Carew 3
Three-goal-a-game centre forward Jamie Smith was still unavailable due to injury, Joel Meridith was away at Welsh under 18s training and with Whitchurch high in the division, this was going to be a real test for the Rooks.
Carew dominated the game, but found it difficult to breakdown a well-organised Whitchurch defence. Wingbacks Pearson and Pullen continually pressed up the pitch to put halfbacks Ned Lewis and Tom Ferguson on the attack and, with the accomplished players of Bowles, Clements and Passmore around him, it was made easy for Wheeler to marshal the midfield.
Carew changed their point of attack throughout the game, using the rolling on substitutions of Jon Evans with his pace and veteran Dave Ferguson, who held the ball and laid it off for the halfbacks Lewis, Ferguson and Passmore to press the Whitchurch circle.
Midway through the first half, a brilliant 60-yard individual run by Matt Clements saw him weave his way through the Whitchurch defence and strike the ball into the net to put Carew in the lead.
From the restart, the Rooks pressed for a second and were immediately awarded a short corner. A strike at goal saw the ball well saved and cleared to the young Whitchurch forwards, who hit Carew on the break to equalise.
One-all at the interval and Carew needed a wake-up call, which was delivered in the half-time team talk by captain Bernie Wheeler and coach Martin Passmore, and the response was emphatic.
From attack after attack, the Rooks were awarded short corner after short corner, but with an opposition goalkeeper on top of his game, Whitchurch were hard to break down.
Martin Passmore eventually broke the mould with a magnificent flick from the top of the 'D' into the top of the goal to make it 2-1.
Whitchurch, with nothing to lose, responded to put Carew under pressure. Will Harding, the Rooks goalie, made some terrific saves, with Mosely, Pullen, Bowles and Pearson resilient in defence.
Having withstood all that Whitchurch could muster, Carew again began to take over. From a training ground four-touch short corner move, the Rooks put in their third, with Clements finding the net on the far post.
A really good win against tough opposition leaves Carew sitting on top of the division. Next game is away to Swansea in a top-of-the-table clash, while Carew A entertain Whitchurch at home with a 3 pm start at Milford Astro.
Team was: Will Harding (GK), Simon Moseley, Joseph Pullen, Dale Pearson, Martin Bowles, Matt Clements, Bernie Wheeler (capt.), Martin Passmore, Tom Ferguson, Ned Lewis, Dave Ferguson, Jon Evans.
Umpires: Jane Wheeler, Dave Miller.