Town kept their title ambitions alive with a solid performance at Dorking.
After a poor first 10 minutes for Wasps, they gradually got into their stride and created some good goal scoring opportunities. The deadlock was broken on 30 minutes when an excellent cross by Matt Hole found Dan Harvey to side foot the ball in from the back post. Town extended their lead on 41 minutes when the home side failed to clear a corner and Mitchell Hunt rifled in a powerful shot from 10 yards.
The second half saw Town play much better, with the defence now in complete command. The third goal came on 55 minutes, when Ryan Fletcher, celebrating his 17th birthday, curled a shot into the top left hand corner from the edge of the box, following good work from Kieron Leggett. A fourth goal soon followed when Dan splarn thundered a header into the roof of the net.
A good second half display by Town and special mention to excellent performances by Sam Fildes, Dan Splarn and Mitchell Hunt.
Team : Abbott, Hole, Coomber, Splarn, Smith, Hunt, Wakley, Fletcher, Fildes, Clark-Ward, Harvey. Subs Used : Leggett, Westpfel and Pleon Subs Not Used : Breese and Willsher
Wasps battled for a valuable 3 points against a very competitive and hard working Redhill team. The home side had signed 5 new players and their performance was certainly not that of a team struggling at the bottom.
Town however, did get the perfect start when Sam Fildes' pace enabled him to stab the ball past the advancing Keeper. This appeared to spur the home team on and Town were pleased to go in leading 1-0 at half time.
Town certainly improved in the second half and got the second goal after 65 minutes when Dean Coomber's shot found the corner of the net. Almost from the kick off Town conceded a goal which again gave the game more life.
Town's best spell brought the third goal from a shot from the edge of the box from Ryan Fletcher. In the 88th the home side were awarded a dubious penalty which left the final score as a 3-2 away win for Wasps.
Certainly the Under 18's have played better but they ground out the win which puts them back to the top of the league.
Team : Abbott, Splarn, Fletcher, Sawyer, Smith, Willsher, Wakley, Coomber, Breese, Fildes and Pleon. Subs Used : Leggett, Thompson and Westpfel Sub Not Used : Major
Goalscorers : Coomber, Fildes and Fletcher
From the first whistle this was a game that Town dominated and the scoreline very much flattered the visitors as they were outplayed in every area. In the second minute a Dean Coomber corner found Dave Major at the near post but his glancing header went wide. The same two combined again from another corner and it was Chris Smith who was unlucky not to score.
Town did take the lead after 20 minutes when Harry Thompson pounced on a defensive error and cleverly lobbed the keeper from 10 yards. It was no more than Town deserved and they continued to cause problems from set pieces as they attacked the ball with pace. Ryan Fletcher went close with a long range effort and Jack sawyer had a volley that was blocked from 20 yards. After an excellent first half Town were unfortunate to have only a single goal lead.
The second half started and the visitors had 10 minutes of better possession and territory; and after 55 minutes they equalised. However Town responded superbly and continued to dominate. The lead was regained after 60 minutes when Major beat his player before putting an excellent ball into the feet of Matt Wakley, who scored from close range. Another shot from Sawyer was headed over the bar but it was not long before Town got the all important third goal. An excellent pass by Dan Harvey found Coomber who scored from a tight angle. The last 5 minutes saw two penalties awared; Town were awarded a penalty which Coomber narrowly missed and in the last minute the visitors scored a consolation goal from the spot.
Mention must go to Aaron Willsher and Dan Splarn for their defensive duties and to the hard running of forward Josh Breese.
The victory puts Town top of the Southern Youth league and it is certainly a position they deserve after their performance in this game.
Team : Abbott, Splarn, Fletcher, Major, Smith, Willsher, Wakley, Sawyer, Thompson, Breese, Coomber: Subs Used; Harvey and Pleon Subs Not Used; Fildes, Leggett and Westpfel
WASPS Under 18s gave their Nationwide Conference Youth League opponents a good run for their money in the FA Youth Cup. Their hosts had beaten Redhill 14 - 0 in the previous round and things started badly for Wasps as they went behind to a Sam Callander goal when he found space on the edge of the box and went clean through with barely a minute gone. Fifteen minutes later Callandar made it 2 - 0 when he ran onto a clearance and took the ball round keeper Ben Abbott although he looked to be at least a yard offside. Dean Coomber was brought down in the box on 21 minutes after a good run, took the spot kick himself and brought it back to 2 - 1.
To the astonishment of the home support, Ben Abbott made two penalty saves from Callandar in the last five minutes of the first half.
Grinstead were playing some good football against a very good side but just couldn't find the time and space to create any real chances. Abbot continued to make a number of important stops but with 10 minutes to go Ebbsfleet made it 3 - 1. Five minutes later, they were awarded their third spot kick and Abbott pulled off a hatrick of penalty saves.
Chairman Richard Tramontin said: "I was really proud of the lads' performance tonight against a very strong Ebbsfleet United. They have a terrific set up and run two Under 18 sides. One plays in the Kent League and our opponents tonight play in the Nationwide Conference Youth League and are part of their Programme of Academic and Sporting Excellence Scheme which has produced a number of players that have progressed to professional clubs."
WASPS Under 18's welcomed their local rivals to East Court for a Southern Youth League match on Tuesday evening. An impressive first half perdformance by Town, who led 4-0 at the break was more than enough to gain all three points.
Town attacked from the start and were awarded a corner after just two minutes of play. The corner, by Dean Coomber was driven in low to the near post and David Major attacked the space to score with a powerful header.
It could have been two nil after 5 minutes when a great move involving Coomber and Jack Pleon resulted in Ryan Fletcher hitting the post.
However, the home team did not have to wait long for the second; when a ball from Dan Splarn, was headed on by Josh Breese to Harry Thompson, who drove the ball past the keeper from 15 yards. Another great move by Town nearly resulted in a third goal, as an attack involving 5 Town players finally led to a shot from Matt Wakley.
Town's third goal after 20 minutes finished the game off as a contest when a ball from Major found Thompson and he made no mistake as his shot found the corner of the net. Thompson completed his hat trick after 40 minutes when a corner was not cleared by the visitors and Thompson rifled a shot into the net from 10 yards.
The second half saw Crawley Down show a bit of fighting spirit for the first 10 minutes but they could not find a way through Wasps keeper, Ben Abbott, and the central defensive partnership of Chris Smith and Matt Hole.
Town finished the stronger and dominated possession in the last quarter of the match but could not add to their goal tally. It was however, the impressive first half performance that laid the foundation to a comfortable Town victory.
Team : Abbott, Splarn, Fletcher, Major, Smith, Hole, Wakley, Pleon, Thompson, Breese, Coomber: Subs Used : Sawyer, Leggett and Fildes Subs Not Used : Harvey and Willsher
Wasps faced a lively and good passing Merstham team who controlled the game for long periods in the first half. A combination of good defending and poor finishing led to no goals being conceded by Town. It was however Town who took the lead against the run of play after 30 minutes. A free kick by Dean Coomber was headed into the goal by Dave Major. Wasps kept the lead until half time.
The second half saw a much better performance from Town and they could have extended the lead when Coomber's run and shot was saved by the Mertsham keeper. The visitors did equalise in the 70th minute with a powerful strike and the game ended in stalemate at 1-1.
Team : Abbott, Willsher, Coomber, Major, Smith, Splarn, Wakley, Fletcher, Thompson, Westpfel, Harvey. Subs Used : Hole, Pleon, Breese. Subs Not Used : Fildes and Sawyer
Wasps secured all three points in a hard fought opening match against Lingfield.
The visitors stated the game brightly and certainly had territorial advantage in the first 10 minutes. It was quite apparent from early on that the main attacking threat from Lingfield would come from set pieces involving their two tall centre backs. It was no real surprise when they scored from a corner after 15 minutes and could have doubled the lead from another corner 5 minutes later.
It was not until the 25th minute that Town created a chance following good play on the wing from Matt Wakley. Wasps did get an equaliser after 30 minutes when a long ball found Harry Thompson who rounded the keeper and drilled the ball home from a tight angle. Town very nearly took the lead just before half time but from a Dean Coomber cross, but unfortunately Josh Breese headed wide.
Town were certainly more dominant in the second half and took the lead on 55 minutes; a Coomber free kick found Dave Major, who steered the ball past the keeper. Town then had good chances to secure the victory through Dan Harvey and Tom Westpfel and needed to hold on in the last 5 mintes as Lingfield nearly snatched a point when a shot hit the crossbar.
Team : Abbott, Willsher, Coomber, Major, Smith, Splarn, Wakley, Fletcher, Thompson, Breese, Harvey. Subs Used : Fildes, Pleon, Westpfel. Subs Not Used : Sawyer and Leggett
