Weysiders went into this game on the back on a solid if unspectacular start to the season with two hard-fought draws, but there was a good deal of optimism that they could grab their first victory of the season against New Haw. However, once again preparation was marred by people pulling out on the morning of the game and so team selection once again came down simply to who was available, with Tim Buzaglo coming in up front for his first start of the season, Mike Frost returning at right back and Roly Hockin moving back into midfield.
It was the visitors who started the brighter, moving the ball around quickly and pushing Weysiders back on their own 18 yard box. A succession of dangerous balls into the box forced constantly forced Weysiders to defend, and at times defend desperately. The visitors lively start was rewarded when a free kick was slotted through a static home defence allowing the New Haw midfielder to simply break off from his marker and steer the ball past Jamie in goal. This though seemed to spark the home team somewhat and they started to get the ball down and pass it around more, a few lively breaks forcing New Haw to defend deeper. Weysiders once again looked a threat from set pieces, going close from corners and once from a well flighted free kick from Luke Holt which almost saw the New Haw centre back head over his own keeper, only for the ball to just drop past the post. But Weysiders did equalise just on half time as New Haw failed to clear properly, the ball back into the box falling to Tim Buzaglo who rolled the ball into the corner.
Going into the break level was reward for battling back well after a difficult opening 20 minutes and should have been the platform from which to build on. However Weysiders started the second half sluggishly allowing the visitors too much time and space and we were once again forced to defend deep, at times struggling to clear and inviting the opposition onto us. Weysiders became guilty of surrendering possession too easily, giving away cheap corners and it was from these that the visitors scored their second and third goals. The home defence couldn’t deal with simple balls into the box and their poor marking was punished by free headers, the first from six yards out headed straight in, the second forcing a good save from Jamie but only to see their striker react quickest to follow up and ram the ball into the net.
At 3-1 down Weysiders responded well trying to get back into the game and pulled a goal back when Luke Holt’s cross-cum-hot fell to the feet of Tim Buzaglo six yards out and he made no mistake. Despite this Weysiders couldn’t create another clear cut chance and New Haw saw the game rather too comfortbaly for a 3-2 victory.
This was a bit of a setback after a solid start to the season and having gone in at half time level Weysiders should have gone on from there but were guilty of sloppiness and a lack of composure really, surrendering possession too easily and giving the opposition too much time and space. These are all lessons to learn though and hopefully they can be put right in next game and if so there’s no reason why we can’t chalk up our first league victory of the season.
Manager's man of the match: Luke Holt.
Team: Jamie Byrom, Mike Frost, Paul Martin, Luke Holt, Kelvin Charles, George Edwards, Roly Hockin, Kevin Barrow, Tom Gleason, Chris Weiland, Tim Buzaglo. Subs used: Barry Marsh, Alex Foley. Scorers: Buzaglo 2. Form: LDDDL