MATCH REPORTS 2007/08 SEASON PAGE 2

Tuesday 23rd October - FA Trophy 1st qualifying round replay - Fleet Town 0 Mangotsfield United 2

Saturday 27th October - British Gas Business League Premier Division - Mangotsfield United 0 Rugby Town 0

Another hugely disappointing home performance saw Mangotsfield United record their fourth successive league draw at Cossham Street. In a dour match which offered very little in the way of entertainment the best of the chances fell the way of the home side who once again proved wasteful in front of goal.

Sixth placed Rugby Town made a confident start to the match as they enjoyed the better of the early exchanges. The first chance of the match came the way of the visitors within five minutes after David Stone's threatening run was ended abruptly. From the resultant free kick David Staff's strike from a central position was watched over by John Rendell.

In a match of few chances the home support had to wait until the twenty first minute for a sight of goal when a Darren Wheeler corner from the right was met by Alan Griffin whose close range header was cleared off the line by Aaron Stringfellow.

With half time approaching the Mangotsfield defence was opened up after a crossfield ball from left to right picked out the unmarked Alex Bolt on the right flank where he made ground into the penalty area where with only John Rendell to beat he dragged his shot across goal.

The final action of a poor first came on the stroke of half time when a Darren Wheeler corner from the left was cleared as far as Ellis Wilmot whose powerfully struck volley was blocked.

The second half failed to improve as a spectacle as both sides continually gave away possession on a poor playing surface. Rugby's only chance of the entire second half came on fifty four minutes after fine work from David Stone whose trickery tight to the byline earned him space to pick out Stephen Morley whose strike from the right side of the penalty area was blocked by Ellis Wilmot.

Minutes later Mangotsfield went close to taking the lead when a loose ball broke to Gary Horgan twenty yards from goal where from just left of centre his rising drive was tipped over by on loan goalkeeper Martyn Margarson.

After a largely uneventful forty minutes the final five minutes of the half saw Mangotsfield United create two chances to settle an uninspiring match. On eighty five minutes Neil Arndale's pinpoint cross from the right was met by Alan Griffin who was denied by Margarson's fine diving save whilst moments later poor defending allowed a low free kick from the left to find Alan Griffin who contrived to shoot well wide from ten yards out. 

Saturday 3rd November - FA Trophy 2nd qualifying round - Leatherhead 1 Mangotsfield United 1

 Mangotsfield United face an unwanted replay on Tuesday night after Scott Forrester's late equaliser cancelled out Neil Arndale's first half opener. In a largely uneventful match both teams struggled in the final third as the ability to finish was sadly lacking.

The opening exchanges of an uninspiring FA Trophy second qualifying round tie were evenly contested and for the most part played out in the midfield areas. After an quiet opening Mangotsfield took the lead in the twenty fourth minute through Neil Arndale. The goal came after a move on the Mangotsfield left which saw the ball worked to Alan Griffin whose shot from the left side of the area was parried by Paul McCarthy, but with the Leatherhead defence failing to react the ball broke to Neil Arndale who drilled the ball home from fourteen yards for his first goal for the club.

The only other chance of the first half came the way of Mangotsfield after Leatherhead goalkeeper Paul McCarthy's poor clearance was picked up by Alan Griffin who's strike from thirty yards was claimed by McCarthy who had recovered his position to make a comfortable save.

The hosts who had failed to register a worthwhile strike on goal in the first half fashioned an opening two minutes after the restart when a diagonal ball from the right was met at the back post by the unmarked Scott Forrester who headed tamely at John Rendell.

Leatherhead offered more of a threat during the second half and went close to levelling on fifty nine minutes when Scott Forrester received the ball on the right side of the Mangotsfield area where he was denied as John Rendell saved low down at his near post to turn the ball behind for a corner.

On seventy five minutes Mangotsfield were lucky not to concede after Jack Allward was dispossessed midway inside the opponents half allowing the home side to launch a swift counter attack which culminated in substitute Julien Thompson making ground into the Mangotsfield penalty area where from just ten yards and with only John Rendell to beat he blazed over.

Mangotsfield should have booked their place in the first round proper on seventy eight minutes when Darren Wheeler who had been pushed further forward after the substitution of Luke Ballinger beat the offside trap to run clear of the Leatherhead defence only to loose control of the ball when presented with a one on one with goalkeeper Paul McCarthy.

This was to prove costly as Leatherhead drew level with just two minutes remaining after some uncharacteristically poor defending was punished after a long throw from the right was allowed to bounce inside the penalty area where the ball was scrambled clear to the edge of the box where Billy Marshall found Aaron Murphy whose cross from the right was met by Scott Forrester who despite appeals for offside finished from close range.

Despite having conceded a late equaliser Mangotsfield could have restored their one goal lead after creating two chances in the remaining minutes. On eighty nine minutes a low cross from the left was met by Jon French whose shot from six yards out crashed against the bar, whilst in added time Darren Wheeler's deep corner from the right was met by Gary Thorne who headed over. 

Tuesday 6th November - FA Trophy 2nd qualifying round replay - Mangotsfield United 1 Leatherhead 1 (Leatherhead win 3 - 1 on penalties)

Mangotsfield United were sent crashing out of a cup competition by lower league opposition for the second time this season as Leatherhead booked a place in the third qualifying round after extra time and a penalty shoot out. The visitors made the perfect start to the tie by taking a second minute lead through Julien Thompson, however the lead was short lived as Ronnie Mowatt levelled for Mangotsfield in the fifteenth minute. In a match of few clearcut chances the sides couldn't be separated during normal time whilst thirty minutes of extra time failed to produce a single chance of note. With penalties required Leatherhead held their collective nerve as Mangotsfield failed to find the target with three of their four penalties whilst the visitors from Surrey went through with a 100% record from the spot.

Leatherhead were given a huge lift with an opening goal after just two minutes when John Rendell's poor clearance fell to Billy Marshall on the right flank where after looking up the ball was crossed to the unmarked Julien Thompson who had the simple task of side footing home from ten yards.

The match should have been levelled on eight minutes when after being awarded a free kick on the right Ellis Wilmot's pinpoint delivery was met by the unmarked Alan Griffin who failed to find the target with a glancing header from ten yards out as Leatherhead goalkeeper Paul McCarthy looked on motionless.

Griffin's earlier miss was forgotten as Mangotsfield levelled on fifteen minutes after Luke Ballinger was picked out wide on the left where after riding one challenge his low cross from tight to the goal-line was cleared as far as Ronnie Mowatt who drilled in a low strike from the edge of the area which nestled in the bottom left corner.

Despite enjoying good spells of possession Mangotsfield failed to muster another chance during the remainder of the half as the visitors carried the greater goal threat.

On thirty five minutes after receiving the ball in a central position Scott Forrester showed good awareness when playing the ball inside to Scott Bennetts whose shot from just inside the area flashed across goal and wide of the far post.

Six minutes later, after latching onto a loose ball Leatherhead midfielder Aaron Murphy was denied by John Rendell who went some way to atoning for his earlier error when tipping Murphy's twenty five yard strike over the bar.

After a slow start to the second half in which both teams struggled to find any rhythm Mangotsfield were the first to fashion an opening after Jack Allward broke from midfield to find Alan Griffin wide on the left where after coming inside he drilled in a low strike straight at Paul McCarthy.

Leatherhead who offered very little during the second half were limited to a couple of efforts from free kicks the best of which came on fifty nine minutes when Scott Forrester went close with a curling strike from twenty yards.

The final twenty minutes of normal time saw Mangotsfield play their best football of the match but despite this a crucial second goal never came.

On seventy five minutes a glorious chance to take the lead was passed by when the Leatherhead rearguard failed to clear an Ellis Wilmot corner allowing Alex Ball a free header inside the six yard box only for the central defender to direct his header straight at Paul McCarthy in the visitors goal.

Minutes later another chance went begging after fine work from Luke Ballinger saw the pacey striker break down the Leatherhead left before drilling in a low cross which McCarthy claimed low down at the near post.

With the remaining minutes failing to produce a goal the tie went into extra time, however despite a further thirty minutes of football penalties were required as neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled.

Mangotsfield were first up from the spot with Alex Ball planting the ball to Paul McCarthy's left. Leatherhead drew level through Ben Shannon before Mangotsfield captain Paul Milsom blazed over.

The visitors went a penalty clear courtesy of Scott Forrester who despatched the ball into the top left corner. With Mangotsfield trailing Wayne Thorne's spot kick cannoned against the foot of an upright.

Leatherhead's third spot kick was driven home by Stewart Holmes to give his side a two goal advantage with two penalties remaining. Mangotsfield bowed out when Paul McCarthy turned Luke Ballinger's penalty onto an upright.

Saturday 10th November - British Gas Business League Premier Division - Mangotsfield United 1 Brackley Town 0

Mangotsfield United recorded their fifth league win of the season with a hard earned victory over fourth placed Brackley Town. In a match of few chances the decisive goal came after fifty one minutes when the returning Dave Morrissey glanced Ellis Wilmot's free kick into the bottom right corner to earn Mangotsfield United a welcome home win and three much needed points.

After an evenly contested opening fifteen minutes the first chance of the match came the way of the hosts after good work on the right saw Dave Morrissey cross to the back post where strike partner Alan Griffin headed wide of goal.

Brackley who were to offer very little in terms of an attacking threat created their first opening on twenty seven minutes after being awarded a hotly disputed free kick which Tom Willshire drilled towards the top right corner only to be denied by John Rendell who at full stretch tipped the ball onto the crossbar and behind for corner.

Mangotsfield almost took the lead on thirty three minutes when the Brackley rearguard failed to clear a corner from the left allowing Alan Griffin to head goalwards only for his effort to be scrambled off the line.

The final action of an evenly contested if scrappy first half fell to the visitors when a corner from the right was cleared  as far as Guy Hadland whose powerfully struck shot on the volley flashed a yard over.

Within six minutes of the restart Mangotsfield took the lead courtesy of Dave Morrissey. The hard working targetman who was making his first start of the season reacted quickest to glance Ellis Wilmot's free kick just inside the far post leaving Brackley Town goalkeeper Tom Willshire well beaten.

Despite an improved second half performance Mangotsfield were unable to add to their lead with the only other notable chance coming in the eighty ninth minute when Brackley Town goalkeeper Paul Willshire's clearance from the edge of the penalty area was picked up by Ronnie Mowatt whose first time strike went a yard wide.

Brackley who failed to register a strike on target during the second half applied some late pressure and went close to snatching a dramatic late leveller when Josh Green headed wide from six yards out.