How the day ended on 9 February 2025 will live long in the memory of those who were there. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of Vinnie Wright. It was a tragedy that was preceded by a tournament played in good competition and humour.
Although all the results have clearly been overshadowed, it’s with a heavy heart I write this update. But I do it in the interest of historical completeness and accuracy. I feel no enthusiasm for the task and hope no-one is offended by its writing.
DSWFC Matchday Squads
Thunder ⚡: Darren Snell (captain), Mark Cope (GK), Ian Potter, Andy Shute, Neil Goridge, Nick Webb and Andy Madden.
Storm 🌪: Paul Gillis (captain), Billy Bulloch (GK), Simon Baker, Simon Allen, Chris Short, Mark Kay and Luke Hitchen.
Tournament Story – Dexters Storm
Storm started the day with a keenly fought 1-0 win against Verwood. Dexters were on top for a majority of the game, but just couldn’t find a way through. The early minutes of the match were littered with free-kicks for running and contact. It was due to a fourth running offence by Verwood that Luke was given the opportunity to add to his seasons goal tally with a penalty in the second half. The spot kick was duly converted and the day was started with a win.
The second match for Storm was a step-up in terms of opponent difficulty. Amesbury had won nine of their opening 12 matches (drawing one and losing two of the others) to be in second place at the start of the day. After a marking mix up in the first half, Amesbury broke away to score the opening goal of the game. In the second half Dexters Storm came out with energy and commitment, which eventually brought a second goal of the day for Luke, with a speculative long range effort which squirmed under the keeper.
Our third match without a break was against Eastleigh. Another tough opponent who’d only lost one of their twelve matches so far in the season. An excellent first half for Storm saw us disrupt Eastleigh’s usual assured grip on matches. A first league goal for Simon Allen saw us take the lead during a period of the match in which we were on top. Eastleigh were unable to break us down in the second half and a highly creditable win was chalked up. That was seven points from nine on the day.
Tournament Story – Dexters Thunder
After winning their first match of the season in League Round Three, Thunder arrived for their home tournament hopeful of building on that momentous day – and in many ways they did. The performance of Thunder should be considered the best of the season by far, with some really attractive football played.
Not for the first time though, results don’t reflect the considerable periods of dominance in matches. This was particularly true in the first match of the day against Weymouth, which ended as a 0-2 defeat after pushing for an equaliser.
There was an exciting end to the second match of the day against Verwood. With less than one minutes left to play, we managed to equalise through our captain, Darren Snell. Almost straight from kick-off Verwood were penalised for a fourth running offence, and Darren scored the resultant penalty to complete a remarkable comeback and second victory of the season.
After an hours break, our third match of the day was against a very strong Dorchester who were simply too strong and organised for us as they eased to a 2-0 win.
Dexter’s Tournament Results
| Dexters Thunder ⚡ | W1-D0-L2 |
|---|---|
| Weymouth | 0-2 |
| Verwood | 2-1 |
| Dorchester | 0-2 |
| Dexters Storm | A-A |
| Dexters Storm 🌪 | W2-D1-L0 |
|---|---|
| Verwood | 1-0 |
| Amesbury | 1-1 |
| Eastleigh | 1-0 |
| Dexters Thunder | A-A |
Andy Madden, DSWFC 50s Manager
“In taking seven points from a possible nine, Storm recorded their best league round so far. Storm played as well as we have seen in nearly doubling their points tally for the season. All seven squad members performed admirably to ensure their two wins against Verwood (1-0; Luke Hitchen) and Eastleigh (1-0; Simon Allen with the first goal he’s scored in a competitive football match in all of his 53 years!) alongside a draw with Amesbury (1-1; Luke Hitchen). The results lift Storm to sixth in the table and bode extremely well for the final two rounds.“
“The performance of Thunder was also by far the best of the season, with some really attractive football played. Not for the first time however, results don’t reflect our complete dominance, particularly against Weymouth (0-2) and Verwood (2-1; Darren Snell both goals), before a second defeat of the day, this time to a very good Dorchester side (0-2). An ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory seems to be a mark of this season and should be simple to fix… but, I’ve thought that before. More work to do.”
“Thanks and congratulations to all of you on a day which turned out to be one which none of us would wish to repeat.”
Paul Gillis, Dexters Storm captain
“I’m not going to dwell on the sad ending to the day’s events, suffice to say our thoughts and best wishes go out to all those connected with Amesbury WFC, the family, friends and loved ones.“
“Given the circumstances, the day’s football has become meaningless, but, as Storm captain, I still want to say how proud I was/am of the team today. To a man, everyone was excellent and we were on course to gain 10 pts from a possible 12 which, if my memory hasn’t failed me, would have been the best we’ve had since I joined.”
Billy Bulloch, Dexters Storm player
“Well played everyone tonight – everyone from Storm played brilliantly and we had some fantastic results. Great win for Thunder too. Such a horrid twist to the day. I know where my thoughts are tonight.” 🤍
DSWFC Top Scorers
Thunder and Storm combined scorers after Four Rounds are…
- Luke Hitchen (7 goals)
- Darren Snell (3)
- Dave Lodge, Simon Allen, and own goal (1 each)
League Overview
Why not take a look at the league tables, including all results and history for the 50s, 60s and 65s.
Future dates
We’re rushing towards the end of the season now, with just two league rounds left. The last two rounds are currently scheduled for March and April. Keep an eye out for venues and dates.
Get in touch
The physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise are well known. If you’re interested in playing football in a friendly, safety first environment, get in touch with Dexter Sports Walking Football Club now…
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