The Marches 2

Wotton 4ths 2 Ross-on-Wye 2nds 2

A QUICK and focused warm-up for the Ross players led straight into the start of the match, and a series of forays into the Ross 23 gave the home side immediate cause for concern, as Wotton showed that they had come to win, and win well.

After a flurry of long balls exchanged between both sides' backs, and further testing runs and feints exchanged between the midfield engines, it was Wotton who tested the Ross defence first, with an incisive power-ball pass from Bruce Dunham up into the circle, which was picked up on the turn by Thomas Richfield and then fired just wide right of the post, testing the flailing limbs of the Ross keeper.

Unnerved, the Ross players dug in and started to use their fast, young players to try and punch a hole in the side of the Wotton defensive wall.

Try as they might, all attacks were soaked up by the combined might of the three defensive man mountains, Bruce Dunham, Brian Patterson, and Nick Watt.

An Herculean effort for 20 minutes from all three, coupled with the courageous tackling skills of Stuart Jones, Rich Watts and Jacob Phillips, snuffed out the threat, and Ross were left scratching their heads and wondering how to make their numerical advantage count on the pitch.

Twenty-five minutes into the first half, and a drive by Ross found space on the outside left of the Wotton circle, with the defence leaping to the task, driven by the hard-working goalkeeper, Leo Wells, and trying to get the ball out through the tangle of limbs.

Regretfully, the ball dropped to a Ross stick by the right post, and it was knocked in for a first goal to Ross.

Unbowed by falling behind, Wotton redoubled their efforts and started to attack the Ross circle with increasing aggression.

With repeated strikes into the circle, they were unlucky not to find either Richfield or Phillips, as the Ross defence continued to be unwrapped and exposed like a softening pat of butter by the confident running of the Wotton players.

Against a run of play, and following a loose ball lost in midfield, the Ross attack found themselves facing the Wotton keeper with a number advantage, which they duly converted. 2-0 down, with five minutes left in the first half, and the away team were looking down the barrel of a defeat gun, as the resurgent Ross began to consider that the sustained pressure Wotton were exerting might just cause them to tire early, and open the door for further goals.

Half time came shortly after, and the first ten minutes of the second half passed in a blur, as wave after wave of Wotton attack was repelled by a disorientated and confused Ross defence, who were not sure how they could continue to repel the increasingly confident attacks of the Wotton midfield, with Watts and the captain, Gideon York, setting platforms for the attacking forwards to pick up and drive.

Watt was inventive in midfield, holding the ball well for the attacks to form, and Jones and Phillips continuing to work hard under a barrage of poor tackling, with Jones rivalling the pace of the legendary Duracell bunny.

A half-time shift in position, but keeping the 3-4-2 formation that had served them well in the first half, had released the copper-coloured commando, Andrew Wallace, to wreak havoc at the top of the attacking triangle, with strong support from Richfield.

A further five minutes passed, with Ross and Wotton repeatedly exchanging possession, and with promising attacks on both sides pinched out by intelligent and well-timed defence. The deadlock was broken by a swing of the ball from a Wotton 16 out to the right back, and into the control of Dunham.

Holding the ball calmly, and looking for runners, he saw York running clear into the middle, and sent a fast-paced ball to the waiting stick, allowing the captain to pull the ball across his body, summon his many metaphorical horses, and drive hard and at pace into the left side of the Ross circle, leaving the midfield in his wake, and drawing three defenders to his shooting position.

With a quick strong turn, and a push to Watts as he drove hard to the top of the circle, the ball was driven low and hard past the despairing legs of the Ross keeper. 2-1 down, and Wotton had found that additional space which had eluded Ross.

Wotton reset quickly, and worked hard to regain possession, seeking more attacks into the Ross 23.

With a further ten minutes run off the clock, and with the back line of Watt and Patterson linking continually with Jones to hold the ball away from hungry arms of the Ross attack, and snuffing out the wave of attacks from Ross in return, the ball was passed out to the right, swinging away from the Ross pressure.

Dunham picked up the ball high out on the Wotton 23, and Ross followed a delightful curing run from Phillips as he drew the defence down the right sideline and any from the ball.

One touch just before the halfway, a quick look up, and then the ball scorched the sandy loam of the astro and fired hard into the waiting stick of Wallace, holding high in the Ross circle.

One delicate touch, and with an imperious Mary Berry-esque twirl of the wrist, Wallace struck the ball low and hard to the bottom corner of the Ross goal, the backboard ringing out triumphantly to proclaim drawing level.

With just under ten minutes left on the clock, Ross began to panic, as they saw what they had treated as a certain victory at the start of the match now starting to melt away under the heat of the Wotton attack. Repeated attacks came from their forwards, with the game becoming increasingly physical, but they realised far too late that they had failed to make the extra man count, had failed to cope with the shift in pace after the half-time, had failed to allow for the extraordinary teamwork of ten hard-bitten Wotton men, and had, therefore, just failed.

Although the final result was a draw, with two goals apiece, it was Ross who recognised that they had been all too lucky on this occasion; with equivalent numbers, Wotton would have surely separated the home side from their pride, and from all the points.

Wotton Mens 4s return to the Wotton Community PARC this week, with a 3pm pushback against the league leaders, Stroud B.

Stroud should look to their preparation, as Wotton are determined to take more points from all who face their confidence and experienced squad.