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Five To One Baby, One In Five                         Sunday 30th September 2007

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The three games that I felt were always going to be the hardest ended up being our first three.  They were out of the way, and although we had lost all three of them, I felt that we had a chance over the next eight games to put some points on the board in some way, starting with St Nicks ‘A’

 

The line up was:

 

Joby

 

Callum     Tom     Jack     Joel

 

Spike     Sam K     Josh     Max

 

Joe     Chilly

 

Substitutes: Dan, Mark & Sam B

 

They attacked early and were through, however both Tom & Callum showed great pace to get back and win it back before Joby completed the clearance.  Joe threw to Tom and his first time crossfield ball to the right was headed inwards by Sam K and Chilly raced in only to see the defender get there marginally ahead of him and push it out.  Just under ten minutes gone and we succumb to our usual as a corner comes in, we don’t clear it and a player on the edge of the area hit it hard and high and it crept in just under the crossbar to give Joby no chance 0-1.  A big ball from Tom saw Joe head to Max and Max head back.  Joe went left and shot, but it was into the ‘keeper’s arms.  Callum worked the line with two consecutive throws and then Sam K hit it inwards on the second to Chilly.  He was in space and just outside of the area and elected to shoot rather than go a bit closer and it was into the ‘keeper.  The ball came to Tom.  He hit it to Chilly, who crossed it right to Josh and he shot.  The ‘keeper made the save but could not hold it and Max had followed in to score 1-1.  They forced a corner.  It was swung inwards and Jack could only head it on to where Callum and an attacker tried to get it.  It hit both of them, but they were heading goalwards and so the ball did as well 1-2.  They were through and Jack’s attempted block just serve to deflect it away from Joby towards the corner of the net, however he made a magnificent dive to his right and with one hand pushed it away.  Tom played the ball forward and Sam K got it.  His momentum took him past one, then two then three players and as he ran out of space he knocked it to Chilly.  Chilly instantly played it back in front of Sam, but in that split second they had pushed up and he was caught offside, otherwise he was in on goal. 

 

HALF-TIME : FRYS   1    ST NICKS ‘A’   2

 

From their throw, Tom headed it outwards and Sam K got it and ran.  He went past two players and was through on his left foot and shot at the near post, but the ‘keeper saved for a corner.  The ball came into our box and it was the same old story.  We made four or five blocks but no one really took control to clear it and eventually it came to the edge of the box where one of their players hit it hard and no one was on the line to stop it 1-3.  We were breaking forward when we lost the ball and they hit it over the top to chase.  Callum sprinted back and as they were about to shoot, Callum slid in with a great tackle to knock it away from them and Joby got it.  Josh played a great one-two with Chilly and was away down the right.  He crossed it in and the ‘keeper got his fingers to it to push it towards Max and his toe-poke rolled agonisingly the wrong side of the post.  Another ball into our area and we again had three or four chances to clear it away but didn’t and it was in the net.  It’s a good thing this isn’t typed word for word as by now the narrator was swearing rather angrily to himself! 1-4.  They attacked down the left with some good play and the cross to the back post was met by two unmarked attackers 1-5. 

 

FULL-TIME : FRYS   1    ST NICKS ‘A’   5

 

Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play and effort  Callum & Chilly

 

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

At halftime we were losing, but I felt against the run of play.  I felt obliged to bring the subs on and I felt that that decision disjointed the team to the extent that we were unable to recover.  After thinking long and hard I have announced changes to ensure that it won’t be happening again.  That said, we were still making the same basic errors throughout the game when it came to clearances and even their manager admitted that we had chances to clear the first four goals that they scored.  Had we done that, who knows how it could have turned out!