More Late Heartbreak for Wanderers

Wanderers were again forced into changes with Pipe and Clifford absent. Aldridge took up the gloves and Calvin Butler took Pipe's place as part of a front three. There was also a welcome return for Dale Simpson who came straight into the starting line-up.

Mulbarton started brightly and had the hosts pegged back for much of the opening stages. Crosses were flying in but nobody was able to convert, and Simpson was causing problems with his pace and power. On one occasion he was able to out-muscle his marker and drive into the box from a wide area but his cross was too hard and high for Farrow to be able to head home.

Despite the impressive start it was Mattishall who took the lead. A long punt up-field fell to their centre forward and Reading brought him down 30 yards from goal. The resulting free-kick was hammered towards goal by Elliot Gibbs and beat Aldridge in goal who will feel he should have done better.

This didn't deter Mulbarton who themselves found joy with a direct ball. Aldridge's kick was long and Simpson chased in typical fashion, forcing his way past his marker and then rounding the keeper to score into an unguarded net.

HT – Mattishall 1-1 Wanderers

If the first half belonged to Mulbarton, the second was all about Mattishall who forced Wanderers back with lots of direct play, earning numerous corners which were causing the visitors problems each time.

After surviving some early scares Wanderers took the lead. A corner wasn't dealt with properly by the Mattishall defence resulting in a shot at goal which cannoned off of a defender and into the path of Calvin Butler who guided the ball home through a crowd of players.

Whilst now we were looking to control the game and show good 'game management', too many times we gifted possession to the opposition in our own half while trying to over-play, and Mattishall took advantage of this; forcing us to defend deep and continuing to earn corner after corner. They sent on their big striker Damian Didwell and from one of these corners he jumped with Reading and between them the ball found the back of the net for a Mattishall equaliser.

With five minutes to go Wanderers were attacking the Mattishall goal when the ball broke down and a superbly executed counter-attack caught everyone off guard and Elliot Gibbs struck a low drive from the corner of the penalty area which went through Reading's legs and into the far corner to give the home side the win.

FT – Mattishall 3-2 Wanderers

Mulbarton will be very disappointed that they let their lead slip in the final stages of the game and need to regain their killer instinct from last season. Credit to Mattishall who were excellent on the day and due to the second half performance and the chances they had from crosses were justified winners, but we are better than what we have shown in this match and will be doing everything we can to improve in the coming weeks.

Wanderers: Aldridge, Ramsbottom, McKail, Sutcliffe, Reading, Farrow, J. Butler, Curtis, Simpson, Appleton, C. Butler
Subs: Babb, Freemantle