Sawbridge, Joe and Daryl in lethal form as Ford end season on a high

Chandlers Ford Youth 5-3 Ensinger

Mid Solent B Division – 19th April 2008

The final game of the league season ended with a victory for Chandlers Ford who sought revenge on Ensinger after losing out the last time they met despite being the better side in a 6-5 thriller.

Starting the game really well, CFY continued their fine form of late and looked sharp thanks to all of the match practice which has paid off.

Michael Sawbridge was in a class of his own today, there was just nothing or nobody that could stop him from controlling the game. He had the beating of the Ensinger back line every single time with his pace, quick feet, strength, and so much more. His quality was there for all to see and it was by far one of his best performances of the season.

Setting up the first goal of the game to continue the fantastic partnership that Michael has struck up with Joe, Sawbridge beat the left back before delivering the perfect cross for Montigue to slam home from close range with a powerful right foot shot into the top corner.

The one time Ensinger managed to get out of their own half was the time they forced an equaliser with their first real shot of the game. Lee Robertson was back in goal after spending months on the sideline with injury, but could do nothing about it when it came. David Bromhead perhaps might have done better in stopping the left winger from pulling the ball back from the byline, instead when it came across David Smith got his feet in a tangle and put it in his own net.

Ford did not get discouraged by any means and soon restored the lead. This time it was Daryl who provided the assist with a great ball in from the left, almost a carbon copy of the opening goal of the game with exactly the same end product - another quality finish from Montigue who took the opportunity well to find the back of the net.

Sawbridge just couldn’t do anything wrong today and had to be denied by an excellent goalline headed clearance to keep out a magnificent attempt from a corner kick, whilst the goalkeeper pulled off some good saves to keep out David Bromhead and Alex Evens to keep the scoreline respectable at the break, which in no way represented how much Ford dominated the half.

HALF TIME: CFY 2-1 Ensinger

Only a minute in, Ensinger were back in with a shout as they hit Ford instantly with their second equaliser. It came from a corner kick but it never looked like causing any problems, that is until Lee Robertson came for the ball and fumbled trying to make the catch resulting in him flapping it into his own goal.

Not so long ago had this happened, Ford would have put their heads down and gave up but we are looking a much better side now and in all honesty it was just a matter of time until they went on to make their chances count, which they did.

Michael Sawbridge was instrumental as ever creating two goals and scoring a magical strike himself to top off a wonderful performance. Montigue completed a fine hattrick with a typically good finish. Taking up a great position at the back stick, he connected well with the ball in from Michael the ball going in off the post for 3-2.

Then came the moment of inspiration from Sawbridge who took the ball forward past a couple of defenders before pulling the trigger with an unstoppable shot from all of 35 yards that flew into the top corner. It was all that he deserved and more.

Leading the line superbly, Michael continued to shine and was extremely unselfish as he could so easily have grabbed more for himself. An example of this was when he squared the ball for Winter having gone through on goal only for Daryl’s shot to be very well kept out.

Ford went 5-2 up and were cruising. A fine delivery from Sawbridge, (yes him again!) found Daryl Winter who headed home for a brilliant goal.

Conceding a third goal was disappointing but could not take the shine off of what was a highly professional display, in particular in the attacking department where Sawbridge was at his best and Montigue had a good day in front of goal with a hattrick to his name.

Ensinger’s third and final goal came direct from a free kick but it was a soft one as it crept over the line having slipped past a crowd of players in the middle.

The win should ensure we end the season in 7th place now as Lee Rangers must win all three of their remaining games to even have a chance of overtaking us. On the balance of things you might look at that table and say we have underachieved this year. Having said that, I believe we now have the quality and with a few new faces coming in next season we should be set for that winning mentality where a top three finish would certainly not be out of the question.

FULL TIME: CFY 5-3 Ensinger

First clean sheet of the season!

Chandlers Ford Youth 2-0 Bashley Saints

Friendly – 17th April 2008

An excellent all round performance from Chandlers Ford saw the Blues ease past Bashley, never really needing to get out of second gear.

Ford looked so much fitter and stronger not to mention having the quality to go with it.

Daryl Winter gave CFY a 1-0 lead from a fine Michael Sawbridge corner on the far side that floated to the back post perfectly to find the run of Winter. Playing without goal nets didn’t help the assistant referee in his decision but it was he who awarded Winter a goal for his header that looked to have gone inches wide and not in between the posts. Not that CFY were about to complain about it! Their general control of the game more than justified being a goal ahead anyway.

Jozef Montigue might have extended the lead but dragged his shot wide of the goal from the edge of the penalty area.

Both Jozef and Michael have gained a really good understanding with each other to form a lethal partnership in attack recently and today was no different. Some of their passing to set each other up was phenomenal.

Bashley were kept in their own half and were second to almost everything as Ford continued to take charge. Richard’s side had several corner kicks from which they threatened every time.

Tom Ashton came close with a long-range effort that went narrowly over the cross bar, whilst Daryl struck the cross bar with a thunderous volley from another Sawbridge corner shortly after.

HALF TIME: CFY 1-0 Bashley Saints

Daryl Winter continued where he left off with another blinding and fully committed performance, this half joining the attack more often as he pushed up into the left of midfield.

Ford were never in doubt of winning the game but may feel they should won by a bigger margin as they played some of the best football that they have shown all season against a Tyro Division 2 team.

Michael Sawbridge deservedly got himself a goal for his tireless display as he combined with Winter down the left hand side before firing past the goalkeeper from a narrow angle to complete what was a very impressive victory.

Jake Beattie was the man of the match for a wonderful performance at centre half where he won all the headers and showed great tackling ability to ensure CFY kept a clean sheet. Ironically, this was the first clean sheet Chandlers Ford have kept all season so credit must go the defence of Winter, David Kilcoyne, James Parsonage and Jake of course, not forgetting the goalkeeper Kelvin Bagot who made some good saves when called upon.

FULL TIME: CFY 2-0 Bashley Saints

CFY 3-5 Crofton Saints A

Chandlers Ford Youth 3-5 Crofton Saints A

Friendly – 12th April 2008

In this friendly game Chandlers Ford took on Crofton Saints A, a side one league ahead of themselves but could possibly drop into the B Division next season.

It looked like it was heading for a very one sided affair as the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead inside ten minutes, but Ford dug deep refusing to give in and showed good spirit to pull a goal back.

Tom Ashton played a splendid ball over the top from deep for Jozef Montigue to run on to. Shrugging off his marker in the process with good strength, Montigue found the net exquisitely with a very cool finish to dink the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Ford started to believe and before they knew it, what looked like doom and gloom with only one side in it to begin with, turned within a matter of minutes as Tom Ashton added a second.

A corner from the left-hand side found Ashton on the edge of the area, who made room for the shot before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

Just when things were on track for CFY, a lack of concentration just before half time resulted in Crofton making it 4-2.

HALF TIME: CFY 2-4 Crofton Saints A

Richard’s side played a splendid second half of football giving everything to try and get back in the game against the odds.

It didn’t start so well as Crofton restored a comfortable three-goal lead with a goal just moments into the second half but from then on it was all Chandlers Ford.

Goalscorers Montigue and Ashton were in fine form along with the equally superb Michael Sawbridge who pulled the strings in attack with a lot of creativity and was perhaps unfortunate not to have a goal for himself.

At the back David Kilcoyne stood out for his heroics against a pacy and tricky striker, who at large he kept at bay with a solid performance.

Chandlers Ford got a deserved third goal for their efforts and it was by far the best goal of the game. A bursting run down the left flank from Sawbridge saw Michael deliver a perfect cross into the middle where Montigue delightfully put away his second goal of the game with a casual touch to lift over the stranded keeper and into the net.

The game was abandoned three minutes from the end for so called ‘coaches’ from the opposition who let themselves down with unacceptable behaviour and foul language. When asked by the referee to move away from the pitch, they continued to be verbal and offensive and so the game was cut short there and then to spoil what was otherwise an entertaining game of football for the people that it is actually all about, the players.

FULL TIME: CFY 3-5 Crofton Saints A

Woodwork saves the Lions

Locksheath Lions 4-2 Chandlers Ford Youth

Friendly – 5th April 2008

The last time these two sides met, Chandlers Ford played some of the best football they have shown all season in an excellent 4-1 win against a side a division higher than themselves.

Chandlers Ford started the game very brightly with Jozef Montigue and Michael Sawbridge in attack, coming very close. Montigue struck the cross bar with a decent looping effort following good link up play from Sawbridge. Michael threatened several times as well with some stinging long-range efforts.

It was the home side who took the lead however with a quickly taken free kick from the left catching the CFY defence off guard, despite some debate as to whether the ball had crossed the line for a throw in on a very poorly marked out pitch. The Locksheath forward raced through to fire past Michael Wall.

Sawbridge soon found the equaliser from close range having linked up neatly with Joe. David Kilcoyne was also instrumental in the goal with a powerful run out of defence and up the left flank as he once again put in a solid display to demonstrate his potential for next season.

Ford continued to create chances with Tom Ashton and David Bromhead winning the ball well in the middle of the park to thread passes through, but the Lions undid a lot of the hard work from the visitors with two similar goals in quick succession. The same striker beat the offside trap twice more to outsprint the Chandlers Ford defence before finishing past the helpless Michael Wall.

HALF TIME: Locksheath 3-1 CFY

In the second half, the Blues kept plugging away and were largely the better side.

Superb vision from Ashton and an inch perfect lofted pass from deep picked out David Bromhead, who had been pushed up front at the break due to Michael Sawbridge having to rush home to see Saints play. Bromhead did all the rest with a wonderfully taken goal planting an unstoppable shot across goal and into the far corner past the despairing dive of the Locksheath goalkeeper.

At 3-2, it looked as though Ford might go on to draw level which their general possession and play probably merited. Sadly the hosts went on to restore their two goal cushion with a long ball forward that the same goalscoring striker from the first half ran on to. His shot went underneath the body of stand-in goalkeeper Alex Evens, who took the gloves at half time to replace Wall.

Towards the end Jozef Montigue was extremely close to pulling a goal back as he shrugged off the challenge of his marker to bear down on goal and launch a 25-yard drive that crashed against the woodwork.

Tom Ashton also came close with an effort that dipped just over the cross bar but it was Locksheath who came away with a narrow win on this occasion, though Richard can be proud of his sides effort throughout.

FULL TIME: Locksheath 4-2 CFY