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Krona 0 - Woodhurst 1
Independent Sunday League
Central Park, Dagenham, Sunday 23rd February 03
An immense display from ten-man Woodhurst earned three big points in the race for the title.
Facing Krona, who themselves are in the shake-up, The Hurst knew that a tough match would be inevitable with the absences of Jan Souleyman, Jimmy Woodham and Andrew Norton, but the job was made all the more harder when two late let-downs forced the visitors to start one man light.
But so it was, a performance of grit and determination in the true Woodhurst spirit, that saw them through to a thoroughly deserved victory.
From the kick-off, the Hurst were first to everything, not allowing the one man advantage to provide Krona with any time on the ball. From the back, a tremendous effort from keeper John Sanders, standing in for Andrew Norton, and the regular back-four of Fullerton, McShea, Bashford and Taylor controlled everything
in the Woodhurst defensive third. The midfield of Hughes, Bradbury, Lawley and Houlton, not giving their opponents an inch while making them work even harder to keep up, and upfront, the lone figure of Simon Probert worked his way across the Krona defence and held the play up well waiting for support.
Considering the circumstances and opposition, the aim was not to concede and hope to catch Krona on the break, but as it turned out, Woodhurst made all the running and were unlucky not to go in at least one goal up, Fullerton, Bradbury and Probert all working the goalkeeper.
 But midway through the second half the hard work paid dividends as Woodhurst grabbed the lead, and the winner. As Simon probert was molested 25-yards out, the free-kick was awarded and Ryan Houlton stepped forward. With just one thing on his mind, the red-haired renegade, struck a sweet effort goalward which took a fortunate deflection off the wall guiding it even further from the
keeper's reach.
More chances came for Woodhurst, Bradbury and Probert again foiled in their attempts at extending the lead, and when, with quarter of an hour left Sanders pulled up with a problematic back, the Hurst were forced to defending like warriors as Krona tried - in vain - to find an equaliser.
A memorable victory by a group of players who work hard for each other and wore the Woodhurst shirt with pride - If the league title is to return to Parmiters, it's games like this that will win it.
Team
John Sanders
Jason Fullerton
Tony Taylor
Roy Lawley
Paul McShea
Nick Bashford (c)
Ryan Houlton
Simon Probert
Jamie Bradbury
Steve Hughes
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