Tooting On Cloud Nine With Yet Another Win
- Official TMUFC
- Dec 4, 2016
- 2 min read
The current crop of Terrors equalled a club record today that was set way back in 1958 as the team notched up their 9th consecutive league win with a narrow victory over Faversham Town at the KNK Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Without wanting to tempt fate, that team from the 1957-58 season used that run as a launchpad to go on and win the Isthmian League title.
Tooting started today’s game brightly and dominated the opening encounters during the first ten minutes or so of the match. Despite having the upper hand though they were unable to take advantage as clearly the Faversham management had done their homework and kept plenty of men behind the ball and ensured that the Tooting midfield were closed down very quickly giving them little time on the ball. That said, it was by no means a negative performance from the visitors who always looked to threaten when they broke forward, always with 3 or 4 players coming through from midfield to support the man in possession. It was very much a game of cat and mouse in the first 45 minutes though as Tooting tried to unpick the lock to the visitors’ defence but at the same time had to ensure that things were kept tight at the back.
The second half saw the visitors pressing Tooting back far more than they had in the first half. However despite the second period being far more even than the first in terms of possession, Matte Pierson in the Terrors’ goal was never seriously threatened as the defensive midfield and back four stuck to their job well and kept any threats from Faversham at bay. The breakthrough for Tooting finally came in the 76th minute when they won a free kick by the corner flag on the right hand side after substitute Danny Bassett had been caught by a stray Faversham foot. It was swung in left footed, by Man of the Match Peter Wedgeworth and landed right on the edge of the 6 yard box. A short melee ensued before the ball broke to Chace O'Neill standing poised about 10 yards from goal. He brought the ball under control with one touch before striking it right footed, beating Godman in the Faversham goal and finding the back of the net via the inside of a post. From that point onwards, whist Tooting still had some defending to do, it was the home side that looked far more likely to extend their lead than the visitors were to draw level.
Photo credit: Sam Conquest