14/4/2008

Sport

Boro all but up after early burst

by Mark Hardy

TWELVE months ago the supporters of Farnborough Town did not know whether they would have a football team to support this season.

Now just eight months since Tony Theo, Simon Hollis, Steve Duly and Andy Clement put together a team from scratch, they sit proudly at the top of the division, needing just a solitary point from their final three games to take the title and promotion to step three of the non-league pyramid.

With the results going in Boro’s favour — Oxford City lost to Bridgwater Town and Didcot Town drew with AFC Hayes, it was Boro’s day.

Fleet did win 3-2 at Burnham, but such is their inferior goal difference in comparison to Boro’s — 28 plays 70 — that, while they could conceivably draw level on points, they simply cannot overturn such a goals gap over two matches.

Didcot, also six points behind Farnborough, with just two games to play, are closer in terms of goal difference but Boro’s is still 14 better than the Railwaymen’s.

So, unless freaky results happen, then the title is bound to end up at Cherrywood Road, especially as Boro have a game in hand.

Andy Clement made a couple of changes from the side that dispatched Andover 6-0 in Boro’s last league outing. Michael Barima came in for the suspended Ryan Hill and Marcus Richardson returned up front alongside Michael Bartley.

With a fierce breeze blowing across Privett Park, Farn-borough set about their task. The pitch was in better condition to some that Boro have played on this season and they got the ball down and passed well.

Indeed, Clement’s men took the lead with just ten minutes on the clock, after Bartley was upended on the edge of the penalty area. Up stepped Rob Saunders to curl home his 20th league goal of the season and leave Gosport keeper Mark Brown stranded — and his manager now definitely £50 lighter in his wallet, after a pre-season bet.

The lead was doubled just three minutes later as Darren Wheeler continued his scoring spree, calmly passing the ball into the bottom corner, off the far post.

Farnborough were com-pletely in the ascendancy as Gosport struggled to get out of their own half — and, when they did, the Boro back three kept them at bay.

The visitors created more opportunities as the half wore on. Saunders fired just over with another 20-yarder and, following great recovery play by Wheeler and Ian Oliver, Richardson headed the latter’s cross against the post.

Bartley also shot wide after intricate play on the edge of the penalty area.

With the wind still blowing across the pitch and a dirty black cloud hovering above, Gosport started the second half well and had Boro defending as they tried to salvage something from their last home game of the season.

But the Boro defence remained strong and Gosport were limited to shots from distance, which Beazley comfortably dealt with.

Boro had the ball in the net on 71 minutes after Dave Woozley had volleyed home from Wheeler’s free kick, only to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside. Richardson had strayed offside but Woozley appeared to be onside, so Boro were hard done by.

Gosport finally got through the Boro defence, deep into injury-time, when the division’s top scorer, Justin Bennett, broke clear. His shot was well blocked by Beazley, and the follow-up cleared off the line by Oliver for a corner.

But from that corner Gosport  pulled a goal back, with James Ford firing past Beazley.

So, Boro move to Saturday, when the champagne can be placed on ice as Windsor & Eton come to Cherrywood Road, looking for important points themselves as they aim for the final play-off spot.

Boro: Beazley 7, Evans 7 (Marshall 6), Oliver 6, Doyle 7, Woozley 7, Rumbold 6, Saunders 7, Barima 6, Richardson 6, Bartley 6, Wheeler 6 (Harkness 6). Subs not used, Theo, Ciardini, Gray.

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail