wokinghamandemmbrookfc.com

Sunday 14th September 2008

                                      Purple Turtle   1   Wokingham & Emmbrook   1

After a disappointing start to their league campaign the previous week, Wokingham were looking for a big improvement at notorious bogey ground Palmer Park against Purple Turtle.

After a trademark slow start, the Lowther Road side upped the tempo, and went close on a number of occasions, Mark Rolph in particular looking like he’d left his shooting boots at home.

The side were made to pay for these early misses as a misplaced header from Dave Moor left the Purple Turtle striker clean through on goal, and despite keeper Hayman getting a hand to the ball, it squeezed into the corner.

Wokingham for a few minutes looked deflated, with some of their old frailties from last season starting to reappear. However, they ground out things until the interval and attempted to re-group.

If anything, the away side started even more slowly in the second half, and narrowly escaped going further behind on more than one occasion. However, as the game went on, they started to take a stranglehold on the game once more, and the pressure finally told as Rolph was tripped in the box, and Jackson sliced the spot-kick home under the keeper’s flailing beer gut.

There was now only one team in it, and both Seagrove and Callaghan had chances to seal the win, but both fluffed their lines when one-on-one.

The draw secures one more point than the side had after two whole months of the season last year though, so there were still suitable celebrations at the end of the game, and the team now looks to a tough home fixture against Earley Home Guard next Sunday. 

Ratings: Hayman 7, T Edwards 7, Moor 7, Guiver 7, Prentice (Tandy 75, 6) 6, M Rolph 7, Seagrove 6, Sidhu (Callaghan 70, 6) 7, W Edwards 7, Smith  (P Rolph 61, 6) 6, Jackson 7

Goals: Jackson (pen 69)