Second-half salvo seals it for Fowlmere

Linton Res 0 Fowlmere 4

THREE second-half goals sealed victory for Fowlmere against relegated Linton.

With only 11 players available, Fowlmere had to make changes to the side that narrowly beat Melbourn in their previous game.

This showed in the first 10 minutes as Linton put pressure on the visiting back line, but Carl Pedlar in goal was showing some good handling, dealing with the dangerous crosses Linton were throwing in.

However once Fowlmere settled they begin to play some good attacking football, with Barry Wood going close with a couple of long-range shots.

Fowlmere had to wait until the 30th minute to take the lead when Terry Woods broke up an attack in midfield and fed Dec Shilton, who then picked out Trevor Symonds, and from 18 yards he struck a sweet left-foot shot into the top corner.

Fowlmere continued to press for the remainder of the half, with most things going through Adam Fields on the left flank.

After the break it was soon 2-0 when Matt Foggo charged down a Linton clearance and the ball fell to Fields, who slotted under the keeper.

It was not long before it was 3-0 when Symonds collected the ball out wide on the half way line, then picked out Wood, who latched on to the through ball and saw his shot squirm under the keeper.

Fowlmere finished off the scoring with 20 minutes left, when after more good work from Terry Woods, Fields again found himself through on goal, and the outcome was the same as he drove the ball home.

Fowlmere: Pedlar, Foggo, Souter, King, Geal, Wood, Woods, Faubel, Fields, Shilton, Symonds.

Fowlmere 3 Melbourn 2

FOWLMERE left it late to secure all three points in this BIS League derby clash.

Melbourn can count themselves very unlucky to come away from this clash without any points as they searched for their first win of the season.

It was the visitors who started the better, winning the early battles and putting the Fowlmere defence under pressure.

But Fowlmere had the first chance of the game when player manager Trevor Symonds got behind the defence but the keeper pulled off a good save.

The visitors took the lead early on. Michael Harper won possession in midfield, and played in Michael Wagstaff, whose through ball was cleverly dummied by Russell Cooper.

Fergus Lury picked up the pass and coolly finished with a well-taken low shot. Melbourn kept the pressure on but Fowlmere caught them on the break when a long kick from Pedlar put Symonds through, and this time he made no mistake.

This should have woken Fowlmere up, but it was Melbourn who took the lead again within minutes, when good play from Russell Cooper allowed Kris Watters to score a simple tap in.

With 10 minutes of the half left, Adam Fields began to torment the visiting defence, and it was he who dragged Fowlmere level again with a good finish after some fine build up play from Symonds.

After the break Melbourn continued to pile the pressure on to the Fowlmere defence, and Pedlar pulled off three top-class saves to keep his side in the game.

But Fowlmere always looked dangerous on the break, and George Kew should have scored when he somehow volleyed over after an excellent cross from Symonds.

Barry Wood was clean through on goal but blazed over, and the same thing happened when the ball fell to Dec Shilton from 18 yards.

With the game going into the last minute, both sides were still looking to snatch a win, and it was Fowlmere who got it when a driving run into the penalty box by Wood saw him get to the byeline and pull the ball back to left back Ian Geal who drove home to grab the points from a very unlucky Melbourn side.

Fowlmere: Pedlar, Souter (Foggo), Geal, King, Jelly, Kew, Shilton, Wood, Douglas, Symonds, Fields. Sub Clarke.

Melbourn: G Pearse, T Walker, S Carse, A Edwards (M Pluck), S Watters, S Edwards, F Lury, M Harper (A Cooper), M Wagstaff, R Cooper, K Watters.