Little Common FC

After the superb performance in the Surrey Senior Cup in midweek there was hope that we could continue that against a Little Common side that had not won a league game since September, losing seven in a row. However, a sleepy first half saw us go in at half time behind. It was followed by a strong second half that got us level and earn a fair point only to concede at the end of added time.

With the first minute still ticking away, pushing forward from the kick off earned us a corner. Jason Stripp delivered it from the left but it was too low and easily cleared for him to regain possession. This time from 25 yards out on the left he lofted the ball superbly into the right hand corner of the net for 1-0. Can you score too early? Possibly. Jack Glassborrow was called into action to produce a good save on 3mins, and another routine one a minute later. A further Stripp corner could not repeat the first but on 12mins Little Common had their first corner and it was far too easy for the header that made it 1-1. Jay Simpson was on the attack on the quarter-hour but could not keep his shot down. A minute later it was 1-2 as Little Common attacked down the left and the left back was allowed to move into the box and curl a shot just inside the right hand post.

On 26mins Little Common had joy down the left once again as a ball into the box was not defended and a flick on found another Little Common head to make it 1-3. Tuesday night seemed a long time ago. It did seem to be a wake up call as our play improved and on 41mins Toby Allen put in a good cross from the left and Richie Wetton headed in. However, it was called offside to some consternation. This better spell continued and a cross by Stephen Hodge two minutes later was met by Wetton who was challenged and went down. No penalty was the decision. In the second added minute Simpson went on a good run into the box on the left but was tackled. A minute later Wetton had a shot saved; the rebound fell to Hodge but his shot was saved and that was half-time. Having started so well we were two goals behind.

Little Common had the first chance of the second half and then followed this up with a corner on 49mins that was collected well by Glassborrow. The spirited end to the first half was picked up again as Simpson pushed forward on 51mins. His shot rebounded to a centrally placed Haydn Dickinson 20 yards out who tucked the ball into the bottom right corner although it brushed Wetton on the way past so the goal goes to him. That made it 2-3 and two minutes later, Dickinson had a shot from halfway that had the keeper stranded but it drifted wide on the left hand post. This was followed by Simpson playing Allen through into the box. He put a ball into the 6 yard box that came out to Wetton for a shot that was blocked and ended up going out for a goal kick. The pressure was kept up and on 56mins a forceful run from Hodge on the right saw his shot ping around the 6 yard box and end up going in off a Little Common player for the equaliser.

Allen and Simpson combined again to attack their box on the right but the ball was cleared. On the hour Hodge had a shot smothered by the keeper. A first change followed as Allen was replaced by Dennis Asante. On 68mins a central free kick for Little Common was fed out to the right in training ground move but the cross went out over the bar. On 70mins Toby Hill replaced Wetton. Little Common were raiding down the left but Hodge battled hard and his work delayed them so we had cover in place. Hodge was involved again a minute later playing a good ball forward for Asante to break into the box but was tackled and a goal kick awarded that looked more like a corner. Little Common had some good possession around the box on 77mins but a ball in was hooked off the line by Albie Garland just in time. Stripp was replaced by Charlie Davies. Asante was put through on 79mins and got space for a shot that was saved. Nothing came of the resulting corner. Hill played Simpson in to run at the defence but the ball was cleared. Josh McArthur-Nolan was replaced by Jamal Robinson-Davies.

A corner on 86mins came to nothing as the whistle blew for a foul in the box and a yellow card was given to Tyrone Magala-Bryan for a dive. That was a baffling decision but it was a second yellow card and so Magala-Bryan was sent off and will miss the FA Vase match. As full time approached, a cross from the left into their box just skimmed over Tom Green’s head. In added time Little Common had a shot over the bar. In the fourth minute of added time the numbers were evened up as a Little Common player was sinbinned for the remainder of the game. With time almost up, Little Common were allowed to have possession on the left and cut in to place a shot across the keeper into the bottom right corner for the winning goal. A slap in the face given how well the lads had fought back to earn a draw which would have been a fair result. A fourth league defeat in a row has seen us drop four places in the table to 15th ahead of the rearranged match against Eastbourne United on Tuesday evening. However, there are four teams above us by just a single point.