Saturday 10th
November
vs Maghull FC 3-0
Team: Ciarán B; Tom, Joe,
Matty, Ben; Josh, Caleb, Jacob, Adam; Elliot, Cormac. Subs: Lewis, Ciarán S.
The boys rode their luck in
the first half but a flurry of changes after the break ensured another victory.
After last week’s superb
display, and with Maghull only able to field a scratch side, it was surprising
that too much of the first half was played in front of the boys goal, as they were
constantly outfought and were guilty of dawdling on the ball. They struggled to
cope with a series of early corners and, after Ciarán B had made a great save to
deny Maghull in the 11th minute, they should have gone a goal down
as the rebound was blazed over.
Any attacking threat was
coming down the left as Adam linked with Ben, Caleb and Cormac to run at the
full back, without forcing any serious threat on the Maghull goal. Switching
Josh and Jacob gave the side better balance, greater strength in midfield and
they were a more potent threat as the half ended. Jacob set himself up in the
23rd minute, only to shoot wide and Cormac linked up with Josh only
for the midfielder to see his shot on the stretch easily saved.
Maghull had a half-chance
late on after Tom was caught in two minds but Ben and Caleb opened up the left
again and Josh’s instinctive lob drifted wide of the far post. Elliot was quick
to close down the goal kick and joined up with Jacob to rob the ball from the
throw-in: the keeper pawed the cross off Adam’s head to keep the scores even at
half time.
Lewis came on for Caleb
after 31 minutes – the midfield maestro struggling with an ankle knock after a
poor, and unpunished, tackle moments earlier – and his swashbuckling run forced
a good save in the 33rd minute. Adam then shot narrowly wide as the
boys built on their strong end to the first half.
Ciarán S came on for Tom,
with Elliot dropping in at right back, but the defence was looking stronger as
Matty coolly stepped up to pinch the ball off the forward and feed Josh. He
gave Ciarán S his first chance to run at the Maghull defence: the ball may have
run away but they were now being stretched constantly.
Lewis pulled another shot
wide in the 36th minute and a sly tug, missed by the referee,
stopped a typical barnstorming run at the heart of the defence by Josh. Cormac,
with his last action before being replaced by the recovered Caleb in the 40th
minute, then linked with Jacob to create a chance for Adam, only for his shot
to go narrowly wide.
In the 42nd minute,
Lewis pushed the ball down the inside right channel for Jacob who decided to
cross when the shot seemed like a better option and Ciarán S forced a save out
of the keeper. The boys nearly paid for this generosity a minute later as,
looking stretched on the left, Ciarán B came to close down the forward and was
grateful to see Joe on hand to head out, the keeper clutching on to the clearance
from his defender.
It looked as if the goal
wasn’t going to come when, a minute later, the boys nearly hashed up a short
corner, only for Josh to cross and Ciarán S to hit the crossbar. Then the
bounce from a lob into the box completely deceived the keeper and somehow they
prevented Jacob from getting a touch to the ball.
Lewis was beaten by a bobble
and shot over in the 47th minute but the goal finally came a minute
later as Josh, from the right, sent the ball in and Ciarán S set up Jacob to
slot home.
Josh took a knock in the
build up and Matty, whose break from the action lasted only a minute, came back
on with Tom now at centre back. Maghull were buckling now and Jacob was upended
in the box in the 50th minute. Caleb’s penalty was high but onto the
inside of the right hand upright to double the lead.
Three goals in four minutes finally
reflected their dominance for three quarters of the match and the third on 52
minutes was a classic free kick move: Ben’s ball was far too good for the
Maghull defence and Jacob touched it past the keeper for his second. It took a
great clearance off the line by the defender to prevent Jacob’s hat-trick a
minute later as the Maghull defence froze as Ben’s deep ball set up the chance.
A much-improved second half
defensive display was nearly ruined in the last minute as Maghull broke out,
only for Ciarán B to preserve the clean sheet, saving with his legs, as the
boys recorded another win. The boys played the match unaware that the three points were already assured by Maghull’s inability to field a fully registered team. They put first half wobbles behind them to run out easy winners and, once again, it was difficult to pick a Man of the Match with a number of them getting a vote. In the end, Ian’s casting vote went to Joe, the bedrock of a defensive display that again provided the foundation for victory.
Mike, great report again, good job, thanks.
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