Underwood: "Fizzers have found their sparkle"

Published 11 Mar 2010 15:00 0 Comments

SANDHURST Town boss Jon Underwood believes his side are currently playing their best football of the season, without getting their just desserts.

The Fizzers followed up an unfortunate defeat to Camberley Town last Tuesday with a 1-1 draw at Cove on Saturday.

Despite only picking up one point out of six from those two encounters, Sandhurst were arguably the better side in both games.

And that has led Underwood to insist his side are in their best form of the season at present - including the run of nine wins in their first 10 games.

He said: "I honestly believe that we are playing our best football of the season at the moment.

"And I include the start of the season in that when we were top of the league.

"Then a lot of things were going our way. We were just in one of those purple patches when every chance seemed to end up in the back of the net.

"But as a team we are stronger now than at any point, it's just a shame we couldn't quite get the points we deserved.

"If we had got six points from the Camberley and Cove games we could realistically be looking at the teams ahead of us, but we are probably a bit too far adrift now."

Despite that double setback, Underwood is still hopeful of seeing his team claim a top six spot come the end of the campaign.

And he reflected: "It is only this time last year that we were in a relegation battle, so it is nice to be up the other end of the table.

"But we have got four home league games in a row now - and they are the sort of games we need to win.

"It's important because we have been in the top six all season and it would be a shame to slip out now."

A controversial Cove penalty denied the Fizzers the chance to take all three points from the trip to near-neighbours Cove at the weekend.

The visitors started the better, dealing well with a tricky playing surface and it took them just eight minutes to move in front.

Danny Wilde embarked on a trademark run down the right wing and delivered an excellent cross for James Mepham - who spent a short time at Cove this season - to coolly slot home against his former club.

There were few other clearcut opportunities in the opening period, although Sandhurst keeper Asen Agov had to be at full stretch to tip a Cove free-kick around the post and maintain his side's lead into the break.

The game's controversial incident arrived seven minutes into the second half when the hosts were awarded a penalty in the middle of a seemingly innocuous goalmouth scramble.

With both sides left bemused by the decision, Cove's Tom McGarry duly stepped up to convert the spotkick, although Agov was inches away from getting a hand to it.

That proved to be the end of the goalmouth action, though the Fizzers shaded possession and their work rate saw them finish the game on top.

And Underwood admitted he felt frustrated to see his side come away with just a point from another decent display.

He said: "I think the referee was the only person in the ground who understood what the penalty was given for.

"Cove is not the easiest place to go, but we had a gameplan and it seemed to be working because I just couldn't see them scoring.

"It was the end to a frustrating week following on from the Camberley game, but I can't fault the players."

Sandhurst: Agov, Jannaway, Williams, Fisk, Weston, Blake, Wilde, Nesbitt, Mepham, Simmonds, Palmer. Subs: Murphy, Bond.

Sandhurst Town boss Jon Underwood admitted he may look to freshen his side up after seeing them squander a two-goal lead to go down 3-2 against Epsom & Ewell in the Combined Counties Premier Division.

The Fizzers seemed to be well in control of the game thanks to James Mepham's 19th minute opener and a stunning strike from Grant Nesbitt two minutes later.

However, goals either side of the break from Robbie Burns and Andy Amfo-Brobbey levelled things before Jamie Hatfield completed the turnaround just past the hour mark.

Sandhurst thought they had found a way back into the game on 72 minutes when the assistant referee awarded a penalty after James Mepham was felled.

However, referee Reuben Simon overturned the decision and the visitors were able to hang on to take all three points.

And Underwood admitted: "For the first time since Christmas I think we didn't really turn up. We looked a little bit stale so I may freshen things up for the weekend.

"The penalty incident was frustrating, but it would have been worse if we had played well and it had cost us the game."

And in an e-mail to The News, Simon praised Underwood's handling of the penalty situation after a meeting between the Fizzers boss and the officials after the game.

He said: "I feel it is right that Mr Underwood is complemented on conducting himself in the right way after, from his viewpoint, receiving a key decision that he did not agree with.

"If we had more managers like him the game would be better for it. He is a credit to the game and a credit to his club in my view.

"Mr Underwood most definitely has my upmost respect and the example he sets his team is to be admired."

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