SPORT ITALIA HELLENIC LEAGUE

DIVISION ONE EAST

CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE!

SCIARAFFA SENDS UNITED TO THE TOP

Marlow United - 2 Chinnor - 1

Mark Sciaraffa was the Marlow United hero with a stunning match winning free kick on 80 minutes as the home team made light of playing over an hour with ten men after Paul Catlin was dismissed on the half hour.

United fielded a much changed side from the one that defeated Bisley last week with Captain and defensive lynchpin Tristan Heywood falling ill in the morning adding to their problems.

Paul Catlin was drafted into the front line for his first game of the season and he showed some neat touches combining with Lewis Brown to cause the Chinnor back four plenty of problems.

It was Catlin who set up the first real chance of the game on eight minutes turning the ball into the path of Ollie Flint his cross troubling keeper Dedman who was unable to gather the ball cleanly.

Minutes later a Pedley header sent Brown clear on the right, his cross being met by Catlin with the ball going behind for a corner.

The home team were indebted to Gary Wiltshire as the defender twice made last-ditch tackles to foil first Piercy then Marshall as Chinnor threatened.

Then on 16 minutes the away side took the lead as first a corner from the left was punched over the bar by keeper Pollard. From the resultant corner Richard Carr headed home at the far post.

Marlow retaliated with Pedley and Brown combining the latter forcing a corner.

Midfielder Doug Buchanan won the ball in midfield and fired in a 20-yard effort which Dedman gathered as Marlow looked for the equaliser.

That came on 27 minutes when Pollards long clearance was picked up by Catlin and his speculative shot took a wicked deflection of Bird and whistled into the net.

The hero soon turned villain though as 5 minutes later the goal scorer was shown the red card for a petulant challenge on Chinnor’s Boxall.

Down to ten men United produced the best move of the game with Pedley finding Brown who in turn released Ollie Flint. The Marlow mans shot was spectacularly turned round the post by Dedman when a goal seemed certain.

The injured Boxall was replaced by Pedrosa on 41 minutes as Marlow created chances, Buchanan heading over from a corner and Wiltshire seeing his accurate free kick collected by Dedman.

Half Time 1-1 

Chinnor began the second half intent on making their one man advantage count as first Ford wasted an opportunity with a weak cross and then Marshall could only find the side netting when clear on the left.

Ford was then booked for pulling back Pedley and again Wiltshire was foiled by Dedman as his free kick beat the wall but not the keeper.

Filmore soon followed him into the book for haranguing the official after a corner had been awarded to the away side.

Ian Green came to the home sides rescue when his tackle foiled Piercey as the forward looked to be in the clear.

Back came Marlow with a Pedley shot blocked before sub Karl Lewis, on for Filmore, skipped past two defenders and fired in a drive from the right which Dedman saved.

Both teams made further changes with Cuva on for a tiring Brown before United nearly fell behind on 77 minutes.

Wiltshire lost the ball in midfield and Marshall beat the off side trap, raced on and fired a shot against the left upright with a grateful Pollard collecting the rebound.

As is often the way the reprieved team then turned the game on it’s head scoring the winning goal three minutes later.

Buchanan was fouled ten yards outside the area as Marlow pressed and as he has done on at least one other occasion this season Marco Sciaraffa lined up the free kick and fired it unerringly around the wall and into the far corner of the net.

Despite Chinnor throwing men forward in a desperate effort to snatch an equaliser United held out the for final ten minutes, West replacing the injured Pedley, and Craker finding himself in the refs note book for a late challenge on Pollard from a corner.

The only other sour note occurred when Green received a head injury in the area and from the resultant drop ball Chinnor’s Bird won a corner rather than playing the ball back to the home team, resulting in him receiving much abuse from the home crowd.

Chinnor’s last effort came to nothing as Marshall wasted a free kick and Marlow celebrated drawing level with Chalfont Wasps on points as the final whistle went.

After the game manager Kevin Carvell said, “ I could not argue with the sending off, it was a silly challenge. Having said that I always felt we had the quality to win the game and so it proved, that and the spirit of the team saw us through yet again”

M Pollard                   7  Composed

B Filmore                   6  Distribution let him down

M Sciaraffa                7  Superb winner

O Flint                         8  Excellent all round display

I Green                        7  Superb defending

G Wiltshire                 7  Good all round match

D Pedley                     8  All action

R Middleton                7 getting back to his best

D Buchanan               7 as above

L Brown                      7  committed

P Catlin                       6  Early dismissal

Subs

V Cuva       6  Played well

K Lewis      7  added extra dimension

A West       6  Little time to make mark

MOM

Ollie Flint