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   Hard To Beat                 Sunday 24th February 2008

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Joby was away, not realising that this game was on, so had managed to get tickets to see Reading v Aston Villa.  We were waiting quite a while, not even sure that the game was on as they had not been seen.  Eventually Nick found them and we kicked off ten minutes later due to parking problems at the Netham.

 

The line up was:

 

Joel

 

Dan     Aaron     Jack     Spike

 

Chilly

 

Josh     Sam     Max

 

Tom     Charlie

 

Subs: Joe & Callum

 

Max chased a ball into the corner which held up in the grass.  He crossed it to Charlie who had his back to goal and laid it out to Tom.  It hit a bobble as Tom went to hit it and spun to Sam who shot, but unfortunately it went over.  They broke quickly down their right and towards the area where they shot across goal, but Joel was alert and pushed it wide for a corner.  They attacked towards our area and we made tackles, but none of them strong enough to win the ball and suddenly they were in the area.  Joel came out to narrow the angle, but he was given no chance 1-0.  Tom chased down the left and crossed it in to Charlie.  He laid it out to Max for a shot, but it was blocked and came back to Charlie.  He shot this time, but it hit their defender, ricocheted back onto Charlie, and went out. 

 

HALF-TIME : BRISTOL UTD   1    FRYS   0

 

A lovely corner in was attacked by Max, putting their defender under pressure and his clearance was miscued but went just the wrong side of the post as far as we were concerned.  They attacked on the break and Aaron came across to clear, but with the pitch so big it didn’t go out and their wide winger got it and carried on.  He cut inside and had a shot, but Joel got down well and made the save.  We attacked into the area and their ball out was only as far as Jack.  He hit it high back in and it came to Max.  He used all of his strength to turn his player, but managed to scoop the ball high and just wide of the left post.  At last it finally came.  Our ball into their box was cleared as far as Aaron.  He played it wide to Jack on the left who played it down the line for Tom, who was taken out.  Sam came over to swing the ball into the area.  It hit a few players and then came to Aaron, who took one touch to control it, and then smashed it into the roof of the net 1-1.  From a throw, Sam challenged and won it, played it back to Chilly and he shot from a good 20 yards out.  It was hard and high, but just too much so and dropped just over the crossbar.  Their player then ran right down the left wing and shot right across the face of the goal.  It looked close from where we were stood at the other end, but luckily it didn’t go in.  Right at the end we chipped a ball across their box to the right side where Tom came in.  He miss-hit it, but it came to Charlie, virtually on the line with a defender and their ‘keeper.  Unfortunately, the ball just wouldn’t drop enough and was eventually put out for a goal-kick.  Their ‘keeper took a poor kick and it came to Sam on the edge of the box who just hit it hard and high.  It flew right into the top left corner of the goal, giving the ‘keeper no chance to save it, however, whilst it was in the air and on its way, their referee blew full time and the goal did not count!

 

FULL-TIME : BRISTOL UTD   1    FRYS   1

 

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

 

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

We felt very aggrieved at the end of the game.  The ref should not have blown during the shot.  He should have waited until the ball was neutral, either from a drop kick or a ball hoofed upwards or when out for a throw etc, right?  Well actually, no.  I have looked at 135 pages of the Laws of Association Football on the FIFA website, and no where does it give any guidance as to when to stop the game.  It says that the referee is the sole arbiter of the game and when time is up, then time is up.  They can play extra for ball out of play or time wasting and that is covered, as is the length of a game.  But nowhere does it mention where the ball should be when time is over.  Clive Thomas, an official referee at the World Cup in 1978 did it as a corner came in and it was subsequently headed in.  He ruled the goal out, and was roundly criticised, however he was lawfully correct in his actions.  Whilst unhappy at the decision, and as a ref, it’s one that I would never make; we have to accept it as part of the game.  That said, we should have already finished the game off with some of the chances that we created earlier in the game, and in all fairness, we have only ourselves to blame for not winning.  Not enough players put 100% into their game in the first half which was reflected in my choice for Man of the Match.  The second half saw the whole team do it, but it was too little, too late.  I honestly feel that what we have learned this season will give us a great chance to actually win this division next season, but we have to perform a lot better than this game, especially against teams at the very bottom of the table, who we should in all honesty beat.  We beat Brislington, Henbury & St Nicks ‘B comfortably, all of whom in the top six, but then draw to bottom of the table and lose to third bottom.  We need to sort that out, and then we will do very well.