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1-1
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| McCallum 30 |
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Charles-Smith 56
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| 9th September 2008 |
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| Ryman League Premier Division |
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| 410 |
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| Tim Robinson |
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1
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Paul Nicholls
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2
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Jack Smith
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3
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Alan Bray
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4
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Dean Palmer
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73 Dundas |
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5
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Chris Collins
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6
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Karim El-Salahi
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7
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Matt Hann
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8
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Karl Murray
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9
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Chukki Eribenne
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81 West
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10
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Adam Wilde
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73 D Smith |
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11
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Gavin McCallum
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1
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Delando Smith
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14
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Gavin Heeroo
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15
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Steve West
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16
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Steve McKimm
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17
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Craig Dundas
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Starting with the luxury of an unchanged line-up, the U's produced some of their best football of the season to take the game to their highly-rated visitors in an open and entertaining first half. The biggest surprise was that for all the attacking play by both sides, neither goalkeeper was really troubled and the U's only held a narrow one goal advantage at the break. With both defences standing up well against lively attacks, the first real chance did not come until the 21st minute, when the U's bundled the ball off the line after allowing a free-header from a corner. After half an hour the U's made their territoral advantage tell, the goal coning from a left-wing cross that was only party cleared, Hann's volley from the dropping ball was going well wide but McCallum - looking suspiciously offside - reacted smartly to head home from 6 yards. It could, maybe should, have been 2-0 minutes later but after Eribenne brought down a free-kick and lobbed a pass into the path of Hann, the winger blasted his volley over the bar. At the other end Newton then headed a cross straight at Nichols and the U's keeper then had to be off his loine quickly to deny Butler.
After the break the U's were still on top, with a one-two on the right giving Hann space to cross and forcing Sargent to concede a corner at the far post under pressure from Wilde. Wilde then put in a cross from the left that bounced away from a defender and into McCallum's path, only for a defender to get back and tidy up after the U's forward took the ball around Wells in the visitors' goal. Moments later the scores were level but Staines' equaliser came out of the blue. Chris Collins, dominant in the air all night, seeemed to be harshly treated after heading clear a high ball with the award of a free-kick against him. For once United's defence failed to deal with the cross and Marc Charles-Smith powered home a good header. With the confidence of a goal, Staines' switch to more direct tactics was causing problems and although U's weren't exactly hanging on, the balance of power had clearly shifted. Eribenne almost caught out Wells with an instinctive chip from all of 30 yards that the keeper did well to push over the bar but it was the visitors who generally looked more threatening. United made three late changes in an attempt to regain the initiative and it so nearly paid off again in injury time, Dundas repeating Saturday's late run but this time down the left channel, only for McCallum to make a poor connection on the ball rolled into his path. Overall, the draw was probably a fair scoreline and did little to suggest that either side will not be in contention come April.
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