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2008/9 Season
St Andrews 2-2 Calne Eagles
2nd August 2008 - Friendly match
Calne Eagles opened up their pre-season friendlies against second division St Andrews with an extremely spirited and hard fought draw. Their high level of performance was even more encouraging because they were only able to put together a squad of 12 players, due to 6 players missing through holidays and injuries. They also fielded injured outfield player Brett Cullen who volunteered his services as goalkeeper.
Eagles slightly edged the opening exchanges and took the lead after only 10 minutes when centre back Roy Wenham got in front of his marker from a well struck Danny Thompson corner to glance his header into the roof of the net.
St Andrews’ fielded a young side and their athleticism was a constant test for Calne who found themselves being forced deep for the remainder of the half. However, despite their possession St Andrews struggled to create many good chances and when they did
they could
not get past Brett Cullen.
Early in the second half Eagles extended their lead when tireless striker Jamie Davies charged down the goalkeeper’s clearance, which perhaps somewhat fortuitously, rebounded straight back towards the goal.
As the second half progressed St Andrews continued to press forward but
Eagles looked
just as dangerous on the break. Jamie Davies’ pace was causing St Andrews real problems and they could have extended their lead further through both Steve Roberts and new signing Sam Hammond.
However, after 60 minutes St Andrews pulled a goal back when Brett Cullen, having claimed one of many superb catches, scuffed his kick straight to Ged Osbourne who then finished with a cool lob from 30 yards out.
With 15 minutes left St Andrews drew level when Andy Donald clinically finished off a fast flowing move. St Andrews dominated the last 15 minutes but Calne held firm to claim a pleasing result from their first run-out of the season.
Steeple
Ashton 2-2 Calne Eagles
9th August 2008 - Friendly match
Calne Eagles recorded their second successive 2-2 draw of the
pre-season in a highly competitive game against first division
Steeple Ashton.
Calne started well and took the lead after 15 minutes when Jamie
Davies finished confidently following a good through-ball from new
signing Kyle Braid. Only minutes later they had the opportunity to
extend their lead when Roy Wenham hit the crossbar following good
work from Brett Cullen.
Steeple Ashton’s quality was evident throughout and they always
looked dangerous, with most of their good play going through their
strong centre-forward Dean Gumm.
However, it was Calne who scored next when Jamie Davies broke free
down the left hand side of the pitch and put in a superb cross
that Brett Cullen skillfully headed home.
In the second half, Steeple Ashton started to look more dangerous
and they pulled a goal back on 60 minutes, when keeper Andy
Windsor could only parry a long distance shot into the path of Sam
Stevens, who tapped in from a tight angle.
Steeple Ashton then completed their comeback when George Mortimer
scored from close range following a good passing move. They might
have snatched a winner only minutes later if it were not for two
goal-line blocks from both Stu Windsor and Gary Wootten.
Calne competed well throughout and at no point did they look out
of place against opponents who finished comfortably mid-table in
the first division last season.
Steeple Ashton Reserves 2-6 Calne Eagles
16th August 2008 - Friendly match
Calne Eagles gained their first win of the pre-season against Steeple Ashton Reserves, a team they will be facing in the League during this coming season.
The first half was a tight affair and it took 30 minutes for the deadlock to be broken, when Jamie Davies latched onto an Adam Bewley through-ball to finish coolly.
With their wind at their backs, Eagles took control at the start of the second half and soon doubled their lead, when Gary Wootten ran from deep to beat the offside trap and his first-time cross was headed home by Brett Cullen. Brett then scored his second when his left-wing cross deceived Ashton’s keeper and flew in at the far post. With 60 minutes gone, Eagles appeared to be home and dry when a freak own goal made the score 4-0.
Steeple Ashton then pulled a goal back through a superb Marc Sheppard strike from just outside the box. This gave them a boost and minutes later they were given further hope when Marc
Sheppard clinically punished a mis-hit clearance by Kev Hamersley. They then played some of their best football of the game and created a couple of further good chances, which would have really put pressure on Calne.
But with 10 minutes left, sub Shaun Jefferies hit an unstoppable shot from just outside the box to make it 5-2, and in the closing stages, Jamie Davies scored his second following good work from Darren Axford and Kev Hamersley.
Calne Eagles 2-4 Semington Magpies
23rd August 2008 - Friendly match
Despite losing 4-2, Calne Eagles finished their pre-season programme with yet another encouraging performance against higher league opposition.
Calne had 5 players unavailable and this number was increased to 6 when player-manager Roy Wenham had to referee the first 45 minutes of the game. This left the team with only 11 players. However, they acquit themselves well and took the lead after only 10 minutes, when Adam Bewley squeezed Danny Thompson’s through-ball past stand-in keeper Ricky King.
Semington then came back into the game and equalized after 25 minutes when Gary Wootten conceded a penalty, following some hesitant defending by Stu Windsor. Calne’s keeper Kev Windsor did well to push Rich Allum’s penalty onto the bar, but unfortunately the ball rebounded straight back to Allum, who managed to scuff his second attempt into the bottom corner.
In the second half Calne Eagles regrouped, Roy Wenham came on for Jamie Davies and the team played their best football of the match. They deservedly took the lead when Adam Bewley once again broke free and coolly slotted the ball home. Steve Roberts then hit the bar and also saw another rasping shot go just over.
In the last 20 minutes, injuries and fatigue started to take their toll on the Eagles. Both Gary Wooten and Nick Cawley were carrying knocks, but had to soldier on and with 15 minutes left, Nick deflected Andy Harrison’s cross into his own net. In the last 10 minutes, Semington completely dominated and their experienced centre-forward Dan Phillips won the game with two well-taken goals.
The Eagles start their season in 2 weeks time in a home match against new team Westwood FC. They will be entering the new season with a far more settled squad than ever before and hope to improve upon last season’s 8th place.
Calne Eagles 3-1 Westwood
6th September 2008 - League match
Calne Eagles came back from a goal down against new team Westwood to gain a well-earned 3-1 win.
Westwood took the lead after 20 minutes, when Graham Anderson got in front of his marker from a corner and powered his header past keeper Andy Windsor. Calne were back on level terms only 2 minutes later, when Nick Cawley ghosted into the box unmarked to fire into the roof of the net from close range. Cawley then also hit the crossbar, before setting up Adam Bewley, who showed great control before firing his shot into the bottom corner.
Adam Bewley’s second goal of the game completed the scoring with 25 minutes left, when he lobbed his header over goalkeeper Martin Cowdrey.
In the closing stages, Westwood piled on the pressure and won countless corners but Calne Eagles held firm to take the 3 points.
Westbury United “A” 4-2 Calne Eagles
20th September - A&B Cup Preliminary Round
Westbury overcame lower league opposition for the second week running, by beating a spirited Calne Eagles 4-2 in a very open and sporting game.
Westbury opened the scoring after only 4 minutes when Eagles centre-back Roy Wenham was penalised for handball inside the box. Jamie House coolly slotted home the resulting penalty.
Calne came back strongly. Nick Cawley scuffed his shot wide, when he was clean through on goal and Adam Bewley saw a good shot rebound off the post. However, Bewley got his reward after 15 minutes when he lobbed a Danny Thompson through-ball over advancing keeper Leo Whitehead.
Westbury regained the lead when a teasing free-kick into Calne’s penalty area resulted in Kev Hamersley putting the ball through his own net. Calne once again came back fighting and equalised when Brett Cullen found himself in space on the edge of the box and sent his shot into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. With 10 minutes of the half left, Westbury took the lead again when Kieran Stone, who appeared to push his marker, headed home from 10 yards out.
The second half was a much tighter affair with both teams tending to cancel each other out. Calne created the slightly better chances with both Gary Wootten and Shaun Jefferies going close.
With 10 minutes remaining Calne received another set back when
midfielder Darren Axford had to leave the pitch after a picking up
potentially serious looking knee injury.
With 5 minutes left, Westbury secured their place in the next round when Sam Young struck an unstoppable shot into the top corner from just outside the box.
Lavington 3-2 Calne Eagles
27th September 2008 - KO Cup Preliminary Round
Calne Eagles turned up for their KO Cup match against holders Lavington with a squad of only 11 players. This also included their 46 year old reserve goalkeeper Kev Windsor, playing his first competitive game for 18 months.
The Eagles thought they had taken the lead after only 10 minutes, when Danny Thompson struck a sweet free-kick straight into top corner of the goal from the edge of the box, but the goal was ruled out because the free-kick had been indirect.
However, only 5 minutes later Calne secured the goal that their good play deserved, when centre-forward Adam Bewley cleverly flicked the ball past his marker before coolly slotting his shot past goalkeeper Mike Barton.
Lavington then snapped into action and their strike duo of Myles Hickton and Jamie Bayes started to stretch Calne’s defence. After 25 minutes the pressure told, when skilful winger Wayne House scored from close range following a goalmouth
scramble. Calne then regained the lead again, through an Adam Bewley penalty following a foul by Lavington centre-back Ollie Hickton.
Right at the start of the second half, Lavington were reduced to 10 men when a bizarre incident saw their sub Craig Campbell get sent off. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Lavington equalised after 60 minutes when Jamie Bayes finished powerfully from a tight angle.
Both teams then created good chances to take the lead but it was Lavington’s Wayne House who scored the decisive winning goal with 15 minutes remaining. In the closing stages, as Calne ran out of steam, Lavington created numerous clear-cut chances but two great saves from Kev Windsor and some last ditch defending kept the final score at 3-2.
Greenmeadow
8-0 Calne Eagles
4th October - Wiltshire Jnr Cup, 1st Round
Newly-formed Wiltshire League side Greenmeadow maintained their 100% start to the season by a well-earned
8-0 victory in their Wiltshire Junior Cup tie against Calne Eagles.
Although Greenmeadow dominated possession throughout the game, they initially struggled to break down Calne’s stubborn defence. It took 28 minutes for the deadlock to be broken, when Calne failed to deal with a dangerous cross into the box from which Ben Rawlins finished well at the far post.
Calne looked as though they would get through to half-time with the score still only 1-0 but then they conceded 2 very soft goals right on the stroke of half time.
Greenmeadow started the second half in rampant mood and within 5 minutes had added another 2 more goals, which was followed shortly afterwards by a freak own goal by Calne left-back Gary Wootten.
With nothing to lose, Calne battled hard for the remainder of the game, but Greenmeadow’s superior passing and movement saw them score a further
2 goals to comfortably book their place in the next round.
Calne Eagles 3-1 Bratton Reserves
11th October 2008 - League Match
After their recent cup defeats, Calne Eagles were glad to get back to league action on Saturday, when they came from behind to overcome battling Bratton Reserves 3-1.
Calne struggled to contain their visitors in the early stages of the game and Bratton took the lead after 20 minutes, when Chris Fenwick scored direct from a corner kick. Eagles should have equalised before half time when Shaun Jefferies and Adam Bewley both missed gilt-edged chances to score.
In the second half, Calne stepped up a gear and started to dominate possession but it took until the 60th minute for them equalise when veteran midfielder Nick Cawley got in front of his marker from a corner to head the ball into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later Cawley scored his second of the match when he skipped through the centre of Bratton’s defence unchallenged and placed his shot past goalkeeper Ryan Williams.
With 10 minutes remaining, Calne wrapped the game up, when their full-back Gareth Cook made a great tackle just inside Bratton’s half and then passed the ball onto Shaun Jefferies, who cut inside his marker to score from just inside the box.
Steeple Ashton Reserves 4-5 Calne Eagles
18th October 2008 - League Match
Calne Eagles maintained their 100% league record when they overcame Steeple Ashton Reserves 5-4, in an incredibly open and entertaining game.
The game started at a frantic pace with both teams playing very attack-minded football. Ashton opened the scoring after only 10 minutes when Damien Hateley placed an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Andy Windsor from just outside the box.
Despite the setback, Calne composed themselves and started to control the game. With 20 minutes gone, Brett Cullen equalised when he headed home Adam Bewley’s cross. Then Bewley himself got on the score sheet when he beat Ashton’s offside trap and coolly slotted his shot past goalkeeper Paul Fanin.
However, Ashton equalised right on the stroke of half time through a Dean Gumm penalty, after he had been fouled by Eagles centre-back Roy Wenham.
Calne Eagles reclaimed the lead early in the second half through an Adam Bewley penalty, after tricky winger Nick Cawley had been fouled. But once again, Steeple Ashton came back and equalised when Dave Cooper bravely headed home from Damien Hateley's cross.
With 20 minutes to go, Calne scored 2 quick-fire goals when Adam Bewley completed his hat-trick and Brett Cullen got his second. Steeple Ashton sub Fiken Isikton pulled a goal back with a neat finish with 10 minutes still to play, but Calne Eagles held on to claim a hard fought 3 points.
Calne Eagles 3-3 Foresters
25th November 2008 - League Match
Foresters came back from three goals down in their match against Calne Eagles to take a share of the points and maintain their place at the top of Division 3.
The opening goal for Calne came after only 10 minutes when some good play from Adam Bewley set up Brett Cullen, who coolly finished from 12 yards.
Despite going behind, Foresters enjoyed a lot of good possession and their two forwards Gavin Klukowski and Wayne Bailey often had Calne stretched to the limit. However, the Eagles extended their lead after 20 minutes when a towering header from Brett Cullen set up free-scoring winger Shaun Jefferies, who squeezed his shot past advancing goalkeeper Alex Shaftoe.
Things got even better for Calne Eagles before half time when their left-back Gary Wootten latched onto a Kyle Braid through-ball and scored with a sweet left-footed strike.
Early in the second half, Foresters got themselves back into the game when their skilful target man Wayne Bailey scored from just inside the box. They then got a second goal with 25 minutes still to play when a long distance shot from James Worsley was deflected into the goal by Calne centre-half Roy Wenham, leaving goalkeeper Andy Windsor totally wrong footed.
Shortly afterwards with the score at 3-2, referee Ian Currie awarded Calne Eagles a penalty after Shaun Jefferies was upended in the box. However, following strong protests from the Foresters' players, he decided to consult their Club Assistant Referee, after which he changed his decision and gave a drop ball instead.
Foresters dominated possession in the closing stages as Calne tired and Wayne Bailey rescued a point for his team with 8 minutes remaining when he headed home powerfully at the back post.
Calne Eagles 1-2 FC Chippenham Youth “A”
1st Nov 2008 - League Match
A strong FC Chippenham Youth side came away with all 3 points in a very close, entertaining and sporting game against Calne Eagles.
Calne Eagles gave debuts to two 16-year-old midfielders, Stu Windsor and Aaron Hopkins, who both played really well on a heavy pitch in windy conditions.
The first half was a very tight affair. FC Chippenham had more possession of the ball than their opponents, but it was Calne who fashioned the best openings, with Adam Bewley, Aaron Hopkins and Kev Hamersley all missing good chances to open the scoring.
However, it was FC Chippenham who scored first, right on the stroke of half-time, when Josh Hodges finished well from close range following a very good passing move. Calne Eagles got themselves back on level terms within minutes of the restart, when a good cross from Aaron Hopkins found Adam Bewley, who controlled the ball well and finished coolly past goalkeeper Mat Smith.
Buoyed by their goal, Calne continued to press and Mat Smith was forced to make good saves at the feet of both Adam Bewley and Stu Windsor. Calne left-back Gary Wootten also put a free header wide of the post from a Danny Thompson corner kick.
As the game progressed, FC Chippenham’s pace and movement started to stretch Calne and with 17 minutes remaining, Adam Coutts scored the deciding goal when he powered his shot past Calne keeper Andy Windsor.
Calne continued to press forward and their target man Brett Cullen came closest to equalising following good play from Terry Cox and Kev Hamersley. But FC Chippenham held firm to take the 3 points.
Mere Town YDT 1-3 Calne Eagles
8th November 2008 - League Match
Calne Eagles earned a hard fought 3 points with a 3-1 win against a very direct and athletic Mere Town YDT.
Mere Town started in confident mood, forcing Calne Eagles onto the back foot straight from the kick-off. They won 6 corners in the first 5 minutes and caused Calne a lot of problems with their very dangerous long throws, but the visitors battled through their early rear-guard action and started to play some good football. This led to their opening the scoring after 15 minutes, when Adam Bewley beat his marker on the right wing and was rewarded with a free run at goal to fire his shot past Mere goalkeeper Wayne Stokes.
Mere were back on level terms only a few minutes later, when a long throw from Orin Jackson caused panic in Calne’s six yard box, leaving
Simon Deveril with a tap-in from close range.
Calne regained the lead right on the stroke of half time, when Adam Bewley ran from deep to beat Mere’s offside trap. His initial shot was well saved by Wayne Stokes, but the ball rebounded to Nick Cawley, whose wayward shot found Bewley, who scored his second goal of the game.
The second half was equally tight, with both teams struggling to break each other down. However, with 10 minutes remaining Adam Bewley completed his hat-trick when he lobbed a Stu Windsor through-ball over Wayne Stokes from 25 yards out.
Calne Eagles 4-0 Westfield
15th November 2008 - League Match
A first-half hat-trick from Adam Bewley set Calne Eagles on their way to a comfortable 4-0 home win against Westfield.
Calne passed the ball well throughout the first half and their good play was rewarded after only 10 minutes, when Nick Cawley
skilfully set up Bewley, who placed his shot past Westfield goalkeeper Sam Weller.
Calne doubled their lead 10 minutes later, when a long ball up field from Gary Wootten was headed on by Brett Cullen to Bewley, who struck a sweet right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area. Bewley completed his hat-trick 5 minutes before half time, when he got in behind Westfield’s defence and just managed to squeeze his shot past Weller in goal.
Westfield came more into the game in the second half and had the opportunity to put pressure on Calne when Gareth Cook was penalised for hand ball inside the box. However, Joe Beck sent his penalty wide of the post.
Calne Eagles completed the scoring with 10 minutes left, when good work from substitute Tom Evans set up veteran striker Alphie Archer, who tapped in from close range.
Calne
Eagles 0-0 North Bradley AFC
22nd November 2008 - League match
Calne Eagles and North Bradley shared the points in a very open and entertaining game, which somehow ended goalless.
In the first half, North Bradley were by far the better passing team, with most of their good play going through their former Broughton Gifford playmaker Matt Coles. Consequently, they often had Calne’s defence stretched to the limit. However, despite having to defend for long periods, Calne always looked just as likely to score on the counter-attack, especially through their in-form marksman Adam Bewley.
North Bradley’s best chances came from their striker Mike Spong, who hit the crossbar and also saw a fiercely struck goal-bound shot well saved by Eagles goalkeeper Andy Windsor.
In the second half, the roles were reversed and Calne took control of the game, forcing North Bradley to defend far more as the game progressed. North Bradley always looked capable of scoring on the break but Calne’s younger legs started to tell as the game progressed. Sixteen-year-old midfielders Stu Windsor and Aaron Hopkins both caused North Bradley considerable problems with their pace and fitness. Both players saw well-struck shots superbly saved by Bradley’s goalkeeper Rob Elliott.
In the closing stages, North Bradley had a couple of good opportunities to finish the game off through both Pete Stephenson and Lee Ovens, but at the final whistle, a draw was definitely a fair result for both teams.
Foresters 2-1 Calne Eagles
29th November 2008 - League Match
The Foresters took another step towards claiming the Division 3 Championship when they overcame Calne Eagles 2-1 in a closely fought game.
Playing with the wind in the first half, the Foresters dominated the possession and forced Calne to defend deep. But despite all their good play, they found chances to be at a premium and when they did work their way through Calne’s well organised defence, goalkeeper Andy Windsor was on inspired form. It took an extremely well taken goal after 25 minutes, from the Foresters’ talisman Wayne Bailey, to break the deadlock.
Calne got themselves back on level terms only 2 minutes into the second half, when a Gary Wootten throw was flicked on by Adam Bewley to Tom Evans, who sliced his shot, but the ball fell to Nick Cawley, who made no mistake with a sweetly-struck volley. Five minutes later, Cawley thought he had scored his second but was denied by a superb save from Foresters’ stopper Alex Shaftoe.
The game ebbed and flowed with Calne Eagles passing the ball much better now they were playing with the wind and both teams looked capable of taking the points. However, it was the Foresters who scored the final goal of the game, when a powerful run from Gavin Klukowski created an opening for
Paul Walker who made absolutely no mistake with great strike from just inside the box.
Calne pressed forward in the closing stages and both Alphie Archer and Shaun Jefferies saw good shots well saved by Alex Shaftoe. At the other end, Andy Windsor made a great reflex save from Wayne Bailey.
Over the whole 90 minutes the Foresters deserved their win, which now leaves them in a very strong position at the head of the table.
Westwood 2-2
Calne Eagles
6th December 2008 - League Match
Third-placed Calne Eagles had to come from behind twice to earn
themselves a point against Westwood, who still remain only one
place and one point behind them in the league.
The match was evenly contested throughout, with both teams
defending really well and giving away very few chances. Westwood
nearly took the lead after 15 minutes, when a stinging
long-distance strike by Steve Lye was pushed onto to the crossbar
by Calne goalkeeper Andy Windsor. It was Westwood who went on to
draw first blood only 5 minutes later, when Dan Thorne broke into
the box and finished with a neat shot into the bottom corner.
Westwood threatened to take control of the game immediately after
and both Dan Thorne and Ben Cowdrey both had good opportunities to
extend their lead.
In second half both teams continued to cancel each other out.
Calne created the slightly better chances with Adam Bewley, Stu
Windsor and Gary Wootten all coming close to equalising, but at
the other end Westwood always looked capable of snatching a second
goal. With 14 minutes remaining, Calne looked to have salvaged
themselves a point, when their right winger Aaron Hopkins cut
inside and hit a superb left-footed shot into the top corner,
leaving Martin Cowdrey in Westwood’s goal no chance.
The last 10 minutes of the game saw each team score a
controversial goal. Firstly, Westwood were awarded a penalty when
Calne centre-back Roy Wenham was harshly adjudged to have handled
the ball inside the box. Adam Stevens saw his penalty well saved
by Windsor but Gary Day made absolutely no mistake from the
rebound.
Then, with only two minutes left, things appeared to be evened-up,
when Calne Eagles’ sub Tom Evans went down inside the box under
a challenge from Phil Cook. The ball then broke to Calne’s Steve
Roberts, who side-footed his shot past Martin Cowdrey into the
back of the net. Westwood were incensed that, despite booking
Evans for allegedly diving, the referee still allowed the goal to
stand.
The Stiffs
0-4 Calne Eagles
20th December 2008 - League match
Third-placed Calne Eagles overcame The Stiffs 4-0 with a very good
performance at Whaddon Road.
Calne Eagles started the brighter of the two teams and passed the
ball extremely well in the windy conditions. They scored their first
goal after 15 minutes, when Shaun Jefferies ran from deep and struck
a powerful shot past The Stiffs goalkeeper Chris Giles. Calne then
doubled their lead 10 minutes later, when their evergreen 45 year
old striker Alphie Archer headed home a teasing cross from his
strike partner Tom Evans.
Despite having a lot of good possession and forcing quite a few
corners, The Stiffs struggled to create themselves any clear cut
chances. However, right on the stroke of half time, a clever dummy
inside the box by Christian Player set up Daryl Brewer, who scuffed
his shot from 10 yards into the grateful hands of Andy Windsor.
Calne made sure of the points in the 65th minute when Alphie Archer
somehow powered his way through The Stiffs defence and then set up
Shaun Jefferies, who tapped in from close range to chalk up his 50th
goal for Calne Eagles. Five minutes later, Calne Eagles completed
the scoring through their 16 year old midfielder Stu Windsor, who
scored his first goal for the club when he placed a rasping drive
from just outside box into the bottom corner.
Calne Eagles
6-1
Mere Town YDT
17th January 2009 - League Match
Calne Eagles won 6-1 against a Mere Town YDT side who were
reduced to 10 men in the first half.
The first half was an even affair, with both teams intent on
playing attacking football. Mere started brightly but were hit by
two quick goals from Calne after only 15 minutes. First, Alphie
Archer, who recently celebrated his 46th birthday, broke through
Mere’s offside trap and coolly slotted his shot past Wayne Stokes in
goal. Then, fullback Kev Hamersley scored his first goal for two
years when he headed home a Danny Thompson corner.
Soon after, Mere had the opportunity to reduce the lead, when
Calne’s Phil Gay was penalised for hand ball inside the box, but
Mathew Carter scuffed his penalty wide of the post. However, with 20
minutes gone, Mere did get themselves back into the game when an
unusual mistake from Calne Eagles centre back Gareth Cook let in
Tony Fripp, who scored with a rasping drive.
After 35 minutes, the game turned largely in Calne Eagles’ favour
when Alphie Archer once again went clean through on goal. But, just
as he was about to shoot, he was fouled inside the box by Mere
defender Andy Pickford, who unfortunately also received a red card.
Danny Thompson saw his penalty saved by Wayne Stokes but it was
always going to be tough for Mere to cope for so long with only 10
men.
Calne Eagles restored their two-goal lead only 5 minutes into the
second half when a teasing cross from Aaron Hopkins resulted in a
Mere defender putting the ball through his own net.
From then on, Calne Eagles took control of the game. After 65
minutes, Stu Windsor scored with a great strike from 25 yards. He
then doubled his tally shortly afterwards when he headed home from a
corner kick. Substitute Adam Bewley finished the scoring with 10
minutes left when he skilfully beat his marker and the goalkeeper to
score his 16th goal of the season.
Calne Eagles 6-3 Steeple Ashton Reserves
31st January 2009 - League Match
Battling Steeple Ashton Reserves are still searching for their first win of the season, after going down 6-3 against Calne Eagles. However, not for the first time during the current campaign, they made their opponents work hard for the 3 points.
Despite fielding a strong side, which included former first-team regulars Dean Gumm, Richard Stevens and George Mortimer, Steeple Ashton found it hard to contain Calne Eagles in the first half. Calne opened the scoring after 10 minutes, when goal poacher Alphie Archer struck from close range. Moments later, Calne doubled their lead through Phil Gay, who scored his first goal for the club with a powerful run and finish. Alphie Archer added a third before half time, when he pounced on a defensive mistake to make it 3-0.
The second half became truly manic, as Steeple Ashton threw caution to the wind and pushed forward in numbers. They got their reward after 56 minutes, when Dean Gumm ran onto a through-ball from Robin Walker and hit a powerful shot past goalkeeper Andy Windsor. Calne instantly restored their three-goal cushion when Alphie Archer completed his hat-trick.
Steeple Ashton once again hit back when Robin Walker scored with a sublime lob from a seemingly impossible angle. With 15 minutes left, Calne Eagles finally put the result beyond doubt when they scored two quick goals. The first coming from their top scorer Adam Bewley and then skilful playmaker Tom Evans made the score 6-2.
George Mortimer scored Steeple Ashton’s third goal in the closing stages with a neat finish from close range following good work from Dean Gumm.
Calne Eagles 1-2 North Bradley
AFC
14th February 2009 - Spring Cup - Quarter Final
North Bradley progressed to the semi-final of the Spring Cup by
narrowly beating Calne Eagles 2-1, in a very evenly contested
game.
Calne Eagles started the brighter of the two teams and
controlled a lot of the possession in the early stages. However,
it was North Bradley who came closest to scoring early on, when
Matt Coles saw his close-range shot blocked on the goal line by
Eagles’ defender Roy Wenham.
In the 25th minute, Calne Eagles opened the scoring when a good
through-ball by fullback Kev Hamersley caught the North Bradley
backline square. Goalkeeper Rob Elliott ran 40 yards to try and
clear the danger, but was beaten to the ball by Alphie Archer,
Archer then unselfishly set up Tom Evans who side-footed the
ball into the empty net.
Calne continued to play well and carried their lead into the
half-time break. In the second half, North Bradley upped their
game a gear. Their superior strength started to show on the
heavy pitch and Calne Eagles were forced to defend deep. Calne
goalkeeper Andy Windsor made numerous good saves, but the
pressure finally told and Matt Coles pulled North Bradley level
after 55 minutes following a goal-mouth scramble.
Calne Eagles then brought on subs Brett Cullen and Nick Cawley
and this saw them regain their composure and start to pass the
ball better. Thereafter, chances to score were at a premium, as
both teams seemed to cancel each other out. As the game
progressed, extra time appeared to be increasingly likely.
In the 85th minute, Roy Wenham, blocking a shot with his shin,
was instead thought by the referee to have made a studs-up,
two-footed challenge. Craig Brown scored the resulting penalty
from the spot, winning the game for North Bradley. In the
closing minutes, Calne pushed frantically for the winner and
were awarded numerous free kicks in their opponents' half. But
North Bradley defended stoutly and held firm for a hard fought
victory.
FC Chippenham Youth “A” 2-5 Calne Eagles
21st February 2009 - League Match
With North Bradley playing in the KO Cup, Calne Eagles took the opportunity to move into second place with a well deserved 5-2 victory over FC Chippenham.
Calne took control of the game early on and they found themselves 2-0 inside 20 minutes, with both goals coming from 46 year old striker Alphie Archer. The first was a tap-in after goalkeeper Matt Smith could only parry a Tom Evans Shot. The second was a header from an Adam Bewley corner. Archer, who only came out of retirement in October to help out the team because they were struggling for players, has now scored 7 goals in his last 5 games.
Calne were awarded a penalty on the half hour after a Chippenham player handled in the box. Gary Wootten’s tame penalty was saved by Matt Smith but Tom Evans followed up to tap in the rebound.
FC Chippenham gave themselves a glimmer of hope just before half-time.
Ben Pantry scored the best goal of the game, when he struck a sweet left-footed shot into the top corner from just outside the box. However, Calne restored their two goal lead early in the second half when Adam Bewley headed home a Gary Wootten free kick.
FC Chippenham then had their best spell of the game, as they controlled possession for long periods. They pulled a goal back when
Alex Orledge finished well from a tight angle.
But Calne Eagles did finally kill the game off with 15 minutes left, when another of their veteran players, 45 year old Nick Cawley, played a superb pass that set up Stu Windsor to score his team’s fifth and final goal.
Calne Eagles 2-0 The Stiffs
League Match - 28th February 2009
Calne Eagles completed a league double over The Stiffs with a 2-0 win, in a game of very few chances.
Calne Eagles passed the ball well in the first half, but they found their opponents very difficult to breakdown. Their only goal of the half came after 17 minutes, when Stu Windsor coolly headed an Adam Bewley cross over advancing goalkeeper George Rabczak.
The second half carried on in much the same way as the first. Calne Eagles looked the most likely to score, but they struggled to break down The Stiffs well organised defence. They finally gave themselves a two-goal cushion with 25 minutes remaining, when Adam Bewley scored his 19th goal of the season. The Stiffs, however, were incensed that the goal was allowed to stand, as the ball had clearly struck Bewley’s hand in the build up, but the referee decided it was accidental.
The Stiffs came closest to pulling a goal back with 10 minutes left, when a Bryn Holt shot from 20 yards looked destined for the top corner, but goalkeeper Andy Windsor made a great finger-tip save.
North Bradley 5-2 Calne Eagles
League Match - 7th March 2009
With the Foresters looking odds-on Champions in Division 3, the game between North Bradley and Calne Eagles was very much about who would be most likely to claim the runners-up spot.
North Bradley took the lead in the first minute when Pete Stephenson swept home the ball from a corner kick. Calne recovered well and following a good period of play Stu Windsor equalised, when his left-footed shot bobbled over Rob Elliott in the Bradley goal.
In the last 10 minutes of the half, Calne’s usual defensive stubbornness momentarily deserted them and they were made to pay a heavy price. A collection of uncharacteristic errors saw North Bradley race into a 4-1 lead; Pete Stephenson completed his hat-trick and Matt Coles also got on the score sheet.
In the second half, Calne Eagles ignored the score line and looked the most likely team to score. But the goal that they needed to put pressure on North Bradley did not come until the 78th minute, when impressive substitute Nick Cawley bundled the ball over the goal line from close range.
The game was then held up for 5 minutes. Both of North Bradley’s two stand-out players, Matt Coles and Craig Brown, were booked by the referee for protesting about a tackle in the build up to Cawley’s goal. Coles was then shown a straight red card for dissent when he continued with his outburst.
When game the restarted, with tempers flared and tackles flying in, Calne Eagles were unable to force another goal. In the end, it was North Bradley who scored the game’s final goal, when Pete Stephenson forced the ball past goalkeeper Andy Windsor from close range.
Westfield 2-2 Calne Eagles
League Match - 28th March 2009
Westfield and Calne Eagles both took a point apiece in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
The game started in confusion when it became apparent that Westfield had arranged a 2pm kick off with the referee but had failed to inform their visitors. In his understandable frustration, the referee insisted that the game kick off as soon as Calne took to the pitch to warm up at 2.20pm. Eagles’ manager Roy Wenham tried to uphold the fixture's advertised 3pm kick off, but was obliged to concede when the referee threatened to walk away from the game in protest.
Consequently, Calne Eagles were still waiting for their right-back Kev Hamersley to arrive when the game kicked off, and were forced to alter their back four for the first time in 10 matches. Not surprisingly perhaps , Westfield took the lead inside 5 minutes when Beau Barber’s 35-yard free kick beat Calne Keeper Kev Windsor.
After this early set back, Calne settled quickly and started to play the better football. They got their reward when Steve Roberts finished off a flowing move after 25 minutes. Calne then had Westfield stretched on numerous occasions but some good goalkeeping and hesitant finishing kept the score at 1-1 going into the break.
Calne Eagles took the lead after 60 minutes, when a long throw from Gary Wootten was flicked on by Brett Cullen to Adam Bewley, who showed great composure to set up Phil Gay to score from close range. Five minutes later, Bewley appeared to have extended Calne’s lead, when he coolly found the back of the net after clearly outpacing Westfield’s last defender to latch on to a through-ball. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.
With 15 minutes left, Westfield equalised with a powerful shot from long distance by Jez Kingman that found the bottom corner. Westfield then had their best spell of the game as they forced Calne onto the back foot and it took two good saves from veteran keeper Kev Windsor to earn Calne Eagles the point they deserved.
Bratton Reserves
0-1 Calne Eagles
League Match - 11th April 2009
Calne Eagles finished off their season with a narrow 1-0 win over Bratton Reserves, in a competitive and sporting encounter.
Both teams defended well throughout , so chances were at a premium. Bratton’s best opportunity of the match came after only 15 minutes, when striker Shane Rendall went clean through on goal, but blasted his shot over the bar with only goalkeeper Andy Windsor to beat.
In response, Calne played some good football and it was only two good saves from Ryan Williams in Bratton’s goal that denied both Aaron Hopkins and Steve Roberts respectively opening the scoring for Eagles. At the other end, Rendall also saw a well-struck shot from just inside the box tipped over the bar by Andy Windsor.
Calne Eagles started the second half in determined fashion and it took yet another good save from Ryan Williams to once again deny Calne’s tricky winger Aaron Hopkins.
The deadlock was finally broken with 55 minutes played, when a hopeful cross from Calne’s Steve Roberts wrong footed the otherwise impressive Ryan Williams, who let the ball bounce over his head, leaving striker Brett Cullen with a simple tap-in.
Bratton pushed hard for the equaliser during the remainder of the game but Calne defended stubbornly and confined Bratton mainly to long-range efforts.
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