Sonning 1st XI 1 – 1 Folkestone Optimists 1st XI

On a balmy and unseasonably warm October afternoon, Sonning welcomed Folkestone Optimists 1st XI for a first round trophy clash. The game started at breakneck pace, and the on-looking Sonning supporters might have been forgiven for thinking that neither side had played a fixture just 24 hours earlier. The play ran end to end, with Sonning playing on the break through Painter, Manser and Gallagher, against a quick and skilful Folkestone side who had the lion’s share of possession in midfield.

Folkestone struck first, with the Sonning defence once again beaten by a misfiring short corner routine. A regulation ‘pea-roller’ made its way right through Rob Merriman’s famed weak spot (a weakness that no Folkestone player took advantage of in the penalty flick shootout later in the afternoon!) and rattled the goal’s backboard, to the dismay of the Sonning crowd. 0-1.

Sonning struggled to keep pace with their visitors after this, and with around 15 minutes in the half, both sides found themselves down to 10 men, with Paul Brown finding himself in an altercation with a polite but aggressive centre forward from the opposition. Both took a seat for 5 minutes.

Back at 11 vs. 11, the play continued at a frantic pace. Sonning’s midfield of Hinton, Lockhart, Ridley and Waddington began to get more of a foothold in the game when in possession, but found themselves continually stretched defensively. Time and time again however, the back four of Anderson, Terry, Brown and Sloper in particular bailed them out, with some last-ditch heroics keeping Sonning in the match.

It was during one of these phases of play, just before the half time whistle, that Folkestone found themselves down to 10 again. Sloper made a tremendous tackle that the same Folkestone forward took exception to, and as against Brown he lost his temper, attempting a complex Street Fighter move (#hadouken) that nearly sent Sloper’s stick into orbit.

In the early exchanges of the second half, Sonning couldn’t make the most of their numerical advantage, but as they had discussed at half time, they did start playing with a bit more pace and purpose, and eventually they began to turn the momentum. The #leftside in particular started to find their feet, and Painter’s work rate in particular yielded plenty of opportunities. With around 10 minutes remaining, Jimmy Manser levelled the score, demonstrating a poacher’s instinct as he turned in a loose ball from close range in what was one of the scrappiest phases of play in the whole game. They all count just the same however, and Sonning finally had their well-deserved equaliser after showing impressive resolve to stay in the game. 1-1.

In the last few minutes of the game, both sides tried to find the winner, but with tiring legs on both sides, the score stayed level, and penalty strokes were required to split the sides. From Sonning, skipper Ridley stepped up, alongside Brown, Gallagher, Lockhart and Hinton, facing off against 5 of Folkestone’s finest:

- First, Gallagher slotted his penalty with aplomb, high and to the right, while Folkestone converted their first effort. 1-1.
- Next up, Paul Brown scored his penalty, low and to the left, despite the keeper moving before the stroke was taken (and receiving a warning from the umpires as he left the goal), before keeper Merriman made his first important save. Getting down low and near the left post with his stick. 2-1.
- With the third stroke, Ridley stepped up, putting his flick high and to the right, but the keeper made an excellent save, and turned the ball onto his post. Folkestone then converted their effort which Merriman could reach, but not keep out. 2-2.
- Fourth up, Lockhart put his effort low and to the left, but not accurately enough, it was saved. However, as the keeper had been warned earlier, he was again deemed by the umpires to have moved before the penalty was taken, so a re-take was given. Lockhart went the same way, but this time with far greater accuracy, and he converted, while under immense pressure, Merriman saved the following Folkestone flick. 3-2.
- Last up for Sonning was who else but the wizard of Ning, who just needed to score to complete the win. Never in doubt, he stepped up and sent the keeper to the left, while nonchalantly flicking up into the roof of the net on the right to send the crowd wild (…ish)

Goalscorers: Jimmy Manser
MOM: Rob Merriman
DOD: Jimmy Manser