SOMERSETT AMBURY
LATEST MATCH REPORTS
TO DATE 2000/1
Confident SAVE ready to take on anyone
Milton Keynes City 0 - 2 SOMERSETT AMBURY V & E
Minerva Footballs Spartan South Midlands League, premier division
SOMERSETT Ambury won comfortably over Milton Keynes at the weekend to make up ground on the teams ahead of them. Andy Leese's team have games in hand over the majority of teams ahead of them, and a couple of wins can see them challenging for a position in the top six.
Their success on Saturday came courtesy of first-half strikes from Peter Ulatowski and Gavin Conway. Ulatowski opened the scoring after 26 minutes when, after neat interplay with Phil Turner, he finished clinically from 10 yards. Two minutes before the interval, Steve Kessack ran onto Paul Robbins long pass and although his effort was blocked by the keeper, Conway picked up the loose ball and slotted home.
In the second period, Turner had a couple of chances to extend the advantage and Steve Wales, having run from midfield, saw his shot come back off the post.
Visiting keeper Mark Virgo was only forced into one save keeping out a header one-handed. This, apart from a disallowed goal, was the only time the hosts really threatened and they could not have complained had SAVE run in two or three more goals. Leese told the Mercury: It's very pleasing, especially as we have a very young side. Apart from Paul Robbins who is 32, everyone else is under 25. We're confident. We don't mind who we play at the moment.
SAVE are shaken at seaside salt town
MALDON TOWN 2 - 1 SOMERSETT AMBURY V & E
F.A. VASE 1st Round
THEY gave a good account of themselves, but Somersett Ambury were just edged out in Saturday?s Vase clash at Maldon. SAVE dominated the first half but didn?t make the most of their chances. Peter Ulatowski shaved the bar with a header and Stuart Brooks put the ball wide when six yards out. The hosts had one or two chances of their own, due mainly to defensive errors, but when the visitors took the lead in the 44th minute, it was thoroughly deserved.
Gavin Conway?s cross was only half-cleared and Ryan Townsend picked up the ball and cut inside his man before firing home.
The second half was a different story. Twice they lost possession when trying to play too much football in the middle of the park and twice they were punished. The first led to a fine finish from the edge of the box and the second brought about a corner from which Mark Virgo turned one effort against the bar only for the Maldon forward to net the rebound. SAVE picked themselves back up after this and could have equalised on a number of occasions. The best opportunity fell to Townsend who was thwarted by the keeper in a one-on-one situation. Manager Andy Leese said afterwards:
?It was quite disappointing because I asked them to do certain things and they didn?t listen.
?However, we certainly weren?t outplayed which I thought could be the case and I think a draw would have been a fair result but we have a lot of young players and they?re on a learning curve. They have to listen.?
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
HOLMER GREEN 1 - 5 SOMERSETT AMBURY V & E
F.A. VASE 2nd Preliminary Round
SAVE F.C. made a little piece of history on Saturday as they progressed to the 1st round proper of the F.A. VASE for the first time at the expense of League rivals Holmer Green F.C. After an enforced break of a couple of weeks SAVE looked a bit rusty in the first 20 minutes and it was no surprise when they went one down on four minutes as a result of sloppy defending. They struggled to find any rhythm until on 28 minutes a move which began with keeper Mark VIRGO saw Steve SCRIPPS get on the end of a Townsend through ball to finish from 18 yards with a first time left foot strike. Peter ULATOWSKI could have added a second a minute later but shot wide from 12 yards. However on 40 minutes he made no mistake after a slick break from defence as Conway and Townsend link for ULATOWSKI to finish from 6 yards and give SAVE a half time lead. The second half saw SAVE soaking up some pressure from Holmer Green in the first 10 minutes of the half but on 55 minutes it was another break from defence that saw ULATOWSKI find SCRIPPS who still had plenty to do before firing under the advancing keeper from 12 yards. SAVE were now in control of the game and on 68 minutes LACEY and ULATOWSKI worked to win the ball back and it was ULATOWSKI who went on to round the keeper and score his second of the game. Holmer Green continued to knock the ball long in SAVE?s penalty area but rarely looked like scoring as Craig, Robbins and Ledger stood firm, ably supported by Virgo. They wrapped the game up 5 minutes from the end when Ryan TOWNSEND was set free on the right and he took the ball on before firing under the Keeper to complete a Vase win that was thoroughly deserved. Manager Andy LEESE was delighted for the club and the players who he felt put in their best performance of the season. ?I felt our season was starting again after a two week break and the players thoroughly deserved the victory. Our style of play relies on workrate and quality of passing and I felt the lads gave a good example of both today against a side who have had a good start to the season!!?
CLOSE, but no cigar for SAVE
SAVE 0 Brook House 1
SAVE have now lost their last four league matches by single-goal margins but their performances are not giving SAVE manager Andy Leese any cause for concern - it's just they can't finish teams off. And although Leese hopes the answer to his goalscoring conundrum lies with the players he already has in the squad, suffered another blow when Scott Lacey suffered ankle ligament damage. The manager is likely to dip into the reserve team rather than rush out and buy a replacement, especially after the impressive full debut of 18-year-old Steve Wales following his step-up from the seconds. Wales was one of several SAVE players who came close against the league leaders on Saturday, without actually obtaining the cigar. Peter Ulatowski had the best chances seeing one effort cleared off the line by a Brook House fender who appeared as if from nowhere. Meanwhile Lacey missed by inches and Steve Kessack forced the visiting keeper into two good saves. They also had strong penalty appeal turned down after a defender blocked Lacey's shot with his hands. "It was very frustrating," said Leese. "It was one of those where you had to be there to believe how much we dominated the game." The away side scored the winner with 10 minutes remaining, Cutham netting from the edge of the box.
Any comments about the Somersett Ambury V & E pages cant be e-mailed to Peter Harris