Wisborough Green get season underway with hard-earned point

Wisborough Green got their season underway with a hard-earned point in West Sussex Football League Championship North on Saturday.
The Wisborough Green changing roomThe Wisborough Green changing room
The Wisborough Green changing room

The hosts were held to a 0-0 draw by former Southern Combination Football League side Cowfold, whose reserve side, who were in this division last year, recorded an 8-1 over Wisborough back in December.

Cowfold clearly had retained a number of players that played in the higher league, but the result also showed a strengthened hosts, buoyed by some summer signings and returning players.

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The visitors showed their somewhat physical tendencies from the off, but it was Wisborough that did the early running and found the away stopper in good form.

Great movement down the right from James Hill and Eric Geddes carved a number of opportunities in the box where Callum Price miscued, while Ricky Etheridge, deployed in a new role up front, and Tom Cotterill forced saves.

The visitors should have been reduced to ten men midway through the first half when their wide man went through new signing Luke Braizer in a shocking tackle that infuriated the Wisborough bench and 100 strong home supporters, but a yellow was somehow deemed worthy.

While the Cowfold stopper was the busier of the goalkeepers, Wisborough's Leon Killford made a fantastic stop on the stroke of half-time. He pushed a goalbound header onto the bar and while he ended up in the net, Geddis somehow then managed to head over the bar.

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The second half ebbed and flowed with few clear-cut chances at either end, instead industrial midfield battles were the order of the day for each side as the season opening ended with honours shared.

Wisborough joint manager Ollie Berry said: "We asked for effort and work-rate from the lads and they gave us that in abundance.

"Cowfold were a somewhat unknown quantity for us having dropped down last year, but they still have a strong side and will be there or thereabouts. Bearing that in mind, we were even more impressed with our performance.

"On another day we could have been comfortably ahead midway through the first half, but then Cowfold had a great chance on the stroke of half-time. As the game wore on I was happy to settle for a point rather than see them net a winner and our endeavours go unrewarded.

"Credit to the boys - from one to 16 they were brilliant with the defence and Leon deserving a special mention. It was clear we all can't wait to go again next week already."