BATTLING MARLOW EARN A POINT

FTL FUTBOL HELLENIC

PREMIER DIVISION

Ardley United - 2 Marlow United -  2

Marlow won a hard earned point at title chasing Ardley with a gutsy second half performance in an entertaining game full of incident, controversy and a brilliant goal from Mark Doswell.

United began the game playing down the slope and it didn’t take long for the first controversial incident to occur as a Buchanan corner from the right on three minutes was cleared and when the ball was fired back in a defender cleared the ball of the line with his arm.

With everyone looking for the referee to point to the spot and produce a red card the official pointed to a corner for Marlow much to the amazement of the away team.

How Marlow would come to regret the official’s error as Ardley struck on 7 minutes,  a corner from the right being headed goal ward by Ibrahim were it struck fellow forward Danny Bone and deflected into the net.

Despite this reverse Marlow continued to match their loftier opponents Doswell twice testing keeper Parrack with long range efforts.

Marlow eventually equalised on the half hour when an unmarked Rob Crawford headed home Buchanan’s corner from the right from 6 yards.

Ardley were playing some excellent football with Clarke on the left causing plenty of problems for the United defence.

Even so the away team could have taken the lead on 41 minutes when Ramsey’s long kick cleared the home defence leaving Lewis Brown clear on goal only for the forwards attempted chip to find the keeper.

That only delayed the second goal by two minutes as a Britnell free kick was pulled down and fired home in spectacular fashion from 25 yards by Doswell to give Marlow the half time lead.

HT 1-2

United almost doubled their lead after two minutes of the half, having defended an early corner they broke up field and when the ball reached Brown the forward ran into the area and fired an angled shot against the bar.

The away team then found themselves under intense pressure for much of the second period as Ardley piled on the pressure with some excellent football.

Marlow matched their opponents in their work rate and restricted Ardley to a handful of chances.

When the home team did get through they found Ramsey in great form the keeper making two superb saves to deny Ardley.

The equaliser arrived in the 67 minute when Britnell pulled down Costello in the area and the referee pointed to the spot, Adam Garner firing home the spot kick.

If the Ardley team thought that this would lead to a home victory they reckoned without the Marlow teams determination.

Despite defending in numbers the away team always looked dangerous on the break and after Ardley’s Clarke and Green had efforts saved the away team almost snatched a last minute winner after Dan Flint escaped his marker on the left and his delicate chip was pushed onto the bar the ball rebounding at the feet of Brown. The forward played the ball behind the onrushing Buchanan when an accurate cross would have surely secured a win.

As it was Marlow played out injury time to settle for an excellent point against a good Ardley team.

FT 2-2

Team

M Ramsey, L Ovens, D Britnell, N Flint, R Crawford, D Pedley, D Buchanan, M Doswell, V Cuva, G Wiltshire, L Brown

Subs

Adam Lanaway for Dan Pedley 71 minutes

Scott Benyon for Vinnie Cuva 82 minutes

Dan Flint for G Wiltshire 82 minutes

Goals

Rob Crawford 30 minutes

Mark Doswell  42 minutes

Scores

M Ramsey  8

L Ovens  6

D Britnell  6

N Flint  8

R Crawford  8

D Pedley  7

D Buchanan  7

M Doswell  8

V Cuva  5

G Wiltshire  7

L Brown  7

Subs

A Lanaway  7

S Benyon  6

D Flint  6

MOM

Mark Doswell