Reports 2002 / 2003

11th May 2003. The last game of the season often throws up a lacklustre display, especially where all the placings have already been resolved. This was not the case at Taverners however as FerryBoat produced an outstanding display to win the game 5-0 against a strong home side. Ferry applied the early pressure and went ahead when Chris Moy chased a ball into the box and nudged it past the keeper to leave a simple tap in. Although Ferry continued to dominate, there were no more goals, and the home side fancied their chances of a comeback in the second half. This was not to be as Ferry changed to 4-4-2 and Steve Ray soon put the visitors further ahead minutes after an earlier effort was ruled out. PJ Johnson and Brian Armstrong worked well in midfied and a quick free kick from PJ set up Terry Atwell who made no mistake. Steve Ray grabbed his second to cap a fine individual performance and an excellent move finished with Atwell powerfully banging the ball home. The match was watched on the sidelines by several prospective signings who can only have been impressed with the display.

6th April 2003. Ferry Boat scraped a 1-0 victory against basement dwellers Rampant Horse thanks to a lethargic display from Ferry and a good defensive performance from Ramp. Ferry emerged from the tunnel before the match in an optimistic mood, but although they had plenty of possession throughout the match they failed to put the ball away. The solitary goal was a fine effort from Jim Lee, he drifted across the edge of the box before unleashing his shot high into the left corner of the net. The second half saw Ferry go close several times, notably Steve Ray and Terry Atwell hitting the woodwork but Rampant Horse were the happier with their performance at the end of the game.

30th March 2003. Locomotive started their game against FerryBoat with a confident mood in a game which would go a long way towards deciding the final placings at the top of Division 3. Ferry set out their game plan from the start however, and soaked up the long balls which were pumped up towards the dangerous home strikeforce. Jon Gooch was getting a lot of room down the left early on for Ferry and came agonisingly close when a run into the box finished with his shot flashing narrowly wide. Loco could have taken the lead when a a long shot was palmed out from under the bar by keeper Mike Carr but within minutes Ferry were ahead when a cross into the box was directed into the Loco net by one of their centre backs. Half Time Locomotive 0 Ferry 1.

Steve Ray limped off early in the second period with a twisted ankle, and the young midfielder could be proud of an outstanding display on the day. Ferry killed off any hopes Locomotive had of taking the points when the tireless Jim Lee rounded a defender before looping the ball over the keeper. Locomotive pushed men forward in the final period, but the the mean Ferry defence never left Carr exposed and the final score finished Locomotive 0 FerryBoat 3, a result as popular in Witnesham as it was in Felixstowe! 

23rd March 2003. Ferry Boat continued their push for promotion with a gritty display against Trojans. Both sides were well marshalled and it was the defences of both sides who had the better of the first half. Ferry's Jim Lee looked lively, but the Trojans defence kept him at bay in the first period. Half time saw the score at 0-0, with little to report on by the way of chances.

The second half was more open, and Ferry pushed on to the home side in an effort to gain the advantage. Chris Moy went close for the visitors when his shot flashed across goal and Wayne Davies had a long range effort well held by the keeper. Ferry took the lead in the 75th minute when Davies put in a perfect cross which was met by Steve Ray who headed home from close range. Five minutes later the lead was extended when Lee made a powerful run down the left and delivered a teasing ball into the box where Davies had made good ground to poke the ball home under pressure. Trojans got a lifeline two minutes from the end with a goal on the break, but Ferry stood firm to gain three good points. Trojans 1 Ferry Boat 2

 16th March 2003. Sizewell Sports and FerryBoat produced a scintillating display of football which was won by FerryBoat in extraordinary fashion. Ferry started by putting the pressure on the home side for ten minutes, but they were unable to stop an excellent mazy run from the Sizewell midfield which set up the opening goal. This gave the young Sizewell side a lift and for the remainder of the first half they produced some excellent passing and movement which kept Ferry on the back foot. They came close to extending the lead just before half time, but Mike Carr got down well to his left to palm the ball away. HT Sizewell 1 FerryBoat 0.

The second half saw Ferry play with an increased passion and they laid siege to the Sizewell goalmouth right from the start. Long range efforts from Steve Ray and Brian Armstrong went close as they pushed for the equaliser. The break came when the flame haired Jim Lee shrugged off a challenge in the box and tucked the ball past the keeper. Referee Mick Cackett was enjoying the game in the middle and used the advantage rule well to benefit both sides, which added to the spectators' entertainment. The climax of the game came ten minutes from the end, Terry Atwell's tenacity on the edge of the box meant the ball was only half cleared to Wayne Davies who was lurking 25 yards out. As we have seen before over the years, Davies steadied himself before launching an unstoppable shot which dipped and swerved into the top corner of the net. Sizewell were visibly rocked, and they played out the last ten minutes during which Steve Ray hit the post for the visitors. Final Score Sizewell Sports 1 FerryBoat 2

9th March 2003 Ferry Boat entertained old rivals Witnesham who were looking to carry on their good form which they have enjoyed against their hosts in recent years. Due to fixture rearrangements meaning that Langley Ave was unavailable, the match was switched to Eastward Ho and the venue was graced with it's customary strong wind blowing the length of the pitch. Both teams were up for the game, and although never dirty, there were four yellow cards dished out in the first half hour. The defences dominated for both sides , and the midfields were quick to cancel each other out resulting in few clear cut chances. The best chance early on was when Witnesham were clean through, only for Barrell make a last ditch tackle which saved the goal but earned him a yellow. Atwell went close for Ferry and two edge of the box free kicks from Woods for Witnesham failed to test  keeper Carr. Witnesham took the lead when a corner from Woods curled into the goalmouth and Witnesham were quickest to the ball to bundle it over the line. 

In the second half Ferry had the wind behind them, but Witnesham defended well and started to frustrate the home side. Lee went closest to equalising when a typical strong run resulted in a shot which looked goal bound until the keeper got down well to turn it round the far post. Atwell and Ray had good games in midfield but at the end Ferry could not get that vital goal and the game ended FerryBoat 0 Witnesham 1

26th January 2003 Trojans visited Ferry Boat knowing that a victory would take them above their hosts in what is turning out to be a very tight Division 3. Ferry started the brightest and came close after five minutes when a free kick from Wayne Davies sailed just over the cross bar. Trojans were rocked on the quarter of an hour when their star striker limped off with an injury, and from there they concentrated on getting men behind the ball. Ferry were struggling to break the last line down, but when Trojans were drawn out Davies hit a first time ball to Jim Lee who ran on to fire an unstoppable shot past the keeper. Ferry continued to dominate possession, but despite close efforts from Steve Moy and Steve Ray the scoreline remained Ferry Boat 1 Trojans 0 at the break.

The game followed the same pattern in the second half, and for the first twenty minutes Trojans were penned back across their box. Ferry extended the lead when Davies unselfishly laid the ball off to PJ Johnson who planted the ball in the net from the edge of the box. At this point Ferry were expected to get another couple, but they started to loo at bit ragged towards the end, and Trojans launched a couple of attacks. A nailbiting finish was set up when five minutes from the end Trojans put away a penalty after Chris Moy fouled in the box but Clinton Brown’s final whistle saw Ferry take the points. Final score FerryBoat 2 Trojans 1.

5th January 2003. After a lot of work behind the scenes to prepare a good quality pitch, FerryBoat and Locomotive kicked off in a match which was crucial in the top placings of Div3. Ferry paraded new signings Jim Lee and "PJ" Johnson and both sides started with vociferous support from the touchline. Both teams showed a threat with their forward lines and in the early stages Ferry went agonisingly close with shots from Lee and Amey. Locomotive’s plan was to attack on the break, and they looked to have scored on half an hour when Moir ran on to a header but his timing was just out as he was adjudged to be offside. Ferry captain Andy Bickers almost broke the deadlock just before the break with a solid header from a corner but the ball was saved on the line to make the half time score Ferry Boat 0 Locomotive 0.

Loco started the second half at a frantic pace and for the first ten minutes Ferry were forced to defend, but they hit Locomotive on the break when a cross from the left found Jim Lee who headed home from 5 yards to score on his debut. The visitors seemed to be rocked and good possession play from Ferry created a steady stream of attacks on the visiting goal. Locomotive were always a threat however, and with 15 minutes remaining Moir slipped his marker only to see keeper Mike Carr rush out before him to perform an outstanding save. A couple of late injuries caused Loco to reshuffle, and Johnson settled into his midfield role well for Ferry, showing good touch and vision to set up their attacking play. The game was killed off ten minutes from time when Steve Ray showed great strength and determination to cut in from the left and slot the ball into the net. Ferry took the points but Loco were sporting in defeat, and special mention must go to 17 year old ref Carl Fitch who controlled the game superbly and was applauded by both sides at the end.

Full time FerryBoat 2 Locomotive 0

14th December 2002 Yet another miserable morning at Langley Avenue kept the fair weather supporters of FerryBoat at home in front of the fire, but those who braved the rain witnessed an entertaining 1-1 draw against visitors Orford Town. Ferry looked bright from the start, and after a few minutes Davies got to the byline and put in a perfect cross which Ray pushed narrowly wide. Minutes later Davies broke through himself and when he placed his shot over the outrushing keeper he saw it agonisingly brush the bar. Ferry keeper Mike Carr had little to do in the opening stages but attracted attention from the crowd due to his new hairstyle which resembled a small white poodle perched on his head. Orford had a strong claim for a penalty when Billington lunged in just inside the area but referee Butcher saw no offence and waved play on. Half time 0-0.

The second half saw Ferry pile on the pressure and they came close several times, but the Orford keeper and his defence showed why they have the best record in the division. It looked like it would take something special to break them down, and right on cue Atwell produced an extraordinary finish with a carefully placed 25 yard lob over the keeper into the centre of the goal. Ferry continued to create chances but Orford grabbed a classic breakaway goal when a Ferry corner was cleared quickly over the Ferry defence and slotted into the net. Orford could have got a winner in the dying stages, but Carr dived full stretch across the goal to palm the ball away. Final score FerryBoat 1 Orford Town 1

8th December 2002 Ferry Boat came out on top in the Felixstowe derby against Owl & Pussycat, netting six goals and recording their first clean sheet of the season. Missing both regular forwards, Ferry started with the pairing of Ray and Fellows up front and right from the start the strength of Fellows and the flair of Ray caused problems for the home defence. The first goal came when Ray broke through and shrugged off a desperate lunge from Rattle, his shot was saved but Fellows followed in and got his foot to it first to poke it over the line. On fifteen minutes Ferry extended the lead when Ray robbed Andrews on the halfway line and made ground before hitting a low shot past the keeper. The best goal of the game came soon after, when Gooch powered down the left and whipped in a cross which was met by Davies and steered into the net. The Owl were fielding a few youngsters and to their credit they kept their tempo up and closed down the opposition whenever they could but Ferry’s fourth came just before the break when Davies grabbed his second with a shot from inside the box. Half time: Owl & Pussycat 0 FerryBoat 4.

The second half saw Andrews moved back into defence in attempt to steady the Owl ship and to a degree the manager’s tactics paid off, although Ferry did score straight after the break when a cross from Ray hit the post and ran across the goal where captain Bickers was on hand to net his first goal for the club. Davies came close on three occasions to securing his hat trick, but he twice hit narrowly wide before seeing the home keeper pull off a superb save. Ferry’s final goal came when Armstrong met a cross with a pinpoint shot which gave the keeper no chance. Ferry’s history books were rewritten in the closing stages when young Matt Ray came on to become their youngest ever player. Final score Owl & Pussycat 0 FerryBoat 6.

1st December 2002 In atrocious conditions at Langley Avenue, FerryBoat and Yoxford played out an entertaining 3-3 draw which provided some warmth for the sparse crowd. Ferry started at lightning pace, and from the start Atwell broke away and produced a shot on target. Within minutes he produced the same run and this time made no mistake with a low drive across the keeper. Ferry looked comfortable, but were shaken when slack marking from a throw in allowed the nippy Yoxford forward to race clear and claim the equaliser. The goal was against the run of play, but worse was to come as Yoxford went ahead through a penalty after Armstrong had fouled just inside the box. Ferry pushed on and went close through Bickers and Billington but the half time whistle saw the score FerryBoat 1 Yoxford 2.

A change of tactics at half time saw Gooch and Davies pushed further up the field, and after Davies had come tantalisingly close with a header Gooch shrugged off a challenge to hit a strong shot past the keeper. Ferry seemed as if they would take the game, but Yoxford went ahead once more when a free kick was flicked on and span into the net. The last fifteen minutes were frantic, and a good run from Beer followed by a deep cross saw Ray snatch the equaliser with a header from close range. Four or five more chances were scrambled away from the Yoxford goalmouth in the closing stages, but when referee Clinton Brown signalled the end of the contest, both sides settled for a point apiece.

10th November 2002. Pre match preparations for Ferry’s match against AFC Rivers were plunged into turmoil as a phone call to the ref revealed that he would not be arriving. Thankfully, visiting Secretary David Shipp offered to take up the whistle and the game went underway in driving rain. Rivers started with the greater enthusiasm, closing down the home side quickly and swarming forwards in numbers on attacks but both defences stood firm to restrict any clear cut chances. Rivers took the lead on 30 minutes when a strong cross squirmed out of the hands of keeper Fellows and over the line, the conditions taking the full blame for the goal. HT 0-1

The second half started much the same as the first, with the visitors continuing to push on and they were unlucky not to go further ahead when a rasping shot scraped the post. Ferry started to get into the game and got their equaliser when a neat through ball from Barrell found Smith, whose good first touch set him up to slot the ball home. Ferry were inspired by the goal and good work down the left from Gooch almost resulted in a couple of goals. The introduction of Leighton Smart, returning to the British climate after a year down under gave another option up front, but AFC Rivers got what proved to be the winner when a quickly taken free kick resulted in a cross which was met by Curtis and nodded into the net. The last ten minutes saw Ferry pile on the pressure, but the closest they came was when Blackmore appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty in the dying minutes. Final score FerryBoat 1 AFC Rivers 2.

3rd November 2002 A host of non-appearances, with probably only one being excusable, meant that Ferry started against Div 1 side with ten men, including captain Andy Bickers returning from injury to play a lone front role. The match turned out to be one of the better friendlies, with both sides closely matched from the start. After Atwell rattled the post on ten minutes Ferry took the lead, when Bickers ran on to a through ball and turned it across the keeper into the net. Still playing with a man short, Blackmore picked the ball up on the halfway line and set off on a mazy run which resulted in him tapping the ball into the net. At 2-0 Helsinki started to lift their game and pulled one back when slack marking at the back post left them clean in. They levelled on the half hour, when Fellows made a hash of things in the box and brought their striker down for a penalty . The introduction of Nicky Soni, soon after, steadied the ship and Soni showed good control and distribution throughout the game. Keeper Carr was tested a couple of times in the second half, but stood firm and Ferry came away with a well earned draw.

13th October 2002 FerryBoat and Taverners Res were at Langley Avenue, and the pitch was in good condition after the previous day’s soaking. Ferry were forced to reshuffle their side after the strike partnership of Amey and Smith plus captain Andy Bickers were forced out with injuries. Taverners were on the back foot from the start, and went behind from a well rehearsed goal when Barrell powered in a Blackmore free kick. The visitors closed up at the back, but on twenty minutes another well practised move saw Atwell head in from a long throw from Gooch. Blackmore was instrumental in most of Ferry’s attacks, and the popular frequenter of Felixstowe’s takeaways dished up the perfect pass for Armstrong to powerfully place the ball for Ferry’s third. Blackmore got himself onto the menu for the fourth, when he typically ran towards a chip (this time the footballing kind) from Armstrong before hitting the ball with chilli hot power past the outrushing keeper. HT 4-0

Taverners raised their game in the second half, and showed what they are capable of with some good passing football. They got their rewards on the hour when the Ferry defence all went towards the same ball, leaving their forward a chance which he made no mistake with. The introduction of Chris Moy for Blackmore saw Ferry lift the tempo once more , and the gifted sub scored an outstanding goal after a mazy solo run from the halfway line. Moy sealed the game with five minutes remaining when he broke through and smashed the ball across the keeper into the net.

6th October 2002 FerryBoat returned to league action with a 3-1 victory against a spirited young Sizewell Sports side at Langley Avenue. The home side piled on the pressure from the start, but failed to convert the possession into goals. Mark Sayer came the closest in the opening period when a spectacular scissor kick rattled the bar. Sizewell’s guard was finally broken on 30 minutes, a wicked cross from John Gooch was only cleared to the edge of the box where Jimmie Billington let fly with a low shot which the keeper failed to keep out. The home supporters expected Ferry to push on, but ten minutes later their defence was caught out when a well timed through ball resulted in the Sizewell forward running on and giving keeper Mike Carr no chance to prevent the equaliser. HT 1-1

Ferry sorted out their problems during the break, and for most of the second half they were in control. They took the lead when Wayne Davies chipped the ball perfectly in the box where Steve Ray made an intelligent run to direct the ball past the keeper. Forward Ross Amey worked tirelessly, and was forced to receive attention for muscle cramp on the sidelines in the seventieth minute. When Ferry forced a corner referee Chris Dale waved Amey back on to the pitch and the youngster proved the value of the magic sponge by meeting the cross with an unstoppable shot for the goal which sealed the victory. FT 3-1

29th September 2002 Grosvenor progressed through to the second round with a good solid performance against their rivals from Division 3, Ferryboat. Grosvenor started with a high tempo and looked to take the lead when veteran Paul Ryan delivered a ball across the goalmouth only for it to be met by one of his team mates in an offside position. Grosvenor continued to dominate, but took the lead in a bizarre fashion when a free kick from wide out on the right flew into the top corner. Ferry struggled to get any tackles in, but their defence stood firm despite the early loss of skipper Andy Bickers. The visitors almost grabbed an equaliser when Matt Smith broke through, but the keeper stood high to parry the shot. Half time 1-0.

Ferry came out after the break and started to put a bit of pressure on the Grosvenor defence, but the home side hit them on the break to stretch the lead. Ferry kept on however and when Smith was clean through a second time he gave the keeper no chance with a low drive into the net. Ferry had several chances to equalise, notably when Steve Ray went close and Craig Apperley’s looping shot was tipped over. The visitors thought they had claims for a penalty in stoppage time, but the ref was having none of it and Grosvenor stormed up the pitch to net their third. Final score 3-1.

22nd September 2002 Division 3 Ferry Boat were drawn against Premier giants Greyhound and almost caused the day’s shock result. The day started badly for Ferry manager Barry Glover when his leading striker Ross Amey called off after sustaining an injury in the local Kebab House in the early hours! Nonetheless they took a strong squad to Humber Doucy Lane and started the game in good spirits. The opening exchanges masked the gap in divisions and within minutes the visitors had flashed two shots across the Greyhound goal. Luckily for the home side, their goalkeeper was in outstanding form, and a point blank save from Terry Atwell was as good as anything you’ll ever see. Greyhound were struggling to string any moves together and came close to falling behind once more when Chris Moy’s shot across goal went agonisingly wide. The half time whistle went with neither side finding the net. Half Time 0-0.

Ferry started the second half in the same vein, but this time when Matt Smith was put through by Atwell he gave the keeper no chance with a low shot into the corner. As was to be expected, this gave Greyhound the kick they needed and we started to see a different team out on the pitch. After applying pressure they forced a corner from which the ball was headed past keeper Mike Carr. The game was now on a knife edge and once more Ferry attacked only to see Steve Ray’s shot skim the bar. 90 mins 1-1

The game went into extra time and by this time Ferry’s legs were starting to tire and they had replaced both strikers through injury. Greyhound soon took the lead when the ball was bundled into the net and fortunately grabbed a third when Carr totally missed a through ball, starting chants of "Enkelmann" in the home camp. Ferry pushed everyone forward and were caught out when Greyhound hit a fourth on the break, but the best goal of the game was Ferry’s second when sub John Blackmore collected the ball a full 30 yards out and hit it with astonishing power past the impressive home keeper. The match was well refereed by Micah Getter and good luck to Greyhound in the next round. Final score Greyhound 4 Ferry Boat 2 (aet)

8th September 2002 Having lost their opening game of the season, Ferry Boat knew that they needed to get a result in the next game if they were going to live up to the challenge of being promoted two divisions for this season. The task was always going to be difficult as the visitors were Hadleigh RBL who had bagged nine goals in their opener. The miserable weather failed to put off the large crowd, and from the outset both teams settled quickly into the conditions. Ferry almost took the lead from close range, but from the breakaway they were adjudged to have passed back to keeper Carr who collected it inside his six yard box. From the close range kick, the ball was blasted through the crowd on the line for Hadleigh to take the lead. Hadleigh kept the pressure on, but when Carr collected a through ball he had the vision to send a long ball down the middle towards the pacy front duo of Amey and Smith. The ball zipped through the defence and Amey ran on before composing himself and slotting the ball home. Amey was unlucky minutes later when a similar chance occurred, this time the upright came to the rescue of the Hadleigh rearguard. Ferry took the lead on half an hour when Gooch’s shot was blocked, only to fall to Ray who drove it in. Hadleigh continued to match their hosts however, and when Captain Skinner was injured prior to a corner, he picked himself to find himself unmarked to head home the equaliser.

The second half saw both sides continue to play good football and in the conditions you would have expected either keeper to make an error but both were faultless. Ferry got the winner ten minutes from time when Atwell was blatantly tripped at the far post when the ball was coming across from a corner. With most of the visitors looking towards the corner flag, it was surprising that they all accused the referee (who was standing two yards from the incident) of getting it wrong in awarding a penalty. Gooch kept his cool amid the controversy, and typically gave the keeper no chance. Overall it was an excellent game with both sides playing to a high standard, but Ferry were obviously the happier at the end having notched their first points.

1st September 2002. Witnesham edged the points against Ferry Boat in an even and entertaining game, which was close for the entire 90 minutes. Ferry Boat started the brighter, and should have taken the lead when Matt Smith broke through and rounded the keeper only to see the ball bounce away from him. Witnesham responded and took the lead when Ossie was allowed to walk through the visitors’ defence and pick his place for the goal. Most of the chances were kept at range, and both keepers looked comfortable with the ball. Ferry pushed on, and took the lead when a through ball from Terry Atwell found Wayne Davies, who had no trouble finishing. The half time whistle saw both sides level with plenty still to play for.

The second started at a frantic pace, and Ferry took the lead when Ross Amey met a corner from Davies at the near post with a glancing header which gave the keeper no chance. Typical of the game, Witnesham fought back and drew level when a short corner found Woods, whose cross sailed into the far corner of the net. The home side got the winner when Ossie hit a weak shot from the edge of the area which seemed to be going wide, but crept in at the far post. The game threatened to spill over in the final minutes, but bothnsides calmed down before the final whistle. Ferry felt that they could have taken something from the match, but Witnesham were strong on the day and should do well this season. 

24th August 2002. The last friendly drew a huge away crowd to follow us, including German legend Gus Fratzke. The game itself was a rout with Ross Amey and Matt Smith terrorising the defence to grab a hat trick apiece. Mark Sayer scored with a long right foot (not a typing error) shot and Craig Apperley hit a powerful left footer past the keeper. The ninth was adjudged to be an own goal after Terry Atwells shot was deflected away from the corn field and into the net. Final score 9-1.

22nd August 2002. Victory over Falcon did not come easy, and it was the opposition who took the lead through hairdresser's son Leon Gillings who appeared to kick the ball out of Mike Carr's hand before slotting home from a tight angle, much to the delight of his latest girlfriend. An equaliser soon came when Wayne Davies performed his magic in the box before driving a low shot across the keeper. Half time saw both sides level, but the second half was one way traffic as Ferry pushed the ball around a lot better. Ross Amey got one from close range, Chris Moy tormented the defence to grab two, and Andy Bickers nothed one after having an earlier effort ruled at. The final score was 5-1.

19th August 2002. Div One opposition Seaton Rovers were good opposition in a friendly which was competitive to the end. Matt Smith scored a fine hat trick, with Terry Atwell and Jon Gooch (pen) netting the others. The game was always close, with the use of rolling subs stopping defences from getting too organised!. Both rivals were determined to win, to the extent that referee Rodney Howcroft was forced to issue a flurry of warnings before the final whistle, at which point all was forgotten.

11th August 2002 A high scoring match against Div One opposition Grosvenor gave both managers plenty to think about with an 8-5 score to the Ferry. Ross Amey opened the scoring with a coolly taken goal which looked to set Ferry on the way but slack marking let Grosvenor in twice to take the lead. Matt Smith equalised with a drive across the keeper from the edge of the box. Smith sent us in at half time leading 3-2 when he broke clear and slotted past the keeper.

Steve Ray produced the game's best goal when he picked the ball up in his own half and shrugged off all attempts to stop him before poking the ball into the net. Sayer lobbed the ball over the keeper which suspiciously looked like a cross before Ray hit a sweet left foot volley from close range. As the goals were pouring in, lapses in concentration at the other end were handing Grosvenor their eventual five goals. Ferry's 7th and 8th came from Gooch and Atwell. Gooch burst through with a run reminiscent of the early nineties before stroking the ball in. Atwell raised himself off the ground after receiving attention to head home a corner from Davies.

8th August 2002. A good opening friendly against Felixstowe Harpers ended with the scoreline 3-2 to us. We took the lead with a superb move resulting in Matt Smith putting the ball away. Harpers equalised when Billington fouled in the  box, then took the lead when they were virtually unchallenged from a free kick. The second half saw us shake off the cobwebs and Ray soon brought the equaliser from close range. Armstrong drove back a half clearance for the winner, but we really should have won by a more convincing margin.