Cannie's double strike gives Mapgies verdict

From the Echo, first published Monday 17th Jan 2005.

STUART Cannie struck twice for Wimborne Town as the Magpies came from a goal down to beat Christchurch at Cuthbury in a fiercely competitive local derby.

And following Christ-church's humiliating 8-0 reverse at Thatcham in midweek, Priory could feel a little aggrieved they didn't take anything from a game they deserved at least a point from.

The visitors were clearly in no mood to be on the wrong end of another battering and the game was a good advert for Wessex League football and one which had the Cuthbury crowd enthralled from beginning to end.

James Bailey-Pearce provided an early threat with a left foot shot from 20 yards that whistled beyond a Wimborne upright.

At the other end Stuart Cannie blasted just over the bar and then it was 17-year-old Steve Bernard who volleyed against the Wimborne crossbar as the game went from end to end.

Priory goalkeeper Max Frampton came to his side's rescue shortly after the restart for the second half, saving well from a Cannie effort and Bailey-Pearce saw his fiercely struck free kick travel just over Wimborne's crossbar as the second half began much as the first had finished.

If anything it was Christchurch who were looking the stronger outfit, so when they broke the deadlock after 55 minutes it was no more than they deserved.

It was also well worth the wait, with Richard Bentley turning the Wimborne defence inside out with a lovely piece of intricate control, before he placed his shot wide of Stewart Kearn in the Wimborne goal for the opener.

Five minutes later, however, the game was back on level terms, as Cannie came flying in at the far post to sneak the ball beyond Frampton from a good cross from Marcus Oldbury.

Controversy is never too far away in Wessex League football and it reared its ugly head again with Christ-church insisting that Cannie should not have been on the pitch, having already been booked in the first half before another incident saw Cannie lucky to get away with a ticking off.

To add more spice to the situation, not only did Cannie get the equaliser but he was about to grab the winner as well.

Gareth Barnes was brought down by Frampton inside the penalty area, and following a lengthy discussion with the assistant referee, the man in the middle, who was actually standing just five yards from the incident, finally pointed to the spot.

Cannie sent Frampton the wrong way and that effectively was that. Christ-church could feel very disappointed that they didn't snatch an equaliser as Paul Rideout shot over the bar, Luke Gogan saw a great effort whistle just wide and Bernard came close with another good shot which flew the wrong side of the post.

Entering the final minute and at the other end, where Wimborne were always dangerous on the break, Warren Doyle almost produced a David Ginola-like goal.

Doyle weaved in and out through four Christchurch defenders before firing his shot towards the top corner, only to see Frampton pull off the save of the match, finger-tipping the ball wide for a corner.

And in the fourth minute of stoppage time, back at the opposite end of the ground, Rideout saw his point blank shot saved by Kearn to deny Christchurch of a point they richly deserved.

Wimborne Town: Kearn, Coleman, White, Kennedy (McDonald 69), Roast, Doyle, Oldbury, Arnold, Barnes, Cannie. Unused subs: Plank, Phillipson-Masters.

Christchurch: Frampton, Atkins, Whitley, Gogan (Lawrence 86), Linpow, Bailey-Pearce, Wyatt (Edwards 86), Bernard, Bentley, Stone (La Ronde 86), Rideout.