SONNING 1 - 1 MARLOW
17th November 2007

Sonning arrived at Braywick in good time for an away fixture against a Marlow side who had demonstrated themselves to be a tough opposition against other teams in the top half of the MBBO Div 3 league.

The combination of a Sonning warm up with no real zeal, and Captain Butler's fleeting Team talk conspired to see to it that Sonning, usually 'up for it' from the first whistle, were still half asleep as Marlow pushed back at 3.00pm.

By contrast, the Marlow team knew that they were to face a Sonning side whose results had seen them unbeaten in the league so far.

A Marlow push back saw them attack from the off. A good blend of solid, experienced defenders and some youthful pace and skills through the Midfield took the sleepy Sonning by surprise with good passing and energy off the ball. Sonning worked hard to press the opposition to win back the ball, only to squander the possession with weak passing and unforced errors.

A lack of positional discipline from all sections of the Sonning side left them uncharacteristically exposed to good inter play through the midfield by Marlow. However, Marlow's attacking was very direct and was initially mopped up by strong tackling from Dingwall and Campbell.

A run of stronger attacking by Marlow saw Sonning fend off several shots, most of which were wide of the mark, but when the ball hit Goodwin's foot on the line, a flick was inevitable.

Sonning breathed a sigh of relief as the Marlow man hit the post, and a ruffled Sonning went into half time to patch up the leaks before the ship started sinking.

Sonning started the second half with renewed energy and determination. But after 10 minutes, Marlow were once again applying pressure finding their midfield and forward players in space. Sonning were not without reply, but Trojan Marlow defences saw Sonnings numerous one on one chances thwarted by good tackling on the edge of the D.

Then the worst happened. Sonning finally conceded a short corner. Electing to fire a straight strike, the Marlow shot found a gap between keeper Mac's pads. One nil down in one of those games where you feel as though you couldn't score a goal even if you elected to smuggle the ball over the line concealed in a Panzer tank.

Testament to the spirit of this team so far this season, Sonning regrouped from the push back and redoubled their efforts. Marlow became more defensive allowing Sonning to push on and command more possession. Sonning mounted increasing pressure on the Marlow D looking for a rare mistake from the resolute Marlow defence.

Finally, with less than two minutes on the clock, Captain Butler picked up the ball outside the right hand side of the Marlow D and, sensing the defenders' nerves jangling, drove directly into the danger area. Hesitation from the defenders, not wishing to concede a short corner, allowed Butler to penetrate and attack the near post. Seeing no obvious drop pass, but mindful of a possible rebound, Butler tested the Keeper with a speculative attempt on Goal. The ball flew past the hapless keeper through the most narrow of gaps to find the inside of the back post and come to rest in the Goal.

A body blow to Marlow who could almost taste victory, but it was a relieved Sonning who went home glad of the single point to stay top of the Table.