We played second placed Knaphill FC on Tuesday 27th February and were defeated 6-1 after some calamitous defending from our team; we were very much the architects of our own downfall having started well in the first 27 minutes.
We welcomed back to the football club our play off hero from last season, We welcome back Jaevon Dyer. We also had back in a central defensive berth Callum Wilson after his move back to us from Guildford City and we welcomed onto the bench Matt Macgillivray who has joined us from Colliers Wood. Even though we welcomed these returning or new players we still very much had a patched up side after injuries cost us the services of Rory Edwards, Ethan Brazier and Carl Oblitey.
As the game started we were a good match for our higher placed opponents but as so often in recent matches fell behind to the first defensive mistake of the evening on 7 minutes. We responded well and had a very good chance to level a few minutes later when TJ’s header went the wrong side of the goalpost. Wells did get back on level terms in the 27th minute when Thompson Adjemi was fouled in the box and Nick ‘Tricky’ Wilson converted the spot kick. Instead of holding onto the draw until at least half time, we fell further behind with another defensive error 3 minutes and later and three to add insult to injury instead of clearing a ball into ‘Row Z’ the ball bounced kindly for the Knaphill forward a few minutes later and we found ourselves 3-1 down. This is how the half ended. We did have some good attacking play in the first half which made the half time score a bit harsh on us and in particular the returning Jaevon Dyer was causing the Knaphill midfield and defence all manner of problems.
In the second half we fell further behind in the 51st and 57th minute. What was noticeable was that Jaevon Dyer had obviously been pinpointed by the Knaphill management at half time as our danger man and they promptly put at least two players if not three onto him as soon as he got the ball. We did have a ‘purple patch’ for a good 15 to 20 minutes in the second half when we were certainly on top and with a bit more luck might have got a goal or two back. In fact in the third minute of injury time Knaphill scored their 6th of the game and that is how the game finished.
So a chastening defeat for our team, which they must bounce back from as soon as possible especially with a home game against mid-table Sandhurst Town on Saturday (2nd March), where we simply must get something from the game.