Rownhams 3 - 3 Gardeners (390061243)

42688 spectators had come to The ThunderDome this cloudy day. Mateo Madrigal was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Selvijs Dzeduškevičs and Veli Kouvalainen. Rownhams decided to use a 3-4-3 set up. The following players had been chosen: Vijande - Tittmansdorf, Baldwin, Pesquero - Hoblik, Spierings, Rahman, Gibić - Kuryłek, Grenholm, Waghäusel.

Gardeners started off with a 4-5-1 lineup. Starters: Fox - Mansell, Oldfield, Talavera, Hatami - Finlayson, Paull, Allen, Erskine, Stammers - Batley.

Rownhams were mostly trying to use their skill at attacking on the flanks. Some quick footwork on the left side of the field 12 minutes into the match left Gardeners's M. Paull completely free to score. 0 - 1 for the visitors. J. Stammers came close to extending the visitors' lead when he found himself completely unmarked in front of the goal after a pass through the middle. He tried to lift the ball over E. Vijande but overcooked it and hit the bar instead. Players in Rownhams heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their central attacks to the wings instead. Rownhams's J. Spierings made a successful breakthrough on the left after 35 minutes and should have levelled the score, but instead he clipped it over the bar. The home crowd cheered when, after 38 minutes, S. Batley's charge up the middle resulted in the keeper making one of his best saves of the day. A. Erskine of Gardeners took advantage of a mistake on the home side's right after 39 minutes which increased the away team's lead to 0 - 2. With the scoreboard showing that 40 minutes had been played, Gardeners nearly put themselves up another goal after F. Finlayson came through on the left. Fortunately for the home crowd, the keeper made the save. 0 - 2 was the score after the first half. Gardeners claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 57 percent.

The home crowd was not impressed when F. Finlayson came in from the right, shooting hard to score after 61 minutes. Gardeners were now up 0 - 3. Confident in their lead, Gardeners's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. Rownhams reduced the lead to 1 - 3 with 67 minutes on the clock when F. Baldwin got the best of a ball floated in from the left. The home crowd was given a certain amount of consolation when I. Rahman scored after a brilliant midfield combination through the centre, reducing the lead to 2 - 3. With a shot curled in from just outside the middle of the penalty area after 75 minutes played, P. Grenholm of Rownhams made the score 3 - 3. Gardeners enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 57 percent of possession.

A. Kuryłek performed admirably for Rownhams. On the other hand, G. Pesquero's play was disheartening. The most dominating Gardeners player was without a doubt S. Batley. V. Talavera turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 3 - 3.