9^th September 2007 

Barton Stacey 2 Southampton Arms   6  

After last weeks defeat to Aldridge vehicles, GWA and Cross Country Engineering sponsored Barton Stacey were looking for their first win of the season against a strong Southampton Arms side. With new goal posts and natty green and white nets supplied by the people who supply world cup finals, Barton Stacey looked like a club who were going places.

For the first twenty five minutes the game was even, Martyn Doolin and Mickey Dewey impressed in midfield, Alex Iddles looked full of tricks, while Rhys Betteridge and Scott Tarrant looked solid at the back.  Mick Thornton, circumnavigating the pitch with a paint-flecked spaniel, spoke of the virtues of the veteran footballer, a view born out by the performances of the evergreen Chris Dewey and Nigel Freemantle.  For Twenty Five minutes Freemantle organised the back line superbly, Barton Stacey threatened to score but lacked the killer touch to put the ball in the back of the pristine net.  Martyn Doolin hit the bar from a free kick before Southampton Arms took the lead directly from a corner as Barton Stacey elected to leave the back post unattended.  Barton Stacey briefly rallied, Doolin hitting the post before The Arms grabbed two goals in 5 minutes.  A stunning bicycle kick on the brink of half time gave Southampton Arms their fourth, and lent a distorted look to the half time score line.

Emboldened by their good fortune, The Arms pressed the game scoring another two goals early in the second half. Six goals behind Barton Stacey rediscovered their form of the first twenty five minutes.  Alex Iddles and Simon Schulze combining well on the left to give Dan de Heaume the chance to pull a goal back, the second Barton goal came after a stunning free kick from Martyn Doolin hit the cross bar rebounded onto a Southampton Arms defender and flew into the net, an own goal but the plaudits must go to Doolin. 

A second successive defeat for Barton Stacey, who can take great heart from their performance in the first twenty five and last fifteen minutes. Hitting the woodwork three times and drawing the second half 2-2.