Attleborough Res 3 Watton Res 1

Attleborough Res entertained an inform Watton Res team at the Rec.

Watton came high in confidence after beating Wells Town Res 9-1 the week before, moving them up to third in the table. With the absence of inform attacker Jay Webb, Attleborough had to make some changes one of which saw young Daniel Dean move from right mid to centre forward along side leading goal scorer Aaron Charmers.

Both teams started lively and showed complete commitment in both work rate and the desire to play the right kind of football. Watton Res had the better of the early exchanges and when they found some room down the left, they whipped in a cross that found the head of the away team's striker who seemed to have powered the ball into the top corner if not for an outstanding two-handed, full-stretched save from the Attleborough goalkeeper Sean Robinson.

With 35 minutes gone Watton started to show frustration that they could not break through the well organised Attleborough defence, led by Marty Fuller and captain Mike Smeeth. With this, Attleborough's centre midfield play makers, Timothy Jeckell and Sam Lawrence took complete control of the game and started to work the ball from left to right with speed and accuracy.

Daniel Dean twice linked up with Charlie Large on the left, add to that some quick feet and clever skill, Dean lost his man with ease and delivered two great crosses. The first fell to Lewis Caddy who saw his volley deflected to safety and the second fell just behind the on rushing Large.

Attleborough had now all the momentum and when Caddy slid the ball through for Charmers to chase the Watton defence had no chance as Charmers showed great strength to shrug off two defenders before spinning on a sixpence and firing a low curling shot in off the post.

Attleborough pushed for a second. With Lawrence and Jeckell dictating the tempo of the game, and half-time edging ever closer, Lawrence fizzed the ball out to Caddy on the right who played the ball forwards for Charmers to chase again which saw him score an almost carbon copy of the first, only this time Charmers smashed the ball in with his right.

Watton came out fast in the second half and tried to push Attleborough on to the back foot, but with Daniel Dean dropping deep to link up play Attleborough always looked dangerous on the break and it wasn't long before Charmers slid a ball through for Dean who beat the offside trap only to see his shot saved by the keeper's legs, with the ball still loose in the box, Dean, looking for the goal his performance deserved, picked up the ball and shot again, this time hitting the out-stretched leg of a defender, sending the ball to Charmers who rifled home for his third.

Watton did manage to pull a goal back with a long ball that saw Attleborough's defence flat-footed for the first time. The Watton striker beat the offside trap and found himself with only the keeper to beat, which he did with a well placed strike. But this was too little to late for Watton, and with Attleborough's defence standing strong, they almost added a fourth when Dean flicked the ball through for Charmers whose shot was too close to the keeper, hitting an outstretched leg.

Attleborough took a very well-earned three points. Manager's Macarthur and Langley said this was one of the best performances of the season and are very proud with the way the team performed. Attleborough Res take on Buxton at Gamers next Saturday, 2.30pm kick off.