Both Spike and Dan pulled out on the day with illnesses, leaving us just the one sub. We had beaten these earlier in the season, but it had been a close game. We had not been assigned a referee, so Nick duly obliged,

The line up was:

Joby

Jack Aaron Callum Joel

Josh Sam Tom Max

Joe Chilly

Sub: Charlie

From the kick off, they put a ball over the top for their attacker to chase. Callum went with him and they converged on the same spot, and it was almost as if Callum stopped to let him go through a tight space, before setting off after him again! As it happened, Callum used his pace well and got back with a timely sliding tackle. They tried the same trick again, only our defence missed it and they were through. Joby had spotted the danger however and raced off of his line and made the tackle a good ten yards outside of his area to clear the ball. Joe went over to the right to take a long throw. It was headed on by a defender and Josh deflected it out to Tom on the edge, who shot, but it drifted wide of the left post. Josh went wide on the right and knocked it inside to Tom. Tom beat a player and passed inside again to Sam and he passed it down the middle for Chilly, who controlled it, but shot straight at the ‘keeper. Tom and Josh forced a corner on our right wing. Tom lifted it in and Sam attacked at the near post, but his header went just the wrong side. Both Charlie and Chilly hustled and bustled their way into their area and got it across to Tom, inside the area, but his shot again floated wide. Sam threw to Tom who flicked on for Chilly, and he shot, but their defender went for the same ball and deflected it wide.

HALF-TIME : FRYS 0 L/GREEN 0

Josh attacked their left back and got the cross in. Charlie laid it back to Tom who beat a player and shot low from 20 yards, but it was at their ‘keeper. We attacked down the left and forced a throw. It was hit back out to Joel who crossed it high for the back post, but everyone missed it and it looked like it could bounce in, however their ‘keeper ran across and just got there in time. Joe went down the left and got it inside to Sam. He rode three tackles in midfield before getting it wide to Josh, and Josh, rather than shoot laid a perfect ball inside across goal. Three of our players beat the offside trap and were five yards out with just the ‘keeper to beat as it came across. Chilly had a go but mis-hit it, which put Charlie off but he tried to get a touch, but again not at goal and his touch subsequently took it too far ahead of Max, but what a great opportunity to have taken the lead. They cleared from another of our attacks out to Jack. He laid it down the line to Josh who beat his man and attacked at goal. He rode the tackle of the last defender and went in with the ‘keeper for the ball, and it came off of him goalwards, but unfortunately just the wrong side of the post. Joe went to the right to take a throw. It came back to him so he crossed first time with his right and it came down on the penalty spot to where Max was waiting. He half-volleyed it with his right foot and anywhere but at the ‘keeper it was in, however unfortunately the ‘keeper was in the right place.

They had possibly their first break of the second half down their left. Joby rushed out to clear, but it came to one of their players who hit it high towards the goal, however both Joel and Callum had got back, and Joel cleared it off of the line and out for a throw. They won a corner from the throw and chipped to the far post where their player hit it high back across goal, and it was just the right height. So with possibly their first actual shot on goal, with just eight minutes remaining, they took the lead 0-1. Tom swung in a corner which we headed on and in a big crowd, their ‘keeper caught and held the ball well. We pushed everyone bar Jack forward and in the last seconds, they cleared it so Jack had a long shot. The ‘keeper parried it as it was going fast, then he fell on it and the ref’ blew the final whistle.

FULL-TIME : FRYS 0 L/GREEN 1

Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play and effort – Max & Joby

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

In the final analysis, we see that they had three attacks and one shot in the whole of the 60 minutes and won the game 1-0. We dominated the possession, especially in the 2^nd half but were unable to score. That said, for me, Max’s half-volley was the only time that we really tested their ‘keeper. We didn’t create enough clear-cut chances and not enough shots were accurate enough. I am not too upset however. The fact was that we dominated the game, and on another day would probably have scored 10!

One of our biggest problems came through our dominance! We virtually had both teams in their area at some points, especially in the 2^nd half, but that meant it was very crowded and so we were not able to get a sight of goal. We need to be patient enough to bring the ball out of their area, let their midfield come out as well, and then attack into the spaces they leave. That however will come with time. I also felt that we lost too much 2^nd phase ball, winning the initial high balls, but then not getting the follow-ups. Take nothing away from Longwell however, they battled hard for their win.