A Hard Day’s Night Sunday 3rd February 2008
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Finally,
after many cancellations, our first game of 2008. We had played one game in ten weeks, and that
had been six weeks earlier. With that in
mind, Andy gave a full hour training game on the Friday before to blow away the
cobwebs. Everyone was available against
a team who had outplayed us for 50 minutes previously getting three goals, and
then allowing us into the game for the last ten, where we got two back. How would we start this time?
The
line up was:
Joby
Jack Aaron
Callum Joel
Josh Sam
Tom Max
Joe Chilly
Subs:
Spike, Dan & Charlie
They
attacked into our area and we cleared it long.
The ball was brought down well and hit into the heart of their
half. Their defender came across to
clear it but only succeeded in hitting the ball into our right wing area, where
Chilly raced onto it, and as the
‘keeper advanced, he lifted it over him, it hit the left post and rolled into
the ‘net 0-1. A Brislington ball over the top was chased
and Joby hesitated and stayed on his line.
Then he realised that he could get it and ran out to dive on it, but it
came loose. Their player, who had been
tracked by Max turned out to get it and then spun and shot without
looking. Max stumbled and as he fell, it
hit his arm and Joby jumped on it. Max
went down in a heap and covered his head with his arms fearing the worst,
however the referee deemed it accidental, and waved play on. We then attacked back at them with some great
play from Sam and Tom which led to a ball through for Chilly to chase, however
this time the ‘keeper was quickly out and got there first. Sam, Tom & Joe then combined well for Sam
to cross, but Joe’s touch was deflected for a corner. Sam then attacked down the right wing into
the box where the ‘keeper came out and got a touch. The ball spun up and Joe hit it on the spin
only to see it again go for a corner.
Tom took a corner to Sam and he laid it back for Tom to cross. It came to Jack who shot, but was deflected
to Josh. Josh shot but this was blocked
and it came to Chilly, and he spun and shot, but it was just the wrong side of
the post.
HALF-TIME
: BRISLINGTON 0 FRYS
1
They
had a drop kick which Sam & Tom won between them. Tom hit it wide to Chilly who tried to force
his way through. There was a bit of a
mix-up in their defence and it came to Max wide left and he shot, but the
‘keeper made a good save, diving at his near post. From their ball out, Dan won it and forced a
throw. He took it quickly to catch them
out and Charlie laid it off for Sam who kicked it in for Tom. Tom ran past a defender and was in on goal,
but just as he was about to pull the trigger, one of their defenders made an
excellent sliding tackle to clear for a corner.
I am sorry for the shortness of the Match Report, but I just couldn’t
take my eyes off of the game, such was the battling and the intensity of the
performance. At the end there could only
be one Man of the Match, and so for the third game running (such has been the
level of effort and play) the whole team won it. But before we move on, let me make it clear
that it wasn’t just effort and commitment.
During the game, and for long passages of play, our passing and movement
was outstanding. I hope that what we
have been doing in training recently has played its part, and I will continue
to do it, as I feel our recent performances have been superb.
FULL-TIME
: BRISLINGTON 0 FRYS
1
Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play
and effort – The Whole Team