Fish Out Of Water!
Sunday 23rd April 2006 ____________________________________________________________________
Fish Out Of Water!
Sunday 23rd April 2006 ____________________________________________________________________
Our last game of the season
and yet again another team that we had never played before. At the start of the season these had beaten Broadwalk
35-1. Callum was the only absentee, away
for the weekend. How would we fare? Nick was away at a work’s game, so Andy took
the referee’s whistle.
Game 1 - The line up was:
Joby
Jack Oscar
Spike Josh
Dan
Rolling Subs: Tom & Joe
There was a great kick forward from Oscar, which
both Dan & Jordan chased, but it was just too far. Great tackling from Frys, with Jack getting
the ball through to Spike, but they were able to tackle back. They launched a counter attack, but Jack and
Spike combined well to win it back. They
attacked again, but this time it was Oscar with a great block. Fishponds won the ball and managed to work a
shooting chance, but Joby made an excellent save, stopping it inches from the
line. They attacked through and Jack
couldn’t get the tackle in, but managed to get goal side moments later and make
a fantastic block. We won a throw, which
They attacked in numbers and our team seemed to
follow the ball without getting a foot in to tackle, leaving Joby exposed, one
on one in the middle when the ball came in, and their attacker slotted it past
him 0-1. Jordan and Joe worked the ball well, but
their ball to Dan was cut out. Dan then
was played down the line and hit over a lovely cross, but Joe was just short of
getting to it. We started to exert a bit
of pressure and a goal-mouth melee led to the ball wide with Tom.
He went past one player, worked an opening and blasted it for the far
corner 1-1. We were lifted by this, and another chance
fell to Joe, but his shot was high and over.
They attacked back in numbers and there was a goal-mouth scramble after
Joby had initially made a good save.
Jack and Tom both dived in on the line but Jack was injured in the
process. The ball was blocked and
cleared however. They then went in hard
again and this time Joby was injured, but he recovered over half-time.
Tom played a great ball down the line for Joe to
chase, and he in turn found Jordan, who played in a lovely cross, just too far
for Josh and he chased it wide. He
crossed it back in for Joe, but three defenders were around him. They won a corner and for a few moments the
ball was ricocheting around in our box as we blocked and tried to clear and
they kept hitting it back in. Eventually
Joby made a great stop and the pressure was relieved. Tom played Joe down the line, but two
defenders came across and crowded him out.
Dan then went down the line and crossed in well, but again no one got
their toe to it.
Tom took a big throw and it eventually found its
way to Joe, and he made no mistake
with the finish in front of goal 2-1. Jack then hit a long ball down the line for
Josh to run onto and he tried the cross but was deflected wide with Joe
waiting. Tom then won the ball and got
it to Dan, but his shot ran agonisingly across the face of the goal. They were not out of it however and a
well-struck shot was saved brilliantly by Joby.
Tom then cleared into the face of a Fishponds player, but he was
ok. At this point there was a problem
with the dictaphone, which was only sorted out near the end of the second game.
Man of
the Match – Chosen by Dave Kipling for excellent play and continuous
effort –
Josh
Game 2 - The line up was:
Jamie
Sam B James
Ethan Luke
Jim
Josef
Rolling Subs: Mark, Max &
Sam K
With the dictaphone problem, it meant that this is
just the memories of Andy until near then end when they got their third. They attacked with their captain looking very
strong. We managed to stop him however,
Sam & James getting in the way when necessary. Ethan looked dangerous down the right and Jim
the same on the left, and you felt that it was only a matter of time before we
scored. It came when Sam B broke out of
defence, winning the ball as he went. He
went past a player and got near the area.
He went right, then left but his touch took it further ahead of him and
Luke was the eager recipient, three yards out, one-on-one, last game of the
season, Luke finally scored his
first 1-0.
We heaped pressure on and a good ball from Luke out
to Jim, saw Jim go down the wing and try to cut inside. It hit a Fishponds defender’s foot, bounced
up and fell invitingly for Josef to
half-volley the ball into the far corner 2-0. His celebrations said it all! They were by no means out of it however and
their captain hit a thunderous drive from twenty yards, which Jamie did well to
tip over. Mark was then called into
action as he tried the same again, winning the ball and setting Max forward. Max went down the wing and crossed for Sam K,
but their defenders got back and were able to clear the ball. They broke back, and three of them running
caused confusion in our backline, and an attacker hit a powerful shot low past
Jamie, giving him no chance 2-1.
Into the second half and Fishponds grew more
confident as the game went on. One of
their players ran through our defence, with no real challenge to speak of and
again Jamie was left exposed 2-2. Suddenly it was game on. Sam K and Max passed their way through, but
ran into too many players. Sam K then
got the ball on the half-way line, took a touch and launched a high shot from a
good 25 yards, which actually sailed over.
Max then won the ball in the middle and passed wide to Sam K.
He ran down the left, being forced closer to the line all the time. He turned away, but then cleverly cut inside
the defender, and from an acute angle, beat the ‘keeper at the near post 3-2.
Max took a shot, but this was saved by the
‘keeper. Their number 16 ran towards
goal, Mark & Jim collided in the process of trying to stop him and the way
to goal was open 3-3. From the kick, Sam K went on a run past four
players and shot in, only to find the defender hand-balling it, the ref’ having
no choice but to give a penalty. Sam K
stepped forward to take it, and promptly blasted it well left of the post. Not long afterwards the ref’ blew full time.
Man of
the Match – Chosen by Mark Yeoman for a good game & great play –
Josef
