Double Disaster

Saturday 9^th February

vs Liverpool North 0-3, 0-2

With the match with Liverpool North from the first round of games still outstanding, it was agreed to play a double header of thirty minute games…

Team: Ciarán; Ben, Matty, Joe, Elliot; Adam, Josh, Caleb, Danny; Connor, Jacob. Subs: Cormac, Tom.

Heavy overnight rain had left the pitch like a quagmire, with the ball stopping in the midfield mud and standing water on both wings. On a leveller of a pitch, Liverpool North showed much greater will to win the ball and were deserved winners.

Elliot’s clearing header from a 2^nd minute corner was volleyed back by North from the edge of the box, the sweet shot too hot for Ciarán’s fingertips as the boys made the worst start possible.

North were taking control of midfield as yet again the boys stood off their more determined opponents and got sucked into a battle, instead of trying to find the better ground out on the wings. When they did, they finally put the North defence under some pressure as Connor linked with Adam but the winger’s cross was straight down the keeper’s throat.

Jacob and Danny combined after 10 minutes to force a corner. Josh’s inswinger was too good for everyone and, after Ben sent it back in, Jacob could only scuff his shot into the keeper’s hands. Danny got in a good cross in the 13^th minute, which the keeper could only palm away and Ben’s long range shot went wide.

Joe had put in a good challenge earlier to put off the North forward, who shot wide, but Ciarán’s poor goal kick left him in all sorts of trouble in the 18^th minute. Caught on the ball, he was robbed and the forward slid the ball past Ciarán to double the lead.

Adam burst infield after 21 minutes and although Jacob’s touch let him down it was enough to set up Connor who shot wide. Three minutes later, another searching corner from Josh saw both teams hacking wildly at the ball but it was North who got the telling touch to clear.

Breaking out a minute later, the left side was exposed and the North winger stepped inside Ben to set up a chance that the centre of defence only made easier for the North forward to seal the victory.

Team: Ciarán; Ben, Matty, Joe, Tom; Adam, Josh, Caleb, Elliot; Connor, Jacob. Subs: Cormac, Danny.

Given a stiff reminder of what was needed at the turn around, the boys had a chance to redeem themselves in the second “match”. North were only going to take inspiration from the first 30 minutes, though, and Ciarán was in the action in the first minute with a low save.

Josh’s bustling style was always liable to reap dividends in these conditions and he made a greater contribution in this second game. He burst through, only to shoot wide under pressure and then worked a good short corner to create chances for Jacob and Connor.

As the ball stopped in the mud yet again, Josh was on hand to get it going again and he combined well with Jacob, coming in with pace from the right, to shoot over the bar in the 5^th minute.

The pair linked again moments later, the keeper saving with his feet from Josh as he looked set to open the scoring. Instead the boys went behind to another good goal on 9 minutes: the ball over the top was expertly controlled on the chest and lobbed over Ciarán.

Cormac came on for Matty at the restart, moving onto the right wing. Connor had struggled up front in his first match and dropped back to fill the gap at centre back, going on to put in a series of tackles and challenges which went on to win him the Man of the Match award over the two games.

In the 15^th minute, he stopped another break, Ciarán then saving from the corner. The defence was caught out again in the 17^th minute, however, as a cross was met with a header that wrong-footed Ciarán to extend the lead.

Yet again, a two goal deficit was needed to spark the boys into life. Josh burst yet again into the box after 19 minutes, only for the defender to kick it off his foot for a corner. He swung it in from the right, hit the front post direct and then won the challenge in the box and was brought down. Up stepped Caleb, only to see the keeper go the right way and save the penalty. 

They went on to force a series of corners but North held firm until Joe was barged in the back wide on the right in the 23^rd minute.. From the free kick, Tom probably had too much space and time to set himself for the header and put it just over the bar.

Connor Wolfenden - Man of the Match

Connor’s greater involvement was summed up in the last five minutes as he threw himself into four successive tackles as his team mates stood and watched – not for the first time this season a change in the last quarter of a game had produced a standout performance missing from the rest of the team.

The failings are not dissimilar from before – they must learn to win the ball and keep hold of it, then use it wisely. Liverpool North were stronger through the middle and the boys need to learn from their mistakes. They showed greater passion in the last 15 minutes of the day’s play, lead by Connor and Josh but they played against a team that wanted the win more than they did and they got what they deserved. Agreeing to play a double header turned out to be a disaster.