Hawkings 2 Smack My Pitch Up 6

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (0)2 [Callum Faulds, Stephen Woods] Smack My Pitch Up (1)6

Squad –Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan, Callum Faulds

Hawkings had early chances to take the lead, but were stopped by some fine goalkeeping by the Smack ‘keeper. At the other end, Craig Wilson also made some fine stops, and with a Smack shot hitting the inside of the post, it was a minute before half time before they finally took the lead.

Early in the second half, they scored two more, but Callum Faulds scored a superb goal to reduce the arrears. It was soon 4-1, but Craig Wilson made one incredible double save, Ian Wilson hit the inside of the post and Stephen Woods hit the second Hawkings goal. Two late goals as Hawkings tired put a rather false complexion on the final result.

Man-of-the-match Craig Wilson.

Carpet Munchers 2 Blackwood Homes 5

Carpet Munchers FC (0)2 [Andrew Dignan, Lee Hopkinson] Blackwood Homes (2)5

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Woods, Lee Hopkinson, Rob Danson

As in almost all of the games between these two sides, this was a very tight low-scoring affair. The game was still awaiting its first goal after a full fifteen minutes play – partially due to some incredible goalkeeping from Craig Wilson and a Stephen Woods effort that struck the inside of the post – only for Munchers to give away two quick goals, one from a free kick to Munchers, and the second a soft goal that caught Craig unprepared.

Munchers reduced the lead in the second half when Iain Wilson dispossessed a Blackwood player and passed inside to Andrew Dignan, who found the corner of the net with his effort. A defensive error made it 3-1 shortly afterwards, and Blackwood added a fourth with ten minutes to go. A typical head-down Lee Hopkinson run followed by an untypical left-foot effort into the top corner, brought Munchers back into the game, but Homes scored the final goal of the game in the last minute to leave the full-time score 5-2 in their favour.

Hawkings 7 FC Vernons 4

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (3)7 [Iain Wilson 3, own goal, Stephen Woods 2, Ric Elliott] FC Vernons (2)4

Squad – Chris Elliott, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Woods

Although Hawkings were without any substitutes, and fielded the ill Chris Elliott in goal, they produced their best team performance in months to defeat Vernons. Throughout the game, quick short passes were the order, and Vernons couldn’t cope with them.

Hawkings took the lead when Iain Wilson slotted home a pass from Andrew Dignan, and it was 2-0 when a defender tried to cut out a pass from Dignan to Wilson and slid the ball past his own ‘keeper. Vernons scored with a fine shot from the sidelines to reduce the arrears to 2-1, but Stephen Woods followed up a Ric Elliott shot to make it 3-1. Just before the half-time break, Vernons scored again, but Ric Elliott restored the two goal cushion as soon as the second half began, receiving a throw out from brother Chris and shooting home.

Chris Elliott was in the action with some excellent – and sometimes unorthodox – stops as Vernons created more openings, and Iain Wilson scored his second, following up another Ric Elliott shot, to make it 5-2. Vernons narrowed the lead again, but Iain completed his hat trick to keep it at three goals. Another Vernons goal made it 6-4, but Stephen Woods scored his second to finish the scoring, although Iain Wilson almost had his fourth following a good link-up with Andrew Dignan, only to see the ball come back off the inside of the post.

Carpet Munchers 10 Need to Win 7

Carpet Munchers FC (3)10 [Stephen Woods 2 – 1 penalty, Rob Danson 4, Iain Wilson 3, Lee Hopkinson] Need to Win (4)7

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Lee Hopkinson, Stephen Woods, Stephen Holland, Rob Danson, Andrew Dignan

Munchers won the battle of the bottom sides, although they left it late before gaining the overall advantage. After Stephen Woods gave them an early lead, Munchers spent the next half hour playing catch-up once Andrew Dignan’s deflection slipped under Craig Wilson’s fingers. Need took the lead, only for Rob Danson to equalise, and only some fine saves prevented Munchers going in front. However, late in the first half, two fine strikes put Need to Win ahead, only for Rob Danson to score again with a shot that proved too powerful for the ‘keeper.

Iain Wilson equalised as soon as the second half began, but slackness in the Munchers defence allowed Need to re-establish their two-goal lead. Once again, Rob Danson scored the goals that brought Munchers level at 6-6, the first after Stephen Holland had a shot saved, but no sooner had they done so than Need to Win were in front again.

Munchers got the break they needed when the Need ‘keeper saved a Stephen Woods shot outside his area, and Woods stroked the penalty home to level the scores at 7-7. In the closing minutes, Iain Wilson scored his second to put Munchers in front, Lee Hopkinson extended the lead, and Iain Wilson scored a fine individual goal to complete his hat trick and the scoring.

Carpet Munchers 9 MWFC 6

Carpet Munchers FC (3)9 [Stephen Woods, Iain Wilson 4, Gaz Winter, Lee Hopkinson 2, Rob Danson] MWFC (2)6

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Lee Hopkinson, Stephen Woods, Gaz Winter, Rob Danson

Munchers avenged their 5-11 defeat against the same opposition 5 weeks earlier with a good all-round performance in an enjoyable, competitive match. After falling 2-0 behind, the remainder of the first half saw Munchers well on top, with Stephen Woods opening the scoring and two Iain Wilson goals (the first following some excellent footwork) seeing Munchers 3-2 ahead at half time.

The second half began with further goals from Gaz Winter – a screamer into the top corner – Lee Hopkinson and Rob Danson, before MWFC began to cut back into the lead. 6-2 soon became 6-5, and only some excellent goalkeeping by Craig Wilson kept Munchers in front. With two or three of the Munchers goals attributable to some poor opposition ‘keeping, the importance of having a sound ‘keeper was demonstrated yet again.

In the closing minutes, Iain Wilson scored either side of Lee Hopkinson’s second, and although MWFC scored the final goal, it was only a consolation.

Hawkings 2 Walton Wanderers 11

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (1)2 [Iain Wilson, Rick Elliott] Walton Wanderers (6)11

Squad – Simon Eason, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Chris Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan

The score line gives a totally false impression of a game in which Hawking’s matched and even surpassed their opponents for long periods. After an opening ten minutes where Hawking’s had half a dozen opportunities to score, they fell behind, but quickly levelled with a superbly crafted goal. Chris Elliott on the right passed inside to Stephen Woods, who instantly back heeled the ball to Iain Wilson on the left, and the ball was hit low into the net.

Hawkings continued to look the likelier scorers, and only some excellent goalkeeping kept them at bay, but inexplicably, in the last few minutes of the half, the score line went from 1-1 to 1-6.

Dispirited, Hawkings let Walton control the early stages of the second half, and the score line quickly became 1-10 – some of the Walton finishing was world class. The goal of the night, though, came from Rick Elliott, a bullet shot from the halfway line on the right side of the pitch. The closing minutes saw just one more goal – to Wanderers – and Hawking’s ended the game as they began it, well on top and only kept off the score sheet by some excellent goalkeeping.