Men's 1s wrap up the first half of the season with a win

Reigate Priory Mens 1st XI aimed to bounce back to winning ways in their final game before the winter break after an uncharacteristically flat 4-0 defeat to Basingstoke the previous weekend. The game featured the league’s top two goal scorers, in Tom Pickersgill (Reigate) and Todd Clarke (Wimborne) so promised to be an open and enthralling game for the bumper crowd.

Reigate started in thrilling fashion, with Pickersgill finding Matt Heskey-Rankin from the push back, who calmly slotted past the Wimborne keeper. 1-0 within 13 seconds a new record for RHPC!! 5 minutes later Heskey-Rankin’s pace caused yet more problems for the opposition defence, as he broke clear, rounded the keeper and made it 2-0. Pickersgill spraying the ball all over the pitch at this stage, displaying a sublime range of passing, supported by James Chesterton and Chris Podd, both full of running and exuberance.

From here it became the battle of the short corners, with the top two penalty corner experts on display. Reigate survived an early onslaught from the Wimborne flicker Clarke, with some defensive heroics from Matt Alexander and Steve Beel covering the posts. At the third attempt a switch routine then brought out the best in keeper Henry Williams, reacting quickly to the slip and narrowing down the angle to make the save.

This passage of play gave Reigate the confidence they needed to then build into the game, knowing that it was going to take something special to beat the defensive unit. The midfield of James Brooker, Simon Owen and Matt Yates, bolstered by the addition of Will Goulding, started to dominate the game, with some lovely flowing moves, with their work rate proving hard to handle for the three man midfield of Wimborne.

A lapse in concentration meant Reigate then conceded a cheap goal from open play, with the scuffed initial shot being saved by Williams, only to fall to another striker who calmly finished into a near empty net.

Around the back, left back Owen Morris continued his fine form, keeping his opponent exceptionally quiet, while club Chairman and 1st team veteran Andrew Porter turned back the years, marauding up and down the right hand side, showing he has not lost any skill since his break due to injury.
Second half saw more of the same, with Arran Wood impressing at the back with some fine tackling in his first game back since becoming a father for the first time. The battle of the drag flickers continued, but it was Pickersgill to get first blood, with a powerful flick to put Reigate 3-1 to the good.

As the special play battle continued you felt that Wimborne continued to pose a threat, but by this stage the defensive unit of Alexander, Beel and Williams were seeing the ball so well, that it was going to take something special to break through that impenetrable fortress.

Reigate continued to create chances of their own, with James Chesterton getting his name onto the scoresheet with a well taken penalty stroke, after a Wimborne player was judged to use their body stop the ball on the line. Final score 4-1 to Reigate.

In reality Reigate were good for the 3 points, but on another Wimborne could have had 6/7 goals and will certainly be up there come the season.

The result mean Reigate leapfrogged Wimborne, but could only rise to 7th. The league is so tight that we are now only 2 points from 3rd, so all to play for in the second half of the season. The side can reflect on a good first half of the season, which has seen a huge amount of improvement after a slow start following promotion into the league.

Squad: Williams, Wood, Alexander, Beel, Morris, Porter, Chadwick, Brooker, Owen, Yates, Goulding, Pickersgill, Chesterton, Podd, Heskey-Rankin