9:48am Wednesday 21st July 2010
Hamble ASSC 1 Lions 2.
A last minute goal from U18 striker Craig Blakeman gave the Lions a deserved victory at a sunny Hamble on Saturday in the first of their pre-season friendlies.
The game was a long way away from the rigours of the Southern League but manager Andy Leader was more than pleased with the display of his very young side. The Lions opening line-up included only five of last season’s squad in skipper Jason Sangha, Matt Scott, Matt Styles, Dean Smith and Ben Chambers - with Mark Keogh and Alex Campbell both unavailable - though Jason Minton, who filled the right back role, has enjoyed a previous spell at the Portway.
The home side enjoyed the better of the opening stages with Richard West a threat on the left flank, but Lions’ keeper Andy Smallpiece, whose handling was secure all afternoon, dealt with a couple of dangerous crosses and they slowly forced themselves into the game. The diminutive Jazz Beavis saw a shot deflected wide and a Scott volley was too high before, in a spell of Lions pressure, a Chambers cross was headed over his own bar by a defender and a Stapley volley blocked. The latter, who played in the centre of the defence, looked cool and assured in everything he did and could well be a more than useful acquisition.
West pushed the home side forward again and Smallpiece kept the score sheet blank with a superb close range save with Scott then clearing the loose ball in what was the last action of the first half.
Having gone 45 minutes without a goal it took only 60 seconds of the second half for that to change. Leader made a handful of substitutions and they failed to organise themselves properly as Hamble were awarded a free-kick on the right allowing former Lion James Roden to glance a free header past Smallpiece.
Claudio Herbert, one of the substitutes, linked neatly with Chambers and the latter’s cross come shot bounced off the crossbar before another effort from the same player flashed just wide from 25 yards. Herbert’s pace was a constant threat and eventually led to the scores being levelled after 75 minutes when his pace took him clear.
Blakeman, known as Scragg, steered the cross into Chambers’ path and the shot went low into the corner. The goalkeeper then went full length to palm away a Herbert shot and was out very quickly to deny Blakeman but the pressure was rewarded in the last minute when the defence failed to clear a cross from Olly Yeates and Blakeman scored from the edge of the six-yard box.
A satisfying win against a side including former Lions Lloyd Webber, Ashley Jarvis and Jamie Barron as well as Rodin and is managed by Danny Bowers, another with Andover connections, and a side that should easily hold their own in the Wessex League Premier Division after gaining promotion last season.
The afternoon ended with a presentation to skipper Jason Sangha by Hamble of a trophy to mark the game which is to become a regular pre-season fixture.
John Gorman
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