Resilient Romsey Town draws against Folland Sports

A resilient Romsey Town gained a hard earned point with a scoreless draw at Folland Sports last Saturday. The hosts may have been propping up the table, but an influx of new players since the Planemakers were downed by 3-1 at The AEC Protection Ground just ten days previously, witnessed a vastly improved performance from them.

Town boss Andy Samuels named the same starting XI that defeated Verwood Town by 3-0  in midweek, the first time Romsey have fielded an unchanged line up this season, and his side started brightly with Aaron Scott firing an effort over the bar in the fifth minute. Follands mustered their first shot on target in the 13th minute when their captain Dart provided an inviting cross for Mason, who headed weakly into Miles Bartram’s hands. Dart was the provider again when his side came within a whisker of grabbing the lead in the 20th minute . His teasing cross to the back post was met by a powerful header that Bartam did well to palm onto the post before Town’s defence hacked the ball off the line.

Follands were now on top, and Bartram pulled off a smart save low down by the post to deny Dart, who was pulling all the strings in midfield. Harry Prisk played a clever pass to set Hubert Cegielka free and his cross shot required a diving save at the expense of a corner. Cegielka then fired a half chance over the bar as the game reached half-time.

The hosts stepped up the tempo and created the first chance of the second half as Mason failed to connect cleanly and shot tamely at Bartram when well placed. In the 55thminute Hayward  created a chance for Simkin but the midfielder leant back and his shot from ten yards cannoned off Town’s bar to safety. Romsey skipper Owen Holloway spared his defence’s blushes when from a corner he kicked a goalbound effort off the line, as Follands ramped up the pressure. Town’s defence stood firm with newly converted centre back Alex Wilson putting in another standout performance. 

Romsey were not be subdued and with fifteen minutes left Zach Earley’s corner was headed just wide by substitute Josh Gibson. The young striker then fashioned another chance when with his back to goal he turned his marker and hit a bullet shot that Folland’s ‘keeper was at full stretch to push round the post. Next it was Prisk whose free kick was met by George Ockwell’s stooping header that the ‘keeper was able to smother at the foot of the post. The hosts were hanging on now and as time ran out a cross field move involving substitute Oscar McCulloch, Geoff Dunn and Mark Fawley saw the full back’s teasing cross glanced by Cegielka before being cleared for a corner.

Commenting after the game Samuels said, “Obviously disappointed not to build on the win against Verwood last Tuesday, but to give Follands credit they were well organised and will themselves feel frustrated to maybe not win the game. Though we didn’t play as well as we have done, we defended very well indeed making it two clean sheets in a row. Since we’ve made a few tweaks to how we play, we’ve lost only three times in our last ten League and Cup games, so there’s been a good improvement in standards and consistency which the lads deserve credit for. We have a tough game tomorrow and we know that we must be right on our game if we want to pick up a positive result.” Romsey travel to third-placed Alresford Town tomorrow (ko 3pm) in a Division One fixture, before hosting Lymington Town Reserves at The AEC Protection Ground next Tuesday evening (ko 7.45pm) in a Third Round Southampton Senior Cup tie.