StainesTown 1 Eastleigh 3

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Saturday 9th February 2013 (3pm) – Blue Square Bet Conference (South)

STAINES TOWN (1) 1  EASTLEIGH (1) 3

                Entertaining the team from the town recently made famous by the “speeding points” scandal, it was Staines who were guilty of letting their visitors drive away with all the points on Saturday!  Swans came into this BSBS match with high hopes after their morale boosting win at Twerton Park the previous week. At the end of a match which was held up for a lengthy period following a second half injury to referee Neil Hair, it was the Spitfires who came away from Wheatsheaf Park with all guns blazing and three points in the bag. This result leaves The Swans in 19th position, a bad situation to be in, but considering there are just six points separating them and seventh placed Farnborough, there is still much to play for. For this game, Marcus Gayle welcomed back captain David Wheeler and Jerel Ifil following a mid-week lay-off due to minor injuries, while one former Swan, Adam Everitt, was on the Eastleigh bench.  Staines attacked the Silver’s Farm end, on a cold, overcast day.

                And for the opening stages, it was a evenly contested game. Although it was Eastleigh who had the first opportunity to break the deadlock on 2' when McAllister found himself clear just outside the area, his lobbed effort over the advancing Turner just cleared the bar. Staines failed to get out of their half from the goal-kick and it was Beckwith this time with an effort which went wide. Brown then countered down the left with one of his powerful runs, but was well blocked as he tried to get into the area. On the right, Mills was getting in some telling crosses, and from one of these, Wheeler just failed to make contact as he came in at the near post. Staines were, by now, having probably their best spell of the game as Beadle found space on the edge of the area to turn and chip an audacious effort under the bar which Flitney did well to tip over. And it was Beadle again bringing out the best in Flitney as the stopper had to be at his best to turn a shot around the post following a long throw from Mills. Staines pressure eventually told on 12' when Eastleigh failed to deal with some sustained pressure and a shot from the edge of the area hit Beckwith. Referee Hair immediately pointed to the spot after he deemed the defender had handled. After scoring the third of Staines’ seven successful penalties on Tuesday against Harefield, it was Jack Mills who stepped up to score his first league goal for the club. A minute later, Swans should have increased their lead as a long clearance from Turner found Wheeler free on the right. The Staines captain powered into the area, but as he reached the edge of the six yard box, and looking as if he would score, he was blocked by a well-timed challenge to win just a corner. With the home side looking to press home their advantage from the set piece, they were caught out as Eastleigh cleared their lines, and broke into the Staines half with defenders struggling to get back. With the visitors sweeping upfield with some good link up play, the ball fell to NLP Man of the Match Southam who fired narrowly over. The game was now ebbing and flowing as both sides tried to get the upper hand and it was Staines who had the opportunity when a short corner to Mills was drilled into the near post, but with no home shirts present Flitney was able to claim possession comfortably. Slowly but surely, though, Eastleigh, who were being urged on by a small but noisy contingent of fans keeping up a constant barrage for the whole game, started to get on top. On 20', McAllister hung in the air to get a head to a decent cross but it went just over, and then another cross from Reason way out on the left had Turner stretching to tip over from under the bar. The Spitfires then won a free-kick which hit the wall, but with the home defence failing to clear, the ball was played out Scannell on the right, but he was well marshalled by Lodge who cleared the danger. Lodge was in the action again, setting up Beadle who chased a lost cause to the goal-line doing well to keep the ball in, but with no support the danger passed. Marsh and Wheeler combined well for Staines but earned only a corner, Eastleigh wasted a free-kick from a threatening position, and Ferrell had to make a vital clearance from under the bar.  With 5' of the half remaining Marsh might have done better after being put in by Brown, but following a powerful run could only shoot straight at Flitney. As Eastleigh continued to press forward, they eventually found the break they needed on 42 mins when the defence switched off, allowing Scannell room on the right to put in a cross to the far post which was bundled home by Craig McAllister, despite the best efforts of Turner. As the half drew to a close, Lodge tried to get in a cross which hit a defender, but, despite vociferous appeals the Swans were denied a second penalty.

                With the second period under way, Beadle was again allowed a run into the area before pulling back for Marsh, but again the opportunity was wasted. In these early stages, Staines were looking the brighter, and from another powerful run by Brown led to a blocked shot. But with the rebound falling to Marsh, the striker tried to work a position for himself, but was well marshalled by his marker. Then came the stoppage for the injury to the referee on the 59 minute mark. It was a delay that was to last 13 minutes before he limped away after Matt Gardiner had treated his hamstring. Fortunately, a replacement from the crowd stepped up to take on the task of running the near-side line for the remainder of the game, former Ryman League ref Paul Williams deputising not for the first time! Unfortunately, the delay seemed to have an adverse effect on The Swans. Although they had the better of the first two opportunities with Beadle clear but off-side and Marsh beating the trap only to shoot over, it was the Spitfires who were to enjoy the greater percentage of the play. Binns was starting to make his presence felt on the left with some telling runs. And it was from one of these runs that saw a dangerous cross pick out Nelson. Turner was then called on to block from McAllister, and the ball fell to Binns who failed to take advantage. But, in their very next attack, with 83 minutes on the clock (running straight through from the start of the second half, that is), Eastleigh made their advantage count. And it was Damian Scannell, who was causing all sorts of problems on the Staines left, who was allowed to break into the area before driving a low angled shot inside the far post. Beadle was then replaced by Garrod, who found himself in the action almost immediately when he was put through by Marsh, but Flitney did superbly to race out and block at his feet. Staines countered, and it was Brown again with a trademark run and cross who just failed to find Lodge racing in at the far post. At the other end, Green was allowed a similar run before cutting inside, but his effort went straight to Turner. The game was eventually put beyond the Swans reach when a Jai Reason corner was stopped on the line, but with the defence static the loose ball was forced home by Dean Beckwith to make amends for giving away the earlier penalty. The game closed with Staines desperately trying to get back some honour, as first Marsh was denied by some brave keeping from Flitney, and then Brown again with a shot on the run which was well saved by the 'keeper. So, another disappointing afternoon for the Swans, in a game which promised so much, and in the end produced so little. With many of their rivals having games in hand, it is going to be very tough run in to the end of the season, but with 6 points separating 13 teams, it is still a very tight table at this stage of the campaign.

Staines: Turner, Mills, Brown, Ferrell, Page (Worsfold 90+5), Ifil, Wheeler ©, Ferguson, Marsh, Beadle (Garrod 84), Lodge; unused Faith (g), Sotonwa, Taylor.

Eastleigh: Flitney, Lacey (Nelson HT), Green, Hughes, Beckwith, Todd, Scannell (Fountain 90+14), Southam ©, McAllister, Reason, Binns; unused Forbes, Dovey (g), Everitt.

Ref: NA Hair (Peterborough) until 59 mins, then N Evans (Grafham, Cambs); ARs: N Evans until replaced by PS Williams (Staines), A Da Costa (Cambridge); att 240.