So close and yet so far…

Posted: August 14th, 2010 by Fergus

Saturday 14^th August 2010
Hellenic League Division One East

Penn & Tylers Green 3

Hurst 30, 69 Putnam 65

Woodley Town 4

T. Williams 25, 85 Fairchild 36
L. Williams 54

Attendance: 43

The start of the Premiership season just a few hours earlier marked as a great appetiser for the big kick off at 3:00pm.

That’s right, it was the first round of games in the Hellenic League Division 1 East. Surely the pick of the games was at French School Meadows where fans flocked in their tens to see Penn & Tylers Green take on Woodley Town. The Clubs members headed towards the clubhouse for their pre match meal of Nobbys Nuts and a Kit Kat. After a disappointing finish last season Penn were determined to put things right under new management. Player manager Matt Miller was awarded the top job and tasked with turning Penn’s fortunes around. The board were delighted with Matt’s appointment after fighting off stiff competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid. The future looked bright for the Blue and White’s however the same could not be said for the weather. It was a typically damp and dreary summer’s day in Southern England. Nevertheless Penn and Woodley fans trudged up to the pitch in their raincoats and wellies feeling optimistic about their team’s chances this season.

The game started lively with a good run from Penn’s Chris Hurst down the right wing before crossing the ball dangerously into the box but Impey Cooke Chowdhary did well to smother the ball in the Woodley goal. In the 5^th minute, after a nasty head injury to Penn’s Dean Munday, Matt Miller was forced into an early substitution. Tom Bailey was Dean’s replacement. With a few half chances to both teams over the next 15 minutes the supporters minds turned to the welfare of Dean Mundey as the news filtered through that he had been taking to Wycombe Hospital. Woodley were applying heavy pressure on John Harding in the Penn goal and in the 25^th minute this pressure paid off when a good run from Dan Jewell produced the perfect cross for Tom Williams to bury the ball into the back of the net. The Penn faithful were disappointed and some were dreading another season of woes. But then Oliver Woodall worked his magic down the left flank and whipped in a cross which Chris Hurst headed passed Chowdhary to make the score 1 – 1. The atmosphere of the match then intensified as a few challenges wet flying in and the referee was starting to lose control. This was most evident when a late challenge escalated into handbags being thrown and Woodley’s captain Jim Knightingale was booked. A few minutes later Woodley retook the lead when Jamie Fairchild broke free of the Penn defence and produced a cheeky chip over Harding. Oliver Woodall was booked for retaliation in the 40^th minute. As the referee blew his whistle for half time the Penn fans seemed dejected walking back to the clubhouse.

The second half started slowly but then sprung into life when Luke Williams for Woodley stormed down the right wing before smashing the ball past Harding at the near post making it 3-1. Matt Miller, Penn’s player/manager decided he needed to intervene and replaced James Hunt up front. Just a minute later Dan Jewell smashed the woodwork after an offside decision which sparks argument on the touchline. In the 65^th minute the Penn fans pessimism was quashed when from, let’s say, 28 yards Ricky Putnam fired a brilliant strike into the top left hand corner. The capacity crowd erupted in delight. What a goal! 3 – 2, game on.

As Penn’s play improved so did the weather. A rainbow was clearly visible over the rolling Chiltern Hills. Sam Cripps came on for Ryan Witt for Woodley to try and regain their 2 goal advantage. In fact it did quite the opposite. Another brilliant cross from Oliver Woodall left Chris Hurst to volley home his second goal of the game. A brilliant fight back from Penn, 3 – 3.

21 minutes remained for someone to make them self a hero. Nicky Gee came on for first half substitute Tom Bailey to try and cement the back line. The weather then made a turn for the worse; rumbles of thunder occasionally interrupted the fans conversation. Pounding rain was hammering on the umbrellas of the few remaining fans. A tense ten minutes passed where there were little chances until the 85^th minute. A shocking mix up in the Penn defence left both Luke and Tom Williams free on Harding and the Penn goal. The next 10 seconds went in slow motion, Luke was on the ball closing down on Harding, yard by yard. Tom was keeping up giving him another option. As Luke was only a couple of yards from Harding he squared the ball to Tom, just 6 yards separated him from ultimate glory. Penn fans couldn’t watch. The right boot of the Woodley number 11 flew towards the ball, cries of despair rung from the terraces. Goal to Woodley. That was it, 3 – 4 to the visitors. Many supporters turned and left the pitch side.

Tom Williams was substituted for Chris Waring and with seconds to go James Varndell came on for Jamie Fairchild. This was the final substitution for Woodley Town and the final activity in the match. The full time whistle went and that was it. Woodley Town had overcome Penn & Tylers Green by 4 goals to 3. A brilliant match, but a disappointing result.