick off his line to save with his feet on 15 minutes. The wind was a real problem and Ade Holman conceded a corner from his own goal kick on 22 minutes when his high punt blew back over the goal line. City were coping well and had a good chance on 25 minutes with the Hamwih keeper making 2 fine blocks and then Brad Cron narrowly chipped the rebound wide. Ade Holman was then called into action again a minute later saving with his feet when confronted with a one on one with a Hamwih striker. The referee then strangely blew the half time whistle some 5 minutes early...perhaps he had trouble putting his watch back the previous night ??. Anyway City were absolutely delighted with their first half performance and were confident of making the breakthrough in the 2nd half with the wind at their backs.
Within a minute of the restart, Pete Cron's long cross caught the wind and thudded against the crossbar and Stu Parsonage was unable to force home the rebound. Within 2 minutes Hamwih hit the post when it looked easier to score. On 55 minutes the deadlock was broken when City's comical defending returned to haunt them. There looked no danger when a Hamwih cross came across the area. The whole of Stoneham Park heard Ade Holman's shout of "Keeper's Ball" except Cliff Cron who stuck out a foot and deflected the ball straight to a Hamwih forward who made no mistake from 4 yards. Hamwih predictably then put 11 men behind the ball and the City attack lacked spark with both Stu Parsonage and Brad Cron both having off days. City were caught out again on 70 minutes as Hamwih countered attacked quickly and found they had a man over. Ade Holman was beaten with a well struck low drive from 20 yards. City never looked like getting back on terms and their miserable morning was completed when Brad Cron limped off with 5 minutes remaining with a nasty ankle injury.
Another disappointing result for City after the excellent first half performance was to count for nothing as careless mistakes cost them the match in the second half.
Bitterne Park Social Club 1 - 2 Southampton City 3rd November 2002
Bitterne Park Dispatched By Dan Double Strike
Manager Cliff Cron was given a real selection headache with a number of injuries, Players with work commitments and 3 players calling in unavailable early on Sunday morning leaving him with only 12 players and no recognised strikers. He reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with Ade Hargrave making his first start of the season at right back and Dan Bundy and Dan Stacey as an untried strike pairing. The Mayfield Park pitch was in surprising good condition considering the recent wet weather.
Bitterne Park kicked off and saw plenty of the ball and the City defence was under a lot of pressure. A number of Bitterne Park corners were well defended but City as an attacking force were almost non existent. Bitterne Park pressure continued and on 30 minutes they were awarded a left wing corner. This was driven in low to the near post and was dummied by the attacker. This wrong footed the City defenders and Stu Parsonage in goal. The keeper did well to claw the ball back as it seemed destined to go straight in from the corner kick. Unfortunately, he spilled the ball and it bounced off his body and trickled into the net. City did well not to let their heads drop and defended well until half time to go into the break just 1 - 0 down.
Julian Larkin replaced Pete Cron at half time and was instantly involved in a number of midfield challenges early in the second half. City began to come more and more into the match but relied on some woeful Bitterne Park finishing to stay in touch. City got back into the game on 61 minutes with a well worked goal. Dan Bundy played a wonderful through ball to Dan Stacey who outpaced his marker, ran on and with his first touch lobbed the ball to perfection over the on rushing keeper. City were now having the lion's share of the play and were good value for their equaliser. Bitterne Park had several chances to regain their lead but never really troubled Stu Parsonage in the City goal. City gained their unlikely victory with just 3 minutes remaining. Dan Foot won a challenge on the right touch line and played the ball inside to Dan Stacey. He played a ball down the inside channel which Dan Foot ran onto. He cut inside the full back, round another challenge and drove a hard low shot into the net from 8 yards. City held firm for the last few minutes and celebrated their hard earned win on the final whistle.
Cliff Cron commented that he was delighted with the performance of everyone in what was a scratch side and that he was looking forward for an away trip in the next round.
Southampton City 1 - 6 Inspec 10th November 2002
For the second week
running, City fielded a weakened side due to their injury problems and players
with work commitments. On a heavy Totton College pitch which was only just
playable, Inspec started well and were ahead on just 2 minutes as City failed to
clear a corner and Ashley Haws looped a header over Stu Parsonage in the City
goal. Inspec piled forward and extended their lead on 22 minutes when Roly
Coutts picked up the ball on the left, cut inside and drove in the ball across
the keeper into the far corner of the net. Their 3rd goal came 10
minutes later as Andy Pullen smashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the
net from 12 yards out. Inspec fully deserved their 3 – 0 half time lead.
Within 2 minutes of the restart, City got a goal back with Ian Thurston finding the net for the first time this season stabbing home from 8 yards following a goalmouth scramble. Any hopes of a City revival were dashed two minutes later with Ashley Haws finishing a good move with an acrobatic overhead kick as the City defence stood off admiring his effort. With the pitch cutting up badly, good football was difficult but both some had chances to add to the scoring but it was Inspec who scored two further goals with a second for Roly Coutts and substitute Darren Harvey’s strike wrapping up the match for the visitors. Both sides deserved credit for the excellent spirit the match was played in the difficult conditions along with the referee Ian Preston who had a faultless match.
Under the circumstances, City did not play that badly and Inspec took their chances well, but some players need to decide whether they want to be committed to the club or not so a decision can be made whether to sign on some new faces.
Southampton City 0 - 5 Baffins Inn 8th December 2002
City Humbled in Hampshire Cup
After 4 weeks without a match, Baffins Inn
from the Portsmouth League visited Totton College in the Hampshire Junior A Cup
3rd Round. City were again without a number of influential players
including both keepers, both centre forwards and also Club Captain Mark Dando
due to work commitments and injuries. This meant debuts for new signings Paul
Belverstone in goal and Mark Harding in defence. On a cold, damp Sunday morning
on a heavy pitch Baffins Inn kicked off.
City found themselves
under intense pressure early on and Paul Belverstone quickly showed that he is a
quality keeper with a number of fine saves. Baffins pressure led to them scoring
two goals in two minutes on 13 and 15 minutes. Both goals resulted from poor
defensive clearances but were well taken. City tried to rally but emergency
forwards Stu Bridle and Ian Rendall had little joy against Baffins stout
defence. City conceded a third goal on 37 minutes when they were hit by a quick
break away and things got no better as Baffins scored a fourth six minutes later
after Paul Belverstone made a stunning save only for a Baffins forward to smash
home the rebound. City went into the half time break despondent knowing they
were fortunate to be only four nil down.
Southampton City 1 - 4 Crow's Nest 26th January 2003
City Slip To Home Defeat
Again
After the weather enforced mid-winter break, City took the field against Crow's Nest at Totton College. Despite a heavy pitch, the referee gave the go ahead for the match much to the relief of both sides who hadn't played for 7 weeks. City welcomed back Simon Cook from his ankle injury, Dan Foot's broken wrist had healed and new signing Owen Christie made his debut.
The match started at a good pace with both sides having early chances. The closest attempt on goal came from Simon Cook who burst through on goal but was denied by the Crow's Nest keeper. Crow's Nest took the lead on 27 minutes when they were awarded a debatable penalty as Cliff Cron tackled the Crow's Nest forward on the edge of the area. Ross Hickman put his shot to Ade Holman's right and despite him getting a touch he was beaten by the pace of the ball. Within 3 minutes City were back on level terms. Brad Cron neatly played the ball through to Simon Cook inside the area. His first time shot was blocked by the Crow's Nest keeper but Stu Bridle reacted quickest to the rebound to blast home his first of the season. Ade Holman made two fine saves in the dying minutes of the first half to keep things even at the break.
City started the second half brightly and very nearly took a deserved lead on 55 minutes when a driving run from Stu Bridle resulted in him blasted against the bar from the angle of the penalty area. Five minutes later, Crow's nest broke through the middle and Ross Hickman outpaced both dan foot and Cliff Cron and toe-poked the ball past Ade Holman. City rallied well and Brad Cron was unlucky not to equalise after some nice build up play. The match was effectively put out of City reach when Crow's Nest hit a third on 73 minutes when Damian Dean slid in to finish a swift move down the right. With a number of City players going down with cramp, the heavy pitch was taking it's toll on all the players. Crow's Nest scored a late 4th goal after a powerful shot crashed off the crossbar and Damian Dean bundled both the ball and Dan Foot into the net. Despite City protests the goal stood. There was still time for Crow's Nest to bizarrely try on make a 4th substitution before the referee pointed out the error of their ways.
All in all, it was not a bad performance by City and the 4 -1 score line did not do them justice. A good run of games is needed for the players to regain some match fitness.
AFC Bursledon 0 - 3 Southampton City 16th February 2003
It's Back To Winning Ways For City
The recent poor weather relented as City visited bottom of the table AFC Bursledon at Riverside Park. On a cold, grey morning Manager Cliff Cron was able to field a strong side which included all our three keepers. Paul Belverstone was given the job between sticks with keeper / leading scorer Stu Parsonage up front and Ade Holman took his place on the bench. Only Dan Foot was missing carrying on the Valentines Day celebrations with a weekend away with the girlfriend.
In the early stages, the game swung from end to end with both side seeing plenty of the ball. Stu Parsonage saw a good effort saved by the Bursledon keeper. The same player was also involved in a crazy moment in his own penalty area when he forced his keeper into a smart save after blasting the ball towards his own goal following a Bursledon corner. The City defence was coping well with the opponents threats on their goal with Gary Taylor in particular making several key challenges. The two City frontmen were a little starved of service as the ball regularly became bogged down in midfield. The teams went into the half time break scoreless.
At half-time Ian Rendell went off after suffering a nasty injury late in the 1st half to be replaced by Ade Holman up front. Within four minutes of the restart City went in front. Stu Bridle picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and went on a mazy run. As he got into the left side of the Bursledon penalty area he shaped to cross but instead chipped the ball over the stranded keeper into the top left hand side of the net. Just 3 minutes later, Stu Parsonage nearly doubled the lead after his header cannoned off the bar. Bursledon rallied well and saw plenty of the ball but never really tested the City keeper. City wrapped up the match with two late strikes. The second goal came on 80 minutes and was down to the persistence of substitute Owen Christie who pressurised a Bursledon defender into misplacing his clearance straight to Stu Parsonage who calmly rounded the keeper and stroked the ball home. With 3 minutes remaining Stu Bridle went on another penetrating run before being crudely brought down in the area. Mark Dando put away the penalty confidently.
This result meant that City have beaten Bursledon three times this season and now are eagerly anticipating their remaining matches to try and gain a top three finish.
Southampton City 0 - 2 Harefield 23rd February 2003
City Hit By Harefield Hammer Blow
On a chilly, grey morning Second Placed Harefield visited Totton College bringing their unbeaten league record with them. City were without Stu Bridle and Stu Parsonage from last week's winning team. Dan Foot returned as did Si Cook who had made a quick recovery from broken ribs. Manager Cliff Cron dropped himself to the bench to give Ade Holman a start up front.
In a cagey opening, neither side really threatened to score as the match became a real midfield battle. Harefield took the lead with a Thunder Bolt from the blue on 20 minutes when a Harefield attacker drove in a shot from 25 yards which gave keeper Paul Belverstone no chance as it crashed in off the underside of the bar. City responded well and the closest they came to an equaliser was on 40 minutes when Mark Dando's speculative shot took a wicked deflection off a Harefield defender and up onto the bar. Si Cook slipped as he tried to follow up and the ball was cleared. Ian Thurston injured his knee just before half time meaning the Stu Judd made a welcome return to the City defence.
Harefield started the second half well and Paul Belverstone was kept on his toes as a number of efforts rained in. Si Cook went off with a back injury early in the second half meaning a major reshuffle in the City ranks. Whilst the players were getting familiar with the new line up, Harefield scored a remarkable second goal. Their winger picked up the ball on the half way line on the far right of the pitch and moved forward 5 yards. He then drove the ball towards the City goal and it was caught by the wind. The City keeper, only three yards off his line, was helpless as the ball flew into the roof of the net. Fluke or a stroke of pure genius we will never know. City responded well and Dan Foot was unlucky being thwarted by the Harefield keeper after a good run and shot. Harefield came closest to further the scoring however as on 68 minutes they hit a post. As the City player's tired, they relied on Paul Belverstone a couple of times as Harefield eventually ran out comfortable 2 - 0 winners.
Southampton City 4 - 5 GB Lyndhurst 2nd March 2003
Goals Galore As Lyndhurst Edge It
Southampton City were left frustrated as a stirring performance meant nothing as they went down by the odd goal in nine in a pulsating match at Totton College. On a beautiful Spring morning, on a heavy but playable pitch, Manager Cliff Cron had a full squad to choose from with the exception of late withdrawals of Gary Taylor and Simon Cook.
The match started at a fast pace and City scored with their first attack. Mark Dando feed Brad Cron in the inside right channel and the striker rolled back the years with a clinical finish across the goalkeeper into the far corner. The lead lasted less than 60 seconds as Lyndhurst replied with a sweetly struck shot from 18 yards. The match was swinging from end to end and another goal soon came as a long ball over the top of the City defence was pounced on by the Lyndhurst forward who calmly slotted home past Paul Belverstone on 12 minutes. Just 5 minutes later, City were awarded a fortunate penalty when the referee adjudged that Stu Parsonage was elbowed as a left wing corner was floated in. Mark Dando smashed the penalty straight down the middle giving the keeper no chance. On 24 minutes, Lyndhurst regained the lead capitalising on some sloppy defending as the City failed to clear a looping free kick into the box leaving an unmarked Lyndhurst an easy goal. There were chances for both teams to further the scoring before half time but the teams went into the break with Lyndhurst holding the upper hand.
Stu Judd replaced Peter Cron at half time and City went straight on the offensive in the second half. Stu Bridle was inches from the equaliser on 52 minutes when his fierce shot from the angle of the penalty crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away. He was not to be denied however on 70 minutes after he played a one-two with Dan Foot and made his way to the edge of the area when he fired in a superb shot into the far top corner of the net for the goal of the game. City were once again level and remarkably conceded another goal just 2 minutes later being caught on the break. Lyndhurst broke quickly down the left the left and had a man over in the penalty area. He was well picked out and had a simple task of scoring for 4 yards out. Lyndhurst's decisive fifth goal on 84 minutes was a carbon copy of the fourth. City responded well to this and within a minute got a goal back with Brad Cron prodding home his second of the match after a goal mouth scramble. City threw everything at Lyndhurst in the final five minutes and Jules Larkin had an effort cleared off the line with seconds remaining but Lyndhurst grimly held on for the three points.
The City player's were despondent not to get a share of the points after such a good effort but Manager Cliff Cron had plenty of positives to take from this match.
Whitenap 1 - 0 Southampton City 16th March 2003
Dejected City Defeated Again
City’s miserable run of
poor results continued with a narrow 1 – 0 defeat against a very ordinary
Whitenap side at Mountbatten School. City were missing several key players but
Manager Cliff Cron still managed to put out a strong side.
The match kicked off in
the bright Spring sunshine, on a rather small pitch which was hard and uneven.
City started brightly and had two good opportunities in the first 12 minutes.
Whitenap had to clear off their line from a City corner on 8 minutes and 4
minutes later, Si Cook found himself one on one with the Whitenap keeper but
chipped just wide. Whitenap threatened on 15 minutes when their forward headed
over from a good position. The game was very scrappy and the pitch made flowing
football difficult. Paul Belverstone was called into action on 24 minutes with a
smart save from an 18 yard drive. From the following corner, Ian Thurston
brilliantly blocked a thunderbolt shot on the line which left him needing
treatment. As the game neared halftime, City applied enormous pressure on the
Whitenap defence. Si Cook again found himself one on one with the keeper. This
time his chip hit the inside of the far post, spun along the goal line and out.
Brad Cron hit the other post on the stroke of halftime when Mark Dando’s pass
found him unmarked. The match was scoreless at halftime.
Whitenap started the second half very well and put City under a lot of pressure. They should have taken the lead on 53 minutes after the City defence fell asleep from a long throw in but the unmarked centre forward headed over from 6 yards. City were struggling to get into the game which was becoming niggly. Some strange decisions from the referee did not help things and for a five minute spell, players from both sides preferred kicking each other rather than the ball. Normality was resumed however, when Whitenap stole the only goal of the game, when a through ball found a Whitenap forward, who looked yards offside and despite him almost tripping over the ball, he managed to beat Paul Belverstone from six yards out. City responded well and did have chances to grab an equaliser, the best of which fell again to Si Cook who just failed to meet Brad Cron’s superb cross. There was surprise in the City ranks when the referee blew the final whistle almost five minutes early but this just confirmed it wasn’t going to be our day !!!!
Redwood United 5 - 1 Southampton City 19th March 2003
City Old Boy Dale Returns To Haunt Them
In a bid to help out with
Redwood United’s horrendous fixture backlog, City agreed to play them on a
Wednesday evening under floodlights at BAT’s Totton ground. Despite the
strange kick off time, Manager Cliff Cron himself absent with a broken arm was
able to name a strong side against the Champions Elect.
Redwood started at a
frantic pace with ex City striker, Dale Vaughan, seeing plenty of the ball. City
fell behind on 10 minutes when a poor clearance by Ian Rendall gave the ball the
Redwood attacker who went to the bye line and crossed for Dedman to slide home
from 2 yards. On 18 minutes, Redwood went further ahead as City were caught
napping from a short corner which Dale Vaughan cut back from the bye-line for
Dedman to smash an unstoppable shot in off the bar from 12 yards. Redwood were
really playing well giving City no time on the ball and launching attack after
attack. If their finishing had been better City could have been 4 or 5 down at
half time. As it was they went into the break with all to play for just 2 – 0
down.
City started the 2nd half well and put pressure on the Redwood goal. On 52 minutes, they got their reward as the Redwood keeper was caught in possession by Matty Cron who toe-poked home from 18 yards for his first competitive goal for the club. City were enjoying a greater share of the ball as they probed for the equaliser. It was Redwood who got the next decisive goal though as on 76 minutes Dale Vaughan went on a mazy run before being upended by Stu Parsonage in the penalty area for the most clear cut penalty we have seen all season. The penalty was coolly dispatched to Ade Holman’s right. This goal somewhat knocked the stuffing out of City and their stubborn resistance was smashed but 2 more Redwood goals in the last 3 minutes from Dale Vaughan which gave Redwood a 5 – 1 victory, a score line which was a little harsh on City. Mark Dando and Brad Cron suffered nasty injuries which left them doubtful for the return match just 4 days later but Manager Cliff Cron had nothing but praise for his team.
Southampton
City 0 - 7 Redwood United
23rd March 2003
Redwood show Championship
Form Again
Just 4 days after being
beaten 5 – 1 by unbeaten leaders Redwood United, the sides met again at a
Sunny Totton College. Cliff Cron was given a real selection headache with over
half the squad unavailable due to injury or work commitments. With a number of
players playing out of position, it was going to be a real battle against the in
form leaders.
It took Redwood just 16
minutes to get their noses in front as they broke through the middle of the City
defence with all four defenders claiming offside, and Dedman leaving Paul
Belverstone with no chance. Just 6 minutes later, Redwood scored again with the
City defence this claiming handball as O’Reilly fired home from 3 yards. City
were simply not dealing with the pace of the Redwood attack and conceded goals
on 35 and 39 minutes with Dedman and Vaughan finding the target. Bennett in the
Redwood goal was having an enjoyable morning topping up his tan as City failed
to test him at all in the first half.
With no substitutes
available to him, Cliff Cron could do little to change things around except just
motivate his players to show a little pride. In fact, City did exactly this in
the second half and at least put in some effort. It always seemed that Redwood
would score again so it was no surprise that Dedman completed his hat-trick on
55 minutes and he showed again why he is riding high in the “Golden Boot”
award with his fourth of the match on 75 minutes. City still plugged away and at
least tested the Redwood keeper on a couple of occasions but it was Redwood
substitute, Clapham who rounded off scoring with a cool finish with just 5
minutes remaining.
City are being dragged into relegation trouble with a string of poor results and with 5 matches remaining, they need at least 3 wins so hopefully injuries will clear up soon and players will make themselves available for these final matches of the season
Southampton
City 1 - 6 Whitenap
30th March 2003
City Caught Napping !!!!
City's major slump in form suffered another devastating blow as they were thumped by mid table rivals Whitenap, in a match where they never got going. There sixth consecutive defeat means that relegation is now a real possibility. It is true that City were again missing several key players but the all round performance was poor.
On the day when the clocks were put forward, the City team looked as though they were making up for the lost hour of sleep on the pitch as Whitenap roared into a 2 - 0 lead after just 10 minutes. The first goal came on 7 minutes when keeper Ade Holman failed to hold onto a long range shot and as the defenders looked on, Tony Taylor scored from 6 yards. Just 3 minutes later, Whitenap doubled their lead as an excellent cross from the bye line was headed home by Tiroke. Whitenap were playing some good flowing football as City struggled to get into the match. In fact, the Whitenap keeper was having a relatively trouble free match. Ade Holman made up for his earlier error with several good saves as Whitenap threatened again but they had to be satisfied with a two goal half time lead.
City showed a lot more spirit in the 2nd half but Whitenap effectively put the game out of their reach with a slightly fortunate third goal as a 30 yard shot took a number of deflections before falling at the feet of Coughlin who made no mistake from 10 yards. City continued to perform better and got their reward on 73 minutes when Owen Christie netted his first for the club with a fine shot from 20 yards. as City piled forward in search of another goal they were badly exposed on the break as Taylor scored his second of the match with 10 minutes remaining. For the first time this season, the player's heads really dropped and Whitenap scored twice more through Tiroke and Beale to give them a deserved but somewhat exaggerated victory.
With two matches against sides currently below City (Hamwih and Crow's Nest), two victories are vital for the Junior One status to be retained.
Drummond Arms 1 -
0 Southampton City
3rd April 2003
City put up an excellent display against 2nd place Drummond Arms in an evening match at Stoneham Park before being sunk by a late goal. City still missing a number of key players welcomed back Paul Belverstone in goal with Ade Holman moving to Centre Back and being joined by Owen Christie at right back in a new defensive formation. Dan Stacey made a rare start up front alongside Simon Cook.
Drummond kicking down the slope had the better of the opening exchanges with Paul Belverstone seeing plenty of the ball. City had the occasional excursion into the Drummond box and after 18 minutes Stu Bridle fired just over after latching onto Ade Holman's quick free kick. City had a lucky escape on 25 minutes after a flowing move down the Drummond left so the ball fired across the edge of the six yard box and the onrushing forward scuffing his shot wide from just 3 yards. As half time neared, Si Cook got in behind the Drummond defence twice but each time he failed to connect properly and the chance was lost. Manager Cliff Cron was delighted with the team performance at the match was scoreless at half time.
Drummond stepped up a gear in the 2nd half and time after time managed to get the ball into the box but sometimes desperate defending kept them at bay. They were thankful to both Ian Rendall and the post as a 53rd minute effort hit both before being scrambled clear. On 68 minutes, Paul Belverstone made a fabulous save palming a terrific drive from 25 yards onto the underside of the bar. City made a few counter attacks but never really threatened the Drummond goal. As the match entered the final 5 minutes, City looked likely to gain a valuable point but they fell asleep from a throw in midway inside their own half. A swift attack saw a ball played in from the bye line where it was swept home despite the despairing lunge of two players on the line. Perhaps after all the pressure Drummond had in the second they deserved their goal but it was gutting nevertheless.
The performance of the
City player's on the night was excellent and the game was played in very good
spirit helped by a superb refereeing performance.
Crow's Nest 6
- 1 Southampton City
6th April 2003
City travelled to Bursledon to face Crow's Nest in a match that they knew they needed to win to help them avoid relegation to Junior Two. Work commitments meant they lost the services of Paul Belversone, Stu Bridle and Mark Harding from the team that played well in mid week but welcomed back Peter Cron, Ian Thurston and Julian Larkin.
City started the match well, confidently passing the ball around but it was Crow's Nest who had the best early effort forcing Ade Holman into a fine save on 8 minutes. Unfortunately, he suffered a nasty injury to his shoulder after an awkward fall on the hard ground. This injury seriously affected his mobility for the rest of the match. Brad Cron headed over from an excellent position on 17 minutes as the match swung from end to end. Crow's Nest got the break through on 25 minutes when a long punt from their keeper bounced over the City defence for the Crow's Nest forward to run onto and lob Ade Holman. City responded positively and got their deserved equaliser on 40 minutes when Si Cook evaded the Crow's Nest offside trap, rounded the keeper and squared for Brad Cron to thrash home his ninth goal of the season from 8 yards. With a minute remaining of the first half, Dan Foot was caught in possession just outside the centre circle leaving the forward one on one with Ade Holman and the ball was put calmly into the net. As the City player's argued amongst themselves during the halftime break, it was clear the second half was going to require a good performance to get anything from the match.
Within 9 minutes of the restart, Crow's Nest were 4 - 1 up, scoring from a corner and a long throw as the City defence crumbled. The lack of mobility from the injured keeper did not help matters. On the hour, Crow's Nest carved through the middle of the City defence for their 5th goal. With only pride to play for, City at last began to play well and Si Cook and Owen Christie both went close. But in the final minutes, Crow's Nest rubbed salt into the wounds as a shot from 25 yards deflected off a City boot and flew into the City net to give them a comprehensive 6 - 1 victory.
City are looking doomed to relegation after their 8th defeat in a row and cracks were beginning to appear in the wonderful team spirit they have shown all season. Nothing less than two wins in their final two matches will do !!!
Southampton City 3 - 2 Hamwih 20th April 2003
City Secure Vital Win – At Last !!
Southampton City took a
massive step in securing their Junior One safety with a hard fought 3 – 2 win
over relegation rivals Hamwih. It ended a disastrous run of eight consecutive
defeats, which had seen them plummet down the table. The match being on Easter
Sunday, meant that City were without some key players including keeper Paul
Belverstone, kicked off in bright sunshine on a hard, well worn Totton College
pitch.
City started brightly and
had the best of the opening exchanges with Dan Stacey looking lively in an
unfamiliar striking role. Hamwih also had their moments with Ade Holman being
forced to dash from his area to make a clearance just in front of a Hamwih
attacker. He was powerless though as Hamwih took the lead on 30 minutes, as
Garvey found himself in some space on the left apex of the penalty area and
skilfully lobbed the keeper as he was retreating. City looked shell shocked but
responded tremendously with a 3 goals in a stunning six-minute spell. On 36
minutes, good work by Brad Cron in the centre of pitch led to a fine cross-field
pass to Stu Bridle on the left. He jinxed his way past two defenders before
shooting across the Hamwih keeper into the far corner. Just 3 minutes later, Dan
Stacey stole the ball off the Hamwih centre-back as he attempted to bring the
ball forward from a short goal kick. He fed Si Cook in the inside left channel
and he used his strength to hold off a challenge and finish calmly in the same
corner as City’s opening goal. With their tails up, City went on the attack
again and Si Cook found Dan Stacey in space. With still plenty of work to do, he
side stepped one defender to give himself a better angle and drove home from 12
yards. There was a buoyant mood in the City team as the half time whistle went.
City were content with
their half time lead but Hamwih went straight on the attack in the second half
and forced Ade Holman into a fine save. This woke up the City defence and some
good work gave Hamwih few chances. Dan Stacey had a couple of opportunities to
extend the lead but he missed the target on each occasion. At the match began to
petter out as a contest, Hamwih were given a lifeline with 8 minutes remaining
with a huge slice of luck. Again it was Garvey who somehow found the net as his
sliced cross took a wicked bounce off the hard ground and somehow curled in. It
was real backs to the wall stuff for the remaining minutes as Hamwih, with
nothing to lose, piled forward. A last minute corner almost led to an equaliser
as a Hamwih header looked all the way a goal, until Ian Rendell somehow managed
to head the ball off the line. There was great relief as the referee blew the
final whistle.
AC Sports 5 - 0 Southampton City 27th April 2003
Disappointing End To A Disappointing Season
Southampton City finished the season in disappointing fashion with another heavy defeat, this time to mid table AC Sports. Their cause was not helped by two nasty injuries in the first half hour to key players but quite frankly they were never in this match.
AC Sports kicked off on a beautiful morning with the Hunts Farm pitch in excellent condition. Just 3 minutes into the game, Ac Sports spurned a great chance to take an early lead when a shot was spooned onto the crossbar from just five yards out. On 12 minutes, a beautiful cross field pass from Ian Rendell found Dan Foot in space but his control let him down as the ball ran into touch. On 19 minutes, Stu Bridle was put out of the game when he was caught by a two footed tackle which was also a touch late. Dave Greenfield, known as Milky to his mates, came on for his City debut but within seconds Ac Sports took the lead. Paul Belverstone will have been disappointed to have dropped the corner which led to the AC Sports smashing home the loose ball from 6 yards. Just 6 minutes later, Gary Taylor pulled up with a Hamstring problem and whilst a change was being made, AC Sports went two up as their winger got to the bye-line and squared for an easy finish from 8 yards. AC Sports continued to pressure the City defence and it was no surprise when the third goal came on 44 minutes after the AC striker showed some good skill in the penalty area to make some space and fired home well.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first half with AC Sports seeing most of the ball although City did at least force their keeper into some action, usually retrieving the ball from a wayward shot. On 67 minutes, our opponents got a rather fortunate 4th goal as a long range shot hit the post and struck Paul Belverstone on the back before trickling in for an unlucky own goal. The final goal of the match, and the 59th conceded in league this season, came with 10 minutes remaining as AC Sports cut right through the middle of the static defence leaving the keeper with no protection and left him with no chance.
This performance again was very poor and the only good points of the day were a solid performance from Dave Greenfield on his debut and the news that relegation rivals AFC Bursledon had lost 4 -1 at Redwood United.
Summary Of The 2002/2003 Season
In what was a hugely disappointing season, Southampton City held on to their place in Junior One only because of the two very poor sides below them. AFC Bursledon and Hamwih had both been promoted from Junior Two and found the going to tough to handle. The season started so positively with just one defeat in the first six games but a mixture of injuries and the fragmented fixtures due to the appalling weather took their toll on the City players. With manager, Cliff Cron, unable to name the same starting line for two matches in succession, a dreadful run of results saw City dumped out of all three cups by Christmas and their league position dropping from the early lofty heights of 2nd to mid table. Little did we know how important a 3 - 1 away win at AFC Bursledon was to be as the weather improved and the team started to get regular Sunday fixtures. The form suddenly dipped again and heavy defeats against mid table rivals Whitenap and Crow's Nest left City looking doomed to suffer relegation for only the second time in the club's history. The turning point came on the 20th April with a hard fought, scrappy 3-2 win over Hamwih which sent them back down to Junior Two. AFC Bursledon could still overcome our 14 point total but they had to gain 6 points from matches against the top three sides. This always looked a tall order and City were spared relegation as Champions, Redwood United and then Runners Up Drummond Arms both comfortably beat our relegation rivals.
The club awards saw an excellent turn out at the White Horse in Netley Marsh where two players scoped the majority of the awards. Gary Taylor took the Manager's Player of the Season and Most Improved Player Awards and Brad Cron took the Leading Goalscorers Award as well as winning the Player's Player of the Year Award for the second time. Retiring Manager, Cliff Cron, was presented with the Award for Blunder of the Season as well as a trophy in recognition of his services to the club as Manager for the past 4 years.
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