MEMORY MATCH

NEWPORT IOW 0

ANDOVER NEW STREET 2

WORDS: JOHN GORMAN

STREET:

O’Brien, Field, Le Brun (Rogers C), Curtis, Scott, Dockree, Lock, Kinge, McCracken, Connor Thorne, Yates

NEWPORT IOW:

Streeter, Butcher, Hughes, Lamb, McDonough, Reynolds, Kelly, Taylor, Browne, Craig, Barron midfielder’s Scott Kinge and Connor Thorne, defenders Danny Field and Gary Thorne and also goalkeeper Sean O’Brien

The “promotion” word looked very much on the cards for Street, especially when they embarked on a 12-match winning run, starting with a 3 -2 victory against Newport, that put them into second place behind leaders United Services Portsmouth but with a number of games in hand.

Unfortunately, the 2019-20 season would be abandoned in mid-March with around 10 matches remaining, due to the global pandemic.

Lockdown gradually ended and the Street would be able to start to prepare for the new season, which would start a month later in September.

A new looking management setup was introduced with Jamie Coleman and Danny Dolan joining forces in the dugout, while John Smith and Iain Meechan, would have the opportunity to help all the club’s sides in their new Director of Football roles.

Although pre-season matches are viewed as an opportunity to get minutes under the players belts, the Street were worryingly not performing to the best of their ability with some Jekyll and Hyde performances, when playing against the likes of Salisbury, Eastleigh Development Squad and Basingstoke Town.

The Street would start the new season with one the longer journeys with a trip over to the Isle of Wight and would be up against tough opposition in Newport IOW, who were still ground sharing at Beatrice Avenue, following the sale of their St George’s Park.

The Street management team must have been pulling their hair out when trying to make their squad selection for the game, as a number of players reported unavailable including striker Denham.

Then the preparations went from bad to worse with a misreading of the departure time of the ferry. The squad arrived too late and were forced to board the later ferry, which would mean little time to get ready and warm-up for the game.

Whether or not this was a factor, we will never know, but John Smith would later say it was all part of the plan as the Street produced a brilliant performance in an enthralling opening game

The enforced changes saw the Street give five debuts to the side, with one of those, Ally McCracken starting brightly, and he was rewarded, when he followed up a Shane Lock effort that was spilled by Gary Streeter, to fire home on 12 minutes.

Keeper Sean O’Brien produced a number of crucial saves to preserve his clean sheet, including an incredible point blank save to deny Jordan Browne, just after half- time, when the Port striker looked certain to have an easy tap in and bring the Port level.

Then the influential Alex Dockree was red carded for a late tackle and was followed by Newport’s Jacob Reynolds, who retaliated for the challenge.

Another debutant, Charlie Rogers was introduced in the first half for the injured Kieron Le Brun, had a fine game at left back and Scott Kinge showed his experience in the middle of the park with a battling display that ensured that Street maintained possession.

With both sides down to ten men, the Street took advantage of the space available in wide areas. Gunner Yates and Connor Thorne were taking their markers on at every opportunity and Shane Lock was always a threat with his usual high energy, used to keep the pressure on the Port defence.

And it was Lock that capped an excellent performance with a close-range finish on the hour mark to seal the three points.

Unfortunately for Street, this would be their best performance of the short season. A 1- 0 home defeat to Petersfield Town would precede cup defeats to Bashley and New Milton Town in the FA Vase on penalties. Totton & Eling were dispatched thanks to a better 2nd half display before a 5-2 defeat at Andover Town and draws with Hythe & Dibden and Downton. Saw the Street struggling in mid -table.

Defeat to leaders Laverstock & Ford in early December summed up the Street season, so it came as a relief that a second lockdown would mean an early end to the campaign.