On the Sheers opening match in the league ended in disappointment after a luck lustre performance against local rivals Knaphill. Also was at stake was the Dave Taylor trophy that was set up by Mick Elliott & John Mepham to honour Dave’s three sons Danny, Luke & Timmy who had played for both clubs over a period of time. The day also saw both clubs & supporters coming together to support the Maz Bristow memorial day to raise funds for the Woking & Sam Beare Hospice.
Knaphill took the lead on 7 minutes when a long throw on the left wing put in Linford Sackey who quickly looped the ball pass the advancing Sheers keeper Churchwell.
Sheers responded and had shots blocked by the rigid Knaphill defenders. Sheers Kareem Foster was cautioned early for an foul that proved costly later in the match. Sheers equalised with good play down the left side with Harvey Valter & Kareem Foster combining with the latter pin pointing his cross to Alfie Burton to sweep the ball into the net. The match heated up with a couple of skirmishes and with the Sheers getting annoyed with the referee McWhirter’s decisions. Knaphill regained the lead on 43 minutes after the Sheers lost the ball on the right side that Lohmeier gained the ball to feed a ball across to the unmarked Ross Murdoch who slotted the ball pass Churchwell for the Knappers to lead 1-2. Sheers then had a chance to level from a header that the Knappers keeper Harvey Keogh tips the ball over the bar. HT 1-2.
Sheers won a free kick on the edge of the box after Stanic-Stewart who was cautioned for fouling Kareem Foster. The resulting Sheers free kick was a tame effort. Knaphill went further ahead on 71 minutes again from a long throw by Sankey into the Sheers box where Ross Murdoch held off the Sheers centre back Mekhail McLaughlin to glance his header into the left side of the Sheers net. Sheers on 73 minutes long shot from Harvey Valter goes wide of the target. And moments later Valter pressing into the Knaphill area and chips keeper Keogh but is denied the goal by his outstretch arm to stop the ball entering the net. The Sheers throughout the match lost procession and again they paid for it with Danny Taylor threaded a pass through for Ross Murdoch to send him clear who then rounded the Sheers keeper to slide the ball into the net that may have been prevented if there was a desire for a Sheers player to get back to defend.
Sheers were then denied a penalty when Ethan Leeks was cleverly pulled down by Knaphills captain Dale Burnham with both referee and assistant not having seen a thing! Knaphill made it 1-5 in stoppage time after Kareem Foster missed his challenge with Ben Mitchell that he then raced in to score pass the helpless Churchwell.
With just minutes remaining Kareem Foster was totally unlucky to receive a second caution from referee McWhirter who dismissed Foster for a fair challenge.
The Max Bristow Memorial Man of the Match award was presented by Geoff Taylor & Tony Bristow to Knaphill’s Hat Trick hero Ross Murdoch who was a dominate force all the match.
Sheerwater Football Club thank Knaphill FC, The Bristow family & all the supporters in their support for the Woking & Sam Beare Hospice.

Sheerwater: Churchwell, McLaughlin, Mackie C, Horn, Bryant, Burton, Mackie G, Callan, Valter, Bailey, Foster.
Substitutes: Vorukov, Leeks, Okakpu
Substitutes Unused: Rowland, Adams.