Velocity Wessex League Premier Division – Saturday 13th April 2024
Hythe & Dibden 1 (Papakonstinou 24)
Shaftesbury 2 (Beard 6, Pitman 90+3)
Shaftesbury win their seventh game in a row as the season comes to a close with a hard fought win at the Hythe Garage Services Stadium.
We made a fast start as Brett Pitman got wide on the right and dinked an effort onto Luke Deacon’s crossbar which Cameron Beard nodded over the line for his 15th goal in all competitions this season.
To be fair Hythe & Dibden off the back of a victory over Cowes Sports made a good go of it and when we allowed them to cut in on the left and Shane Murphy couldn’t quite get his gloves on it there was Christos Papakonstinou to slam home the leveller in front of a home support that had not seen a game here in 67 days due to postponements.
Marcel Laptas was proving a handful and Ash Wells and Sam Davidson had work to do. Liam Farrugia was also putting in another decent shift as the home side got on the front foot. Hythe should have taken the lead in the 39th minute when the ball broke loose to Ryan Harfield who’s shot was flying into the top corner yet Davidson headed it away for a corner.
Level at half time and we took that on board. Manager Jim Milligan had his aces on the bench and Callum Sweeney came on to do the same job as he did at Baffins Milton Rovers last Saturday. Louis Kellaway and Cameron Beard were in the midfield tussle with Dan Bartlett and Ben Satterley trying to get the ball down to play.
Both sides had to hit long balls as the pitch had been so damaged in parts yet this was a good game and Hythe put up a good show and probably deserved a share of the spoils. However we kept at it. Beard had a powerful header pushed away by Deacon and Pitman went agonizingly close as we pressed with Asa Philips and Greg Peel introduced. Peel doing his hold up work once again.
Hythe thought they had a penalty when Ethan Harness was hit the deck yet referee Derek Pratt was very much in charge and waved it away. Milligan will have been pleased how we scrapped for every second ball and how Davidson and Wells jostled out the pacy Hythe breaks.
Then it happened. Cutting in after dropping off into injury time Pitman got the ball and placed a low shot past Deacon for his 54th league goal of the season to put us 2-1 ahead.
There was still time for a Hythe free kick on the edge of the box which Shane Murphy saved comfortably to seal a hard fought win and league double over a Hythe team that has put in two good showings against us. They have a chance to show what they can do on Monday night vs United Services Portsmouth at the Garage Stadium.
There isn’t much time to enjoy this as this week sees two away matches at Laverstock & Ford and Portland United before the regular season closes at home to Andover New Street and it’s into the play offs.
Hythe & Dibden – Deacon, Golding, Boon, Crookes (Capt), Batley, Hartness, Laptas, Parker -Trott, Thompson, Papakonstinou, Harfield – Subs – Scorey, Keyse, Cox, Wyatt, Lycett
Shaftesbury – Murphy (Capt), Farrugia, Davidson, Wells, Beard, Kellaway, Bartlett, Pitman, Perrett, Green, Satterley
Subs used – Sweeney, Peel, Philips
Officials – D. Pratt, B.Underwood, J.Rhodes
Bookings – Crookes (Hythe & Dibden), Scorey (Hythe & Dibden), Laptas (Hythe & Dibden)
Wells (Shaftesbury)
⭐ Star Man – The Rock (Sam Davidson)
Attendance – 94
Report/Photos – Avril Lancaster
Liam Farrugia in the mix holding off Christos Papakonstinou at the Garage Stadium and in an aerial duel.
The Rock – Sam Davidson was immense at the Garage Stadium. No doubt he will be looking forward to Lavvy and Portland as will Jim 😛.
