Great Yarmouth Town v Holland FC. Saturday 9th September 2023. Report by Martin Baxter.
On another very hot Saturday Yarmouth played hosts to Holland FC who currently sit at the top of the pile in the league, and this eagerly anticipated fixture attracted a very healthy attendance to the Wellesley.
Yarmouth started with the same eleven as in their previous match with Cornard and quite rightly as the saying goes “why change a winning side.”
The game started cautiously with neither side creating anything of note until a sliced and mis-timed clearance from Spooner in the 10th minute almost ended up being an own goal, however Lane managed to turn the ball around the post for a corner and following this corner Holland started pushing forward in numbers in a very direct and physical style and were starting to look really threatening in the final third and on 15 minutes they took the lead when following a free kick from just over the half way line, Downes found himself totally unmarked in the box and had all the time in world to head the ball past keeper Lane and into the net to make in 1-0 to the visitors.
Holland continued to boss the middle of the park and their striker Shaw was causing problems with his physical strength and in the 22nd minute after out muscling 2 Yarmouth defenders he put a close range shot just wide of the left hand post and the home side were not really passing the ball well enough to keep possession and needed to improve very quickly.
And Improve they did in the 34th minute when Akpan hit the post with a flick at goal from close range and this gave the Bloaters and their large following in the stands some belief and in the 43rd minute following a swift counter attacking move following a period of Holland pressure, Sanders found himself in space around 20 yards out and unleashed a superb strike to make it 1-1 and it was now very much game on!
Just before half-time that man Shaw again almost put Holland back in front when he unleashed a fierce drive from 10 yards out that keeper Lane did well to stop.
Half time: Great Yarmouth Town 1. Holland FC 1.
The 2nd half started with Holland winning a succession of early corners without troubling Lane in the Yarmouth goal and on 48 minutes minutes an Akpan header from 4 yards out went just wide and this battle was now a lot more even with Yarmouth going blow for blow with the league leaders, and 5 minutes later a Sanders corner looked like sailing straight into the net but was somehow tipped over the bar by Jaffa’s keeper Pateman.
On the hour mark Akpan was replaced by Belmar to give Yarmouth some much needed fresh legs pushing forward and 2 minutes later Wilson-Towns was sinned binned for dissent and the home side went down to 10 men for the next 10 minutes and despite having to dig deep they were not really put under any real intense pressure by their opponents and went back to 11 men still all square at 1-1. On 74 minutes Duffield came on for Spooner and a minute later Shaw once again muscled his way through the Bloaters defence but once again put his effort wide of the post from the edge of the 6 yard box.
The home side then won a succession of corners without really creating that one clear cut opportunity and in the 82nd minute the injured Duffield was replaced by Stanley and Cork came on for Wilson_Towns and in the 87th minute following a corner a volley from Elseidy rattled against the bar before coming out to man of the match Shaw who met with the re-bound perfectly to put the ball into the net and send the Jaffa’s back down the A12 with all 3 points.
Full Time: Great Yarmouth Town 1 Holland FC 2. Attendance: 174.
GYTFC: Lane, Halliday, Spooner, Wilson-Towns, Philpott, French, Akpan, Barber, Couzens, Sanders, Fenn. Subs: Adams, Stanley, Duffield, Cork, Belmar.
Man of the match: Jamie Shaw. (Holland FC)
Yarmouth man of the match: Aaron Sanders.
