4 posts tagged “whyteleafe”

Report by Brian Davis
Whyteleafe ended their season with a lacklustre defeat that could have been worse but for some poor finishing and a tremendous penalty save.  This looked a game too far for 'Leafe who, having battled their way out of the relegation zone, found themselves with a few end of season games with no pressure.
After the early exchanges in which neither side gained the ascendancy, the first good chance fell to 'Leafe in the 20th minute when Leon McDowell forced a fine save from Danny Firkins, following his well directed header from a Callum McLean free kick.
Eight minutes later Ryan Rummery went close, playing a one-two with Daniel Platel before firing just wide of the far post. Jason Mabbs had Croydon’s first decent attempt on the half hour, forcing Danny Coote to catch the ball at full stretch. Issa Thomas put Moses Ademola clear in the 43rd minute. He rounded Coote, but with an open goal in front of him, somehow missed the target.
Ademola then set up Adam Wadmore in the 56th minute, but he shot way over from close range. Mabbs then headed the ball towards goal in the 58th minute but Luke Basford was back to head away from goal. The referee however awarded a penalty against Coote for a foul after the ball had been headed by Mabbs. Wadmore took the penalty which was well struck, low towards the corner of goal, but Coote made an excellent save, tipping round for a corner.
Coote then saved 'Leafe again in the 66th minute, tipping over from Ryan Adams. Croydon took the lead in the 75th minute with a good strike from substitute Frankie Warren.
Croydon continued to carve out chances and 'Leafe were fortunate that Ademola missed three very easy chances in the closing stages. To make matters harder they had to play the closing minutes with ten men when McDowell limped off having already made all three substitutions.
Whyteleafe came closest to scraping an equaliser in the 88th minute. A Luke Basford free kick was tipped over the bar. The resulting corner found Danny Arkwright in the box, but he only got a faint touch and the ball drifted harmlessly off for a goal kick.
Whyteleafe: Coote, Riley, Basford, Newman, Arkwright, Barrett (Castrechino 56), MacLean (Conroy 58), Smith (Conroy 75), McDowell, Rummery, Platel (Rivers 56).

Monday 23rd April 2007
Whyteleafe Vets 1 Met Police 2 (played at Imber Court)

Whyteleafe went ahead through a well worked goal from Gary Wilgoss and looked to be the better team for much of the first half. Unfortunately though, the Met Police team were noticeably younger and kept going when the 'Leafe legs tired. The Blues equalised when Nigel Skeetes headed into his own net from close range and found the winner in the 89 minute from a quickly taken free-kick.

Attendance: 138

This was another game in which 'Leafe started well, but since the head injury sustained by Sean Rivers, they have have failed to score in six of the last seven matches.

Despite starting the match well it was Met Police who took the lead in the twelth minute when a mix up in the home defence left Luke Cornwall in the clear. He took the ball round Danny Coote and walked it into the empty net, but was unable to take any further part in the match as he picked up a hamstring injury.

Whyteleafe had a great chance to equalise in the 16th minute when a powerful header from Danny Platel was cleared off the line. Three minutes later, a cross from Michael Riley was flicked on by Rivers,  but was just out of the reach of the stretching Platel at the far post. Shortly afterwards, two former 'Leafe favourites combined to create a chance: Ryan Gray’s well struck corner picking out Gary Elliott, whose header Coote saved.

'Leafe had the better of the rest of the first half and should have equalised on the stroke of half time when Riley was found unmarked in the box, but he didn’t seem to realise just how much time he had and snatched at his shot which sailed over the bar.

Met Police effectively made the game safe early in the second half. A long cross into the box found substitute Jon Daly whose firm header found the back of the net.
 
The referee was slowly losing control of the game and little battles were breaking out. Manager Swindlehurst sensibly brought off the volatile Callum McLean who had already received a caution for a rash challenge and also brought on Ryan Rummery and Dean Eaton in an attempt to get back into the game.
 
Leafe’s chances also increased in the 73rd minute when the referee at last took some action, sending off Dave Newman for throwing a punch. the homesters went close a minute later when Platel’s shot from a Riley cross was deflected for a corner. Danny Arkwright saved Leafe in the 86th minute with a clearance off the line after a mistake by Danny Coote.

Will just a couple of minutes remaining, Robert Smith found Ellis Conroy on the edge of the box. He had two shots blocked before the ball fell to Eaton who shot just wide. Rummery was then just beaten to a long ball by the outrushing Will Packham. 'Leafe did find the back of the net in injury time when Eaton put Rummery through, and he slotted home, but he was ruled offside.

Whyteleafe:  Coote, Riley, Basford, Reeve, Arkwright, Clark (Eaton 69), MacLean (Conroy 58), Smith, Rivers (Riley 71), McDowell (Rummery 54), Platel.

 

OK, so this will become the page for news reports and photos for the mighty 'Leafe. Not perhaps what blog software was really designed for, but makes my job of updating it ten times easier!
Come on you 'Leafe!