Holcombe 0 – 0 Sutton Valence

The scoreboard may have read 0-0, but this was no snooze-fest, as Sutton Valence faced Holcombe on their show pitch in front of what was honestly quite a large crowd.

Sutton Valence came out like a team possessed in the first half, dominating possession and looking sharp - until fate intervened. Russell Blanchard pulled up with a hamstring injury inside 10 minutes, proving that even elite athletes need to warm up better before matches. Cue an early tactical shuffle, but despite that blow, Sutton Valence kept Holcombe on the back foot. The whole team were passing the ball well, with quick passes and supporting movement tearing Holcs apart at times. It resulted in several chances, but sadly the finishing was not always up to the quality of the build up, and the Holcs keeper was in inspired form. Just before halftime, Zach Blanchard took a trip to the naughty step, with a tackle straight out of his father’s training manual earning himself a yellow card and a few minutes to reflect on some life choices. Holcombe tried to take advantage, but Steve Parker and Mark Whitmill were having none of it, shutting down attacks with the kind of authority that makes strikers question whether to spend their Saturdays doing something else.

The second half saw Sutton Valence’s lack of subs catch up with them. Legs got heavy, passes got slower, and Holcombe finally found a bit of rhythm themselves. They even carved out a couple of good chances—only to be denied by Andrew Hornsey with a couple of lovely saves. In front of him, the defensive wall of Parker, Whitmill & Blanchard Jnr were mainly continuing their masterclass in “Thou Shalt Not Pass.” Meanwhile, Valence continued to push, but tired limbs and minds meant the quick passing and movement of the first half was lacking in the second, so while they were largely in the ascendancy still, they didn’t test the keeper as much as in the first half. Chris Stille did go on one Messi like dribble, weaving through defenders like they were traffic cones at a driving school. But unfortunately his final ball through to Alex Hodges didn’t take into account how our usually speedy dynamo was struggling with a climbing injury, and the chance was lost. Ultimately, both teams huffed and puffed, but the goals never came, and the whistle blew on a hard-fought stalemate.

Next week we are back at Holcombe, playing the Hawks this time.
Report By : Tom Willson

Team:
Andrew Homsey
Alex Hodges
Ben Tragett
Chris Sheldon
Steve Parker
Mark Whitmill
Chris Stille
Russel Blanchard
Harrison Sharpe
Tom Willson
Zak Blanchard
Brett Angel

Next Match: Holcombe Hawks (A) 13:30