Boys fail to recover from cold start

Saturday 23^rd November

vs TMS 1-5

Team: Ciarán; Josh, Tom, Ben, Elliot H; Ollie, Caleb, Louis, Elliot R; Jacob, Joe. Subs: Adam, Cormac.

A frosty pitch, and an equally cold start from the boys as they went a goal down within 25 seconds of the start – the left winger too hot for Josh and Tom to fire TMS into the earliest of leads.

They could have levelled the scores almost as quickly, after Jacob’s through pass opened up the heart of the TMS defence, only for the hard ground to take Joe’s shot well wide of the target. They were pushing TMS backwards but their opponents always had their left wing as an escape, especially when hesitation gave them the advantage.

Ciarán came to the rescue with a low block at the near post in the 5^th minute but, having first gone out to cover the short corner, the boys retreated and allowed the touch which set up a glancing header for TMS to double the lead.

Louis’ ball pushed Joe deep on the left as they tried to make something in the final third but the habit of letting their opponents make the first decision continued to leave them vulnerable, despite a solid display from Elliot H in an unfamiliar left back role.

Josh came to Ciarán’s rescue after the forward beat the advancing keeper to the ball on the edge of the box but a mix up in an identical spot on 13 minutes saw TMS extend their lead, as the forward was the only one to react to the ball coming back off the post.

In a first half that contradicted last Saturday’s display – they were conceding goals but never looked out of the match – they were linking up and finding space without really troubling the keeper. Caleb slipped Joe down the right channel after Josh had cleaned up at the back and, in the 16^th minute, the TMS keeper had to go full length to make the save as Joe shot across him from the left.

Ciarán was much quicker off his line in the 17^th minute to save his defence’s blushes as TMS continued to react quicker to the loose ball. Jacob was buzzing around, combining with Elliot H to break out on the left and then working with Joe to force a corner deep on the right. Louis followed suit as they attacked again, with Elliot R shooting wide in the 28^th minute.

Ben had Tom had began to show some more central defensive solidity as the half wore on but it took a brilliant one handed save from Ciarán, the header going back across him, to prevent TMS scoring a fourth goal in the 29^th minute. They were finishing the half putting more pressure on the ball when not in possession and making better use of it when they had it. Louis again drove them forward, combining with Jacob and Joe across the edge of the box, only for a deflection to take all the power out of Jacob’s shot.

Adam replaced Elliot R at the turnaround but, in almost a carbon copy of the first half, the fourth TMS goal 90 seconds in left the boys with a mountain to climb. They had raced through the middle and looked as if Ben had stopped the break, only for the ball to bounce kindly for the forward to slot home.

They were looking more effective with Adam raiding on the left, even if it left Elliot H with more to do behind. Adam’s run resulted in a corner in the 38^th minute which was swung in by Louis. The TMS defence failed to deal with it properly and Joe took full advantage to put away his 15^th this season.

Ollie gave way to Cormac after 49 minutes and despite Louis adventure going forward and Adam and Jacob’s greater purpose, the game was quietly meandering to an end. Caleb and Cormac cleared a corner and the captain’s ball saw Joe go just too quick behind the defence in the 53^rd minute only for Ciarán to go full stretch after the leaky right was caught out again.

From the resultant corner, the seven blue and white striped bodies in the box were beaten to the loose ball and conceded a fifth goal. TMS threatened with a more direct ball after 58 minutes but Ciarán was out to save and then clung on to a swerving shot four minutes before the break.

Louis continued to look for chances right up to the final whistle and broke out of defence with Ollie – on for the last five minutes as Caleb’s thigh tightened – only for the well organised TMS to thwart them again, this time Jacob being caught offside.

The boys were, to some extent, masters of their own downfall as they allowed themselves to be out-hustled by hungrier opposition. The lapses in concentration that gifted TMS opportunities brought the good passages of play into reality and although they were more effective in the second half, the passing game slowly broke down. Louis had a tireless stint in midfield and was rewarded with the Man of the Match medal.

Lead lost as midfield go missing

Saturday 16^th November

vs Marina Sands Jags 3-5

Team: Ciarán: Tom, Sam, Ben, Louis; Ollie, Jacob, Caleb, Adam; Joe, Josh. Subs: Cormac, Elliot R.

The boys threw away a two goal lead to go down to the Jags, which was bad enough. The fact it was not surprising that they did so is more damning.

They started brightly, linking well up front and taking a deserved lead in the 4^th minute. Joe’s cross was blocked but Ollie was quickest to the rebound and Josh was on hand to poke it over the line.

The Jags equalised three minutes later as slack defending on the right allowed the forward to lift the ball over Ciarán but they were behind again almost immediately as a fast paced attack saw the boys retake the lead. Jacob lifted it over the defence and Joe’s finish beyond the keeper and into the corner was the touch of an in-form forward.

The boys looked effective going forward but, with midfielders pushing too far up the pitch, the Jags always had an escape route in the middle of the park and, for all the territorial advantage they enjoyed in the first half, the lack of midfield authority meant the boys never had complete control.

The Jags could have brought it level midway through the half as Tom was caught out and, with the ball being kicked out of Ciarán’s hands, they shot wide from the edge of the box.

Jacob was working hard between the lines, combining with Ollie to nearly set up Josh and then his ball to the same forward was only halted by the offside flag. The Jags’ keeper was having a fine game, holding onto Louis’ shot from the edge of the box and pulling off a great save from Joe in the 31^st minute as Jacob this time found the pass to beat the offside trap.

They finished the half shooting narrowly wide as Caleb wriggled away from three defenders to set up Jacob but extended their lead two minutes after the break as Ollie’s through ball found Louis -now playing wide on the right - in acres of space to fire home. Ollie nearly repeated the trick in the 42^nd minute, releasing Joe who should have scored but saw the keeper make another save.

The half time reshuffle had seen Elliot R replace Josh and Cormac came on for Sam seven minutes after the break. Cormac and Ben combined to clear down the right and set Jacob free but the keeper made a save, then got something on the rebound and was awarded a free kick as the ball adjudged to have been kicked from his grasp in the mêlée.

After that, it all began to fall apart. The Jags pulled one back after 50 minutes as they broke on the right: Ciarán was out to make a save but they were first to the rebound and send it back in to score past a stranded Ben.

Josh had replaced a hobbling Adam on the left and Sam returned for Ben – awarded the Man of the Match award for a solid defensive display – for the last 13 minutes. It was only a matter of time before the Jags equalised and, with 10 minutes left, the lack of anybody other than Caleb in midfield, slowly getting sucked deeper and deeper, was exploited. The Jags worked the ball to their right and found Elliot R exposed by the lack of cover in front of him and brought the scores level.

The tide had turned and there was nowhere near enough shape in the team to cope with the inevitable onslaught. Cormac had fed some good balls down the right but a loose ball into midfield saw a carbon-copy of the equaliser give the Jags the lead with five minutes left and they rounded off a great second half recovery with a fifth goal with virtually the last kick of the match, shooting home from the edge of the box after a corner was cleared but not followed out by by-now dejected opponents.

Football is a simple game, played by individuals working together as a team. No one individual was at fault for this defeat and they must take collective responsibility for the result. They go on to the pitch with defined positions and are expected to play as a team, not all go forward looking to be goal-scoring heroes. This was a display to learn from quickly, rather than forget.

Cup of Woe in the pouring rain

Saturday 2^nd November

vs Marina Sands Lions 1-4

Team: Ciarán; Elliot H, Tom, Sam, Elliot R; Ollie, Josh, Caleb, Adam; Joe, Jacob. Subs: Ben, Cormac.

The boys bowed out of the County FA Cup, sponsored by Tesco, at the first hurdle, beaten by old rivals.

With the winds at the backs for the first period, the Lions pushed the boys into their own half and were helped by some timid displays that made their job a lot easier. Their three goal lead at half time gave the boys a mountain to climb – at least the second half performance, with Ian’s words ringing in their ears, was creditable.

They were a goal down in two minutes, the ball cut across the box for the advancing right winger to fire home – not the first time they were able to find acres of space on the left side of the defence in the first half.

Any efforts to escape from their own half were invariably met by a foul from the Lions, and the left winger was lucky to escape a word from the referee for his repeated infringements. The free kicks into the wind, with the Lions regrouped, were scant reward.

They extended their lead after 10 minutes. Elliot H made two interceptions but the Lions came back, caught Ollie in possession and swung a speculative shot into the top right corner. The boys pushed on down the left but looked vulnerable in the space behind and Ciarán had to hang on to a shot from the spare man again.

Joe gave Jacob something to chase deep into the Lions half, from which he cleverly won a corner. Taken short, it was quickly cleared and Ciarán was forced to make another save: they may be quick but speed is no recompense for a lack of composure and the Lions should have turned around with the game securely in the bag.

Instead, they scored only once more, breaking down the left and firing through the advancing Ciarán in the 26^th minute. Jacob got away down the left after 30 minutes, only for Joe to be beaten to the cross by the advancing keeper. From a clearance that bounced through the boys’ defensive line the Lions rattled the crossbar from the left and the extra man again on their right smacked the rebound goalwards, only to be stopped by a great one-handed save by Ciarán low down at the post.

Changes late in the half, with Adam swapping with Elliot R and Ben coming on for his debut at centre back in place of Elliot H, gave some greater stability going into the break and Josh was trying to link up with his new team mates whenever possible in midfield.

They may have had the wind in their favour at the turnaround but the second half started in torrential rain. It didn’t stop them from attacking with greater purpose, forcing the Lions back on the left. In the 41^st minute, they resorted to halting Ollie – a livewire throughout the game – by unfair means and Joe’s free kick went just the wrong side of the crossbar.

They were in the game now but the three goal cushion meant the Lions could still attack with purpose and Ciarán had to be alert, blocking well as they broke on 43 minutes. Cormac and Elliot H replaced Josh and Elliot R with 25 minutes left.

The centre back pairing of Sam and Ben were playing with much more composure and Sam was on hand to save the day from an uncharacteristically flat goal kick from Ciarán. Cormac dropped in at left back and worked well to shield the ball back to his twin in goal more than once.

They finally got a goal back after 55 minutes, as poacher Joe scored his 13^th goal of the season, on hand to get to the rebound after Caleb’s penalty had been saved by the keeper. Joe was instrumental in the build up, as his free kick crashed against the bar and Ollie beat the defenders to the ball, only to be upended for a blatant spot kick.

The boys pushed on as the Lions began to show some nerves but they wrapped up their victory with a goal five minutes before the end, the left winger stepping away from the edge of the box and a tired defence to pick up the throw-in and leave Ciarán groping at air as the ball fizzed into the corner of the net.

The difference between the two halves was stark and it wasn’t just the horizontal rain that stopped the Lions. The boys played with a much greater belief and assurance: as the passes finally began to reach their target, they gave the Lions – who moved to another league for “the challenge” – something to think about. With Ben and Josh added to the squad, strength and option are slowly returning and Josh took the Man of the Match award for his midfield display alongside unfamiliar team mates, with Ollie and Ciarán getting a mention for their performances.