free web page counters Fishponds Match Report

Big Fish                               Sunday 29th October 2006

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Jack, Joel and Mark were away, leaving us just two recognised defenders, however when Keith & Caroleann found this out, they were kind enough to offer to return for the game as they were not that far away so it meant that Spike going into defence in the ‘A’ team gave us our two back lines.  This was a hard place to find, a gate on the road, the grass was long and wet making passing difficult and running hard and the groundsman had let Fishponds down so the pitch wasn’t marked.  Cones soon solved that problem!

 

Game 1 - The line up was:

 

Joby

 

Spike     Callum

 

Luke     Josh     Tom

 

Joe

 

Rolling Sub:  Dan

 

Initially there was some too-ing and fro-ing and the first chance of the game came to Fishponds as a hard cross came in and Josh, running back towards goal was unable to avoid the ball and deflected it towards the bottom right corner.  Luckily, Joby was quickly down and made a smart save.  The then won a corner which was driven in hard and low and it came to the back post and their left midfielder with the spikey hair hit a hell of a shot which was blocked by Tom.  It came back to him and he hit it again, but Spike was closing him down and his touch took it over.  Tom won the ball on the halfway line, beat a player and chipped a high shot towards goal which the ‘keeper fumbled but got it as Josh steamed in.  They attacked and Callum went across to them.  He made the challenge but the ball ricocheted out and past Spike to their forward in the middle.  Their powerful shooter hit it hard and high and it hit the stanchion and came back and clear.  Tom played a good one-two with Joe and, although Josh was clear on the right, elected to power his way through.  Just as he was about to shoot, their last defender got a challenge in.  Spike won the ball in defence and played it to Luke.  Luke passed infield to Tom who went down the line to Joe.  Joe’s cross was met by Josh’s head, but it went just the wrong side of the post.  They then took a goal kick which came to Luke.  He passed to Tom who played Josh in, one on one with the ‘keeper and as he tried to flick it past the ‘keeper just got his body to it.  They attacked and got it to their spikey haired number six who was the centre of all of their good plays and he hit a rising shot which Joby tipped over the bar.  Later, from a drop-kick was reached by Joe who beat the last man and rolled it past the ‘keeper, but it hit the wrong side of the post and went out.  Josh then went wide and chipped the ball in where it was met by Joe but the ‘keeper again got a touch to it. 

 

HALF-TIME : FISHPONDS     0     FRYS     0

 

Tom won the ball down by our left back area, ran the length of the pitch, beating four players as he did, got a great cross in but it was headed out for a corner.  They attacked down the right and Spike won the ball, but for some reason he passed across goal and it was intercepted by their number 6, however Joby was out quickly and got to the ball at his feet.  From a corner, Joe floated a great ball over and Tom stood and headed it goal-wards, only to see it go just over.  Tom and Joe passed well between them and Joe got the cross in which they failed to clear, and Josh nipped in to poke it past the ‘keeper 0-1.  They had a goal-kick which Tom won.  He ran past one player and hit it low and hard into the far corner 0-2.  They had a throw into our box which Callum attempted to clear, but it hit his knee by accident and bounced up invitingly for their forward, but it was slow coming down and his touch was always going over.  Another goal-kick came to Tom and he pinged a ball wide to Joe who hit a rasping shot from an acute angle, past the ‘keeper 0-3.  A few sliding tackles saw the ball come loose to their player on the edge of our area, however Callum was across really well and got his body to it to force the deflection wide.  They attacked, but Callum cut it out and got it to Spike.  He played it up to Joe and Joe found Dan on the right with a first time ball, and from about 12 yards, Dan took one touch then powered it up into the top right corner 0-4.  They won a free kick on their right.  Their number 6 floated it in but we headed it back to him so from 20 yards he powered the next one and it flew right through the crowd 1-4.  They won a throw and from it hit a low ball towards the near post.  Joby went down to save it, but it hit the post and rolled into the middle where their forward was the first to react 2-4 and the final whistle.

 

FULL-TIME : FISHPONDS     2     FRYS     4

 

Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play and continuous effort  Tom

 

Game 2 - The line up was:

 

Jamie

 

Sam B     Mark

 

Jim     Sam K     Max

 

Chilly

 

Rolling Sub:  Josef

 

Mark played a good ball down the line and Chilly went over to challenge.  Chilly won the ball and laid it into the middle to where Sam K was charging in but…….. Conversion!!!  The ball then came loose in the middle and fell to the player identified at the start of the game as their key danger man, the one to watch, to close down, to not let run with the ball….  We watched him alright, as no one closed down or got a challenge in and he weaved his way through our team and gave Jamie no chance 1-0 on the game and back to 3-4 overall!  Jim took a throw by their corner and got it to Sam K.  He played it back to the halfway line to Sam B who found Chilly with a great ball forward.  Chilly touched it inside to Max, who sidestepped a challenge and hit it low past the ‘keeper 1-1.  They had a goal-kick which Jim won.  He had a shot which was blocked but fell to Chilly who hit it first time only to see the ‘keeper parry it.  It came straight back to him and with the ‘keeper stranded on the floor, he hit it up and in off of the underside of the crossbar 1-2.  We had a throw which came to Sam K.  He found Chilly in a mass in the middle, but he was then able to bundle it over the line 1-3.  Max tackled back to win it in our area, then got it forward to Chilly, who crossed to Jim.  Jim controlled it and shot, but it was just wide.  Sam K got the ball wide to Jim on the right who crossed it in to Chilly who touched it past the ‘keeper onto the post.  The ‘keeper turned and grabbed it as Max hit it into the net, but he had two hands on the ball so the goal didn’t count. 

 

HALF-TIME : FISHPONDS     1     FRYS     3

 

Sam K had a run and shot which was saved, then from a goal-kick Max returned it first time across the goal but as the ‘keeper scrambled across it went just wide.  Mark played a great ball through the middle to Chilly, who controlled it and passed it back to Max.  Max shot but it was blocked.  Sam K then ran down the wing and shot from the angle but it was just wide.  Max threw to Chilly who ran in, and we all thought he was going to pass, but he elected to roll it past the ‘keeper from the angle to complete his hat-trick 1-4.  Sam K attacked down the right, but got a high boot in his face for his efforts, however after a few minutes treatment he recovered and was able to carry on.  He took the free-kick, but unfortunately it was just wide.  A big goal-kick saw Sam K challenge their key player on the halfway line and win it.  He ran forward and hit a low shot past the ‘keeper 1-5. 

 

FULL-TIME : FISHPONDS     1     FRYS     5

 

Man of the Match – Chosen by Maurice for a good game & great all round play  Sam B

 

OVERALL RESULT : FISHPONDS     3     FRYS     9

 

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

I was a bit disappointed with the two goals at the end of the first game, not so much conceding them, but in the manner that we did with players not closing down and not getting hold of the ball.  It meant that the second goal was tense for a while as they made it 4-3, but apart from that it was a great game with our team closing down and passing well.