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Woodbridge Town 1-0 Harleston Town

Woodbridge Town 1-0 Harleston Town

HTFC ADMIN23 Nov - 19:23
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First Team lose in wet and windy conditions but The Reserves win 3-2 against Carlton Colville

Harleston Town were defeated 1-0 at Woodbridge Town this afternoon.

Now before I go into the report I want to state that Woodbridge Town fully deserved the 3 points and the result was a fair one and we would like to thank Woodbridge for their kind hospitality and welcome. A great club with great people and its always nice to catch up with them.

But the officiating at times was strange which some of the report will demonstrate.

The conditions were wet and incredibly windy. Watching both sets of GKs warming up you could see that the wind was going to play a big factor.

Town choose to kick against the wind in the first half and started well when Spencer Cawcutts effort was well blocked.

The wind was a huge advantage for the home side in the first half (as it was for Town in the second) and they created their first opportunity when a cross come shot flashed wide of Prides post.

Elliot was very busy in the first half and he had another effort to stop just after 15 minutes when the Woodbridge striker had header on target. Town then created a good opportunity which was really well worked.

The ball was fired into Stone and his clever back heel found Turner who struck his shot over the bar.

Just over the half way point of the first half Pride made the first of his brilliant saves. The home side worked it well and the Woodbridge striker found himself on goal but Elliot Pride made a brilliant on on one save.

Then the breakthrough came for the home side and it was coming with the sustained pressure with the conditions. The ball was played down the left hand side and the well worked cross found Liam Ablitt who tucked away well.

Pride then denied Woodbridge again with a brilliant finger tipped save to keep the score at 1-0 and then moments later made another great stop.

Then there was some strange refereeing decisions made. First of all this isn't sour grapes because as previously mentioned the result was a fair one but this was the first of a few strange decisions.

First of all Robbie Turner was booked for what i would call 2 soft fouls and neither were really appealed by Woodbridge manager Luke Hyam and his coaching staff and the Woodbridge players themselves but none the less the booking was given.

Have you ever seen a goalkeeping booked for time wasting when they are on the losing side? Well it happened here and it was a very strange one, Elliot Pride had to kick into the wind first half and it was a very strong one. Elliot was shown the yellow card for time wasting which was greeted with a cheer by the Woodbridge fans but almost laughter from both sets of players and managers. I will add ( and rightfully so) the Woodbridge keeper took his time in the second half to which the referee added 6 minutes of added time in the first half and only 3 in the second half. Its consistency at the end of the day and if you set a precedent you need to then follow it through. Then at one stage Panny found himself through on goal after great flick on by Stone but the referee seemed to blow for a head injury for the Woodbridge defender which was again strange and then he ended up giving a freekick but no clarity was given to anybody within the technical area or the playing staff.

Half time came and Town would have taken going in at 1-0 down considering how many saves Pride had made and the conditions.

Town had the wind second half so you felt that we would get more joy and we did.

Robbie Turner flashed a cross come shot that went wide of the target 5 minutes into the second half.

Turner was really at the heart of the action for Town as he was played through on goal and saw his effort well cleared on the line. He then found himself through on goal again but the Woodbridge defender got back to make a super challenge.

Turner then had a well struck shot that was saved just over the hour make and Hide headed over from the resulting corner.

Spencer Cawcutt was played in but again it was well cleared off the line by the Woodbridge defender.

Pride was then forced into another super save to deny Woodbridge again with around 15 minutes to go.

Then Josh Durham was sent off in added time and by the sounds of it rightly so for dissent and whilst the referee didn't have his best game we know its not acceptable to carry on at a referee.

It finished 1-0 and the result was a totally fair one. Town did huff and puff second half but just couldn't find the breakthrough and maybe on another day we would have picked up a point.

We would again like to thank the travelling Pulham massive for their support and all other fans and volunteers for making the trip.

One great positive for the club today was that The Reserves won 3-2 against Carlton Colville

2 goals from Brad Hunt and Alfie Mark got Lee Tombs boys all 3 points and its great to see them back to winning ways.

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