Super-Mare stalemate (18.12.04)

THE Magpies will be satisfied with the point and the effort from their first match under Dennis Greene’s control at York Road on Saturday.
But in a dour encounter there was little to fire the imagination with hardly a worthwhile shot on goal, although there was enough on show from the hosts to underscore that Greene’s approach will be more akin to predecessor Alan Devonshire than the recently-departed John Dreyer.
With five in midfield and Lawrence Yaku ploughing a lone furrow up front, the Magpies were in no mood to give their opponents time and space on the ball, or an easy route to goal.
In this they achieved their aims, but at the cost of blunting any attacking edge they might have enjoyed.
The other points of interest were the performance of the players Greene brought with him from Windsor & Eton.
In general it was a thumbs-up, with centre half Lee Kersey impressing in his partnership with Andy Dugdale. Although not a tall man, Kersey portrayed the speed of thought and pace which should see him do well at this standard.
In midfield Dean Clark and Guy Ekwalla also produced decent debuts, with the former looking like a livewire and very much the play-maker of the two.
Not surprising with three new players on show and a different set of tactics to implement, it took a while for the Magpies to gel as a unit.
But as the match progressed they looked tighter and started to pass the ball around better.
Yet it was the visitors who should have opened the scoring, when on 39 minutes Mark McGregor played the ball out to Mark McKeever, and it was his cross which found Steven Cowe well placed, but he missed his attempted volley and the danger was cleared.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, the Magpies enjoyed their first effort of the match, when Bryan Smith played in Yaku, who cut inside and squared to Clark, whose acrobatic effort was well saved.
The second half produced more of the same, with the opposing midfields refusing to give an inch, and the forwards struggling to get a touch.
Magpies substitute Luke Townsend produced the only attacking moment of note when he struck the ball well from distance but too close to the keeper.
On the final whistle, both teams appeared satisfied with their afternoon’s work.
For Weston it was a point won on the road, while for the Magpies it was a clean sheet (just their third all season) in the first match under new management, and a point against a team nine places higher in the table.
Probably more importantly it will give Greene and his management team something to build upon for the long run in.

OUT OF POSITION: Barrie Matthews took up an unfamiliar role at left-back on Saturday. Ref:87452/1