SPORT ITALIA HELLENIC LEAGUE

DIVISION ONE EAST

30 SECONDS OF MAYHEM!!

MARLOW UNITED - 2 RAYNERS LANE - 2

For the second week running United suffered a setback in their efforts to clinch the runners up spot, this time surrendering a two goal lead in a damaging 30 second collapse against lowly Rayners Lane.

Up until the 70^th minute the home team had looked in control, taking a two goal lead as well as missing further chances as they took the game to their opponents.

At that point a long through ball caught out the Marlow back four and Cooper in the home goal rushed of his line only to miss the ball and present the dangerous Oliver Leslie with an open goal, a gift he gratefully accepted.

Within seconds of the restart Ross Middleton lost the ball in midfield and the ball broke to Leslie inside the United half.

With the defence in disarray, apparently still arguing about the first goal, the Lane forward placed the ball over a stranded Cooper and into the top corner of the goal.

In 30 seconds the home team had gone from a comfortable winning position to struggling to hold onto one point.

How different it had all looked at the start of the game.

Within a minute of the kick off Reno Sepede was played into the area by Lewis Brown only for the Marlow forward to shoot straight at keeper McCabe.

Three minutes later the keeper fumbled a back pass under pressure from Bowler as United made all the early running.

Captain Tristan Heywood was guilty of a glaring miss on 5 minutes, the ball arriving at his feet from a flicked on corner only for the defender to blaze over from four yards.

One minute later United took the lead after a Pedley pass found Sepede on the left. The ball was played across the area to an unmarked Callum Coull. The Marlow midfielder, playing his first game since re signing from Flackwell Heath, accurately slotted home the ball.

Jason Bowler then tested McCabe with a speculative effort, the keeper saving with some ease.

At the other end Leslie was proving to be a handful for the home defence, shooting across the face of the goal when put through. A warning of things to come!

Twice more the Rayners Lane number nine tested the back four, a poor back pass by Wiltshire presenting him with a chance that went wide on 18 minutes then a sharp shot bringing the best from keeper Cooper who tipped the ball round the post for a corner.

Generally though it was the home team who threatened to increase their lead with Bowler, Sepede and Brown all bringing McCabe into the action.

Sepede was mysteriously penalised as he won the ball and bore down on goal, before Brown twice attempted to increase Marlow’s slender lead, the second shot almost slipping through the keepers legs.

Bowler then shot weakly at the keeper after good work by Pedley and Brown had set up the Marlow man.

United’s last attempt of the half fell to Sepede who miscued a sharp opportunity from McCabe’s miscued clearance.

The final action of the half saw Pedley booked for protesting too vigorously at the assistant ref following a perceived foul.

 HT 1-0

 United’s lead seldom looked threatened as the half began although Leslie bought a save from Cooper with a free kick on 48 minutes.

Two more United players, Filmore and Flint, entered the refs note book as frustration began to show in the home team as they were unable to increase their lead.

Then on 60 minutes Coull embarked on a run across the Rayners Lane area. Receiving a ball on the right he progressed to the left edge of the area where the ball was taken of him by Lewis Brown who promptly fired the ball into the Lane net past a surprised McCabe, doubling the home teams lead.

That looked to be the three points in the bag as United controlled the game passing the ball well, the back four seldom under great pressure.

That is until the eventful 70^th minute.

After the 30 seconds of mayhem it was the away who sensed they could possibly snatch an unlikely victory and the home team were indebted to Heywood as he cleared a dangerous cross, diving headlong to divert the ball for a corner.

A shell shocked home team gradually gained their composure and set about attempting to salvage a win from the wreckage only to find the opposition back four resolute in the face of several corners.

As it was Rayners lane sub Richard Bankes saw his shot saved by Cooper, this after a clearance from Pedley had presented Dean Ryan with an opportunity which went wide.

United had one last corner before the final whistle as two more points slipped away.

United manager Kevin Carvell was unavailable for comment after the game as a heated debate took place in the home dressing room.

A Cooper                   6  Mixture of the good bad and the ugly

B Filmore                    6  Better performance

T Heywood                 8  Captains performance

G Wiltshire                  6  Good all round performance

D Pedley                     7  Committed

J Bowler                      7  Dangerous

M Flint                          6   Steady

R Middleton               7  More like Ross

C Coull                        7  Excellent game after long lay off

R Sepede                   6   Held up ball well

L Brown                       7  All effort good goal

Subs

R Davis                        6 

D Buchanan                 6

MOM

T Heywood