Last-gasp Noakes wins it for Blues (From Your Local Guardian)

Whyteleafe 1 Met Police 2

1:09pm Monday 14th March 2011 in Ryman Division One South-Match Reports By Cliff Travis

Steve Noakes struck in the third minute of stoppage time to give Met Police a 2-1 win at Whyteleafe on Saturday.

They should have had the game wrapped up long before but failed to make the most of their goalscoring opportunities.

After five minutes, Craig Watkins had a great chance six yards out but his shot was too close to keeper Michael Lidbury and the striker then fired the rebound wide.

Ron Edwards and Rob Haworth had 20 yard shots on target but Lidbury saved both.

The Blues’ pressure finally paid off with a great goal. James Field moved the ball forward to Craig Watkins who pulled it back across the goal mouth for Haworth to drive his first goal since rejoining the Blues from Tooting & Mitcham.

Then Steve Sutherland got his head to Tyron Smith’s long free kick but the ball was cleared off the line.

Whyteleafe’s best chance in the first half fell to striker Kwabena Agyei but his drive from the edge of the area was brilliantly saved by Blues keeper Mo Maan.

Straight from the re-start of the second half the Blues surged up field and forced a corner.

Field’s header put the ball across the goal area and Noakes was only inches away from an easy tap into an empty goal.

It could have been a costly miss as Whyteleafe began to control the game.

Dean Gunner had a clear header which only just went over the Blues cross bar.

Lee Stripp then drove forward and from 15 yards out hit the wrong side of the bar. Blues Manager Jim Cooper made a couple of substitutions late in the game.

Sub James Greenaway, with his fresh legs, found himself free on the home side’s six-yard line but hit the ball well wide.

Whyteleafe got a deserved equaliser in the 86th minute.

A free kick into the Blues area was not cleared and rebounded to Agyei who tapped the ball into an empty net. .

However, deep into stoppage time, the ball was driven into the six yard box for Noakes to fire home Met Police’s winner.

Met Police: Maan, Noakes, Bourne, Manners, Sutherland, Gray, Field, Smith T. Watkins, Haworth (Greenaway), Edwards (Simpson).

Attendance: 149.

Met Police’s next three games: March 15 Burgess Hill Town (a), 19 Eastbourne Town (h), 23 Chipstead (h).