Three Points Dropped at Walsham

After Tuesdays heroics at Halstead, Wivenhoe were in a confident mood travelling to Walsham Le Willows. With Josh Sidki, Owen Bryan and Reece Keating called into first team action with Jamie baker and Matt Griffin away due to personal commitments others were given the opportunity to impress.

After starting on the bench midweek Jake Hearn returned at left back, with the returning Adam Frost at centre half partnering Ben Fowler. Matt Grove played on the right hand side of defence with Joe Steel returning ahead of him. Joel Shurvington got his first start in a dragon's shirt alongside Dan Homewood in the centre of midfield. Evan Culmer was looking to continue his good form on the left hand side of midfield and after scoring two goal each in the week Dan Morgan played in an attacking central midfield role behind Oliver O'Hare. Connor Mainstone was welcomed back into the team after a few weeks of absence as well as Marc Yearling. Ryan Gooch completed the bench after seeing a specialist on his shoulder injury in midweek.

After a sloppy warm up, the dragon's got off to a bad start. Liam Daniels called in to action very early to thwart and dangerous Walsham attacks.
Walsham capitalised on Wivenhoe's poor start when a mix up between Ben Fowler and Jake Hearn in their own area allowed Walsham to capitalise and finish from close range.
Matt Grove was bizarrely booked by the referee before half time, after winning the ball the referee who originally said
"Great tackle" whilst signalling a ball shape with his hands, he then blew his whistle and reached for his pocket. Brandishing a yellow card, saying he had made a mistake.
Things went from bad to worse after that as a corner was half dealt with Walsham pounced first and despite the goalscorer leaning into the goalkeeper the goal stood.

HT Walsham 2-0 Wivenhoe

Adam Frost ordered his players to run in at half time, to receive their orders from Jason Savage. Hard frustrated words from himself, Adam and Bernie Frost encouraged the dragon's to come out fighting in the second half.
Walsham were on the end of a bizarre caution this time. As the centre forward tripped and inadvertently tripped Dan Homewood the referee once again blew his whistle and reached for his pocket. Despite Dan Homewood and Liam Daniels calling for the referee to put his cards away he continued to show the yellow card.
Wivenhoe were more dominant in the final third this time, Walsham were playing well to keep the blues at bay. Evan Culmer did however get a goal back when he finished from close range after a neat ball from Dan Morgan.
Ryan Gooch was rightly booked for a dangerous tackle on the half way line, a tackle which incensed one member of the crowd to get extremely excited calling Gooch's tackle disgusting. A massive exaggeration.
Walsham were awarded a free kick with fifteen minutes to play, once again the decision was soft as the player slipped and was not tripped. From the resulting free kick Walsham scored as it was bent round the wall and into the near post. Liam Daniels after the game admitting he should have saved it.
Evan Culmer scored again to make it a close final ten a perfect volley twelve yards out found the far corner of the net.
Walsham began the gamesmanship tactics, walking to take throw ins, substitutions walking off and any clearance hitting row z.
Connor Mainstone was also wrongly cautioned as he stretched for the ball, staying on his feet, he came out of the tackle with the ball at his feet and the Walsham player unscathed. The referee once again amusingly reaching for his pocket to caution yet another good and fair tackle.
There was time to get something out of it again at the end. The ball wouldn't drop for Oliver O'Hare and Walsham cleared their lines.
Jake Hearn's shot was dragged wide at the near post in the dying moments.

At the full time whistle you could see what it meant to the Walsham Players. Rightly so they were happy with the win and despite the poor refereeing performance Wivenhoe can only blame themselves for a defensively poor afternoon at the office.