The Sandhurst teams making numerical disadvantage count

Coincidence often makes an interesting story and so to Sandhurst this week where both Sandhurst Town and Sandhurst Wolves made the best of their situations.

It is the Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football League Wolves who made the biggest impression on Sunday when going into their league game with just nine players available against Taplow.

The hosts had relative embarrassment of riches with a full eleven and two named on the bench – certainly the Wolves would have feared a mauling.

Taplow lead 1-0 at half time and then 2-0 in second half with goals from Dani Busby and Gabriella Dyer, but they hadn’t reckoned with the resoluteness of Sandhurst – and Caitlin Ryan in particular – as they scored twice to level the tie and take a valuable point.

The draw will have hit Taplow’s hopes of taking the title but they still have three games in hand over leaders Windsor & Eton and plenty of points to play for. Sandhurst meanwhile could – with that fighting spirit – grab a top four finish.

The men’s side Sandhurst Town meanwhile pulled off a heist of their own against FA Vase semi-finalists and Combined Counties League Premier Division South title challengers AFC Whyteleafe.

In what will become a very mixed metaphor the two sides traded blows with Sandhurst putting aside their position down the table to open the scoring through Charlie Sell on 15 minutes.

Ryan Gondoh levelled a few minutes later but the Fizzers were 3-1 up at half time through Brighton Morrison (38′) and Shane Qoloni (44′).

Daniel Bennett made it it 3-2 after the break but Sell got his second in the 85th minute before substitute Qoloni was sent off for a second bookable offence on 88 minutes.

The sending off would have added to the stress levels for boss Darren Barnard as Bennett had made it 4-3 a minute earlier but the Fizzers held on for an impressive three points.