FC Gunthorpe — Sat 8 Sep 2007

Match report

Half time: 3 – 1

FC Samba kicked off the season a week late following the resignation of Clifton from the league. A highly successful pre-season saw Samba start confidently against newly promoted Gunthorpe who had walked the third season last season. In the early stages Samba passed the ball well and pinned back Gunthorpe so they could not get out of their half. Chances were starting to come and Wilford had an early shot from the edge of the box that went wide of the left post. A goal wasn't long in coming though and when Francis received the ball from a Lucas throw in he turned, headed for goal and curled in a right foot shot into the bottom right hand corner to give Samba a deserved lead. A second goal followed soon after and again it was Francis that did the damage. With the ball at his feet in the Gunthorpe box he jinked past the defender who was pulling on his shirt and as he got away the defender tripped him for good measure and the referee pointed to the spot. Francis got up to dispatch the penalty himself, shooting into the keeper's right hand corner to leave him no chance. The pressure kept on coming and it looked like being a comfortable afternoon for Samba. Gunthorpe did have a chance when Ballard's clearance cannoned off the Gunthorpe striker and spun up into the air but thankfully Ballard recovered to punch the ball out for a corner, amidst hopeful Gunthorpe cries of a push. A quick corner led to Gibbons firing across goal, with the ball begging to be finished, but perhaps distracted by the injured Gunthorpe player (though he was off the field) no Samba player attacked the ball. Within 15seconds the ball was in the Samba net as a quick clearance was knocked on by the Gunthorpe midfielder and the striker got between Sharp and Fowler to lob Ballard for 2-1. It was the shot in the arm for Gunthorpe that they needed and for the next 10-15mins they came right into the game and could and perhaps should have equalised following a free header from a corner. A third Samba goal calmed the nerves though, when Wilford won a tackle in midfield and Taylor turned and finished with his left foot into the bottom right hand corner. As half time approached Samba had produced an inconsistent first half display but still could have been more goals to the good, as Gibbons also struck a post from long range.

The second half started in the manner that the first half ended with the game very open and both sides looking threatening. However, it was Gunthorpe who struck the first blow, when from a long throw, the Gunthorpe striker rose above three Samba players to head a simple goal and bring them right back into the game once again. The defecit did not stay at two for long however, as Gibbons frustrated by Samba's inability to put the game to bed, set off on a 60yd penatrating run before slipping in Taylor who's shot was parried by the keeper but the ball rolled over the line for a second from Taylor and Samba's fourth. The drama was far from over as the last 20 minutes brought chance after chance for both sides. Firstly, Gunthorpe were awarded a penalty after a Lucas handball, but Ballard won the mind games and then executed a brillant save to his right to turn the ball round the post. Gunthorpe weren't finished though and minutes later after the Samba defence ran out of the box a simple chipped ball left the Gunthorpe player alone in the box after running from deep, and he finished well for 4-3. Samba were now hanging on and thankfully the only other chance that fell to a Gunthorpe man, went agonisingly wide. Samba had plenty of chances of their own, with Taylor shooting and heading straight at the keeper and Francis heading over to deny them both hatricks, but Samba held frim for their first league win since March. Man of the Match: Scott Gibbons.