Holyport 3, Wokingham & Emmbrook 4
Saturday 14th November 2009
Two goals from 17 year old substitute Danny Horscroft hauled Wokingham & Emmbrook back from the dead at Holyport on Saturday. With 38 minutes remaining Wokingham seemed dead and buried trailing 3 nil and looking a well beaten side. Wokingham who fielded their youngest ever side with only three players over the age of 21 became men.
The Holyport programme billed the game as " The game everyone was looking forward to. Wokingham who have the meanest defence in the division verses a Holyport side that boast the highest goal tally ". Add to this that four of the top five current leading goal scorers in the division were on show, having notched up an amazing total of 46 goals up until the start of this encounter.
After two days of torrential rain, the pitch was in excellent condition for this top of the table clash. The only down side was the very strong swirling wind that threatened to spoil this eagerly awaited game. Wokingham with the wind at their backs in the first half tended to over hit everything and the ball was always running away from them.
The opening exchanges were a bit cat and mouse with both sides feeling each other out but the gradually the home began to look the more threatening. Defending became difficult in the adverse conditions. The home side took the lead in the 14th minute much to the delight of the home supporters.
A free kick was played high over the Wokingham defence and they failed to deal with it, Lewis Driver with stood Grant Lewin's attention to fire past an advancing Stuart Harris from the edge of the area. The goal rocked the Cantley Park side and things got worse on 20 minutes when Wokingham's Jack Broome was stretched off after an unacceptable challenge by Holyport's Sam Jones, a two footed challenge over the top of the ball left Broome motionless on the ground.
Boss Wanklyn's decision to introduce Horscroft turned out in the end to be a stroke of genius. Keeper Harris was soon back in action as the home side looked to increase their lead tipping over from Lee Jerrum, from the corner Driver headed just wide. Horscroft immediatley settled into midfield by releasing Richard Bland his cross picked out Nicky Bateman who saw his effort saved by home keeper Matt Collis.
At the other end Driver headed just over from an Adam Sharp cross. The final 15 minutes of the half saw Wokingham at last getting a foot hold in the game, twice Bland had efforts and then Alex Luis fired wide. Luis then crossed inch perfectly to the far post where a stretching Luke Lee couldn't make contact.
The second half was only 2 minutes old when the home side increased their lead from a free kick out on the left driven in low, Driver was on hand to turn the ball past Harris. Worse was to come five minutes later after Harris had tipped a Paul Reed effort away for a corner. From the corner out on the right Reed curled his cross straight into the net, the home sides players, supporters and management were ecstatic.
Wokingham were crest fallen and on there way to their second league defeat of the season nobody in the ground could have forecasted what they were about to witness from this young talented side. The tide started to turn in the 55th minute with a little bit of luck that the visitors had deserved. Luke Lee broke down the left, getting just outside the area he crossed low and hard, trying to defend it Arrant Coleman could only turn the ball past his own keeper Collis. The goal certainly lifted the Wokingham spirits.
Striker Shane Cooper - Clark replaced defender Alex Walton, who had risen from his sick bed suffering from Tonsillitis. Harris again did well to keep out Drivers effort with his feet, while Horscroft set off on a 30 yard run before testing Collis with a stinging effort. The home side suddenly began to decidedly nervy.
Bateman saw his header cleared off the line before Wokingham gave themselves a chance of at least a point when the outstanding David Bellis cut in from the right before feeding the ball into Danny Horscroft, the young Allied Counties midfielder looked up before curling his shot out of the reach of Collis from the edge of the area. Wokingham were now in full flow, the home side didn't have an answer to their neat controlled passing game.
In the 83rd minute the visitors were deservedly level.The ball was played high into the Holyport half where Bateman flicked on with his head into the path of Luke Lee, who took it in his stride before flicking it past the hapless Collis. Bland then hit the post with Collis beaten.
I am sure Manager Wanklyn would have taken the draw at this stage but his young fledglings had other ideas they wanted maximum points. With the game in time added on the ball was played just inside the home sides penalty area, Cooper - Clark's sublime touch brought instant control, forcing his way past the outside of his marker he fired in a low shot that Collis couldn't hold on to, the ball ran to the edge of the area where Danny Horscroft sent the many travelling fans into raptures with a stunning strike that left Collis floundering and groping at thin air, we all had witnessed one of the greatest comebacks of the season so far.
Richard Pilcher replaced the limping Bateman for the remaining minutes that past with danger. What an afternoon, what a game and what a performance.
Wokingham start their defence of the Reading Senior Cup this Saturday when they entertain West Reading at Cantley Park. Kick off 1 - 45pm.
Team: Harris, Walton ( Cooper - Clark ), Luis, Lewin, Wanklyn, Byrne, Broome ( Horscroft ), Bateman ( Pilcher ), Lee , Bland, Bellis.
Not used Hanson, Harvey.
Report by Wokingham Times, John Ansell
Wokingham & Emmbrook made a dramatic comeback to claim all three points in their crunch Hellenic Division 1 East promotion showdown with Holyport on Saturday.
Trailing 3-0 just five minutes into the second half, it seemed Wokingham were on course for only their second defeat of the season at Summerleaze.
However, theyfought back to score a stunning winner in injury time to cement their place at the top of the table.
The team that manager Wayne Wanklyn fielded was the youngest first team in Wokingham & Emmbrook’s short history, with only four starters over the age of 21, and only two of them over the age of 23.
And although it could be said some of the goals conceded by both sides were rather soft, Wokingham showed maturity beyond their years to pull the three points out the bag.
The main talking point of the first half came when Wokingham midfielder Jack Broome was stretchered off following a shocking tackle with his side already 1-0 down thanks to Lewis Driver's opener.
Two quick-fire goals early in the second half, the first from Driver and the second directly from Paul Reed's corner, then left Wokingham with a mountain to climb, but when Luke Lee’s cross from the left was turned in for an own goal soon after, the visitors were back in it.
Danny Horscroft, the Allied Counties player who replaced Broome in midfield, scored a stunner into the top left from the edge of the area to make it 3-2 soon after.
With 10 minutes left on the clock Wokingham pulled level when Lee controlled a Richard Bland throughball and managed to squeeze the ball home.
And the dream comeback was complete an unbelievable eight minutes into injury time when sub Shane Cooper-Clark's exquisite first-touch allowed him to get a shot off.
Although his shot was saved, it fell to Horscroft on the edge of the area who drilled into the bottom corner to send the Wokingham players, fans and bench into raptures.
REPORT TAKEN FROM THE GETWOKINGHAM