Saturday 6th
April
vs Marina Sands Lions 1-2
Team: Ciarán; Ben, Connor,
Tom, Matty; Adam, Ollie, Caleb, Josh; Joe H, Joe T. Subs: Cormac, Danny,
Elliot.
We said farewell this week, for the
time being at least, to Jacob who has been given an opportunity to
train at Burnley FC. Good luck, Jake – if you can follow in the footsteps of
Martin Dobson, Mike Thomas, Tricky Trev (ask your Dad) or even Tommy Lawton
(your Grandad might remember his Dad talking about him), we’ll forgive you the
wearing of another blue shirt. To follow in Jim Furnell’s footsteps and go from
Turf Moor to play for the Reds, I think you’ll need to grow a few inches – I’m
sure they’ll provide the gloves!
This was another Groundhog
Day performance by the boys, in line with their recent displays in general and
against the Lions in particular. The Lions may be big strong lads, but their
tactics are limited – pump it over top, mostly direct but sometimes wide, and
try to win the race to the ball. It is maybe ironic that the boys took the lead
in a similar manner two minutes before the break, but there was nothing hit and
hope about Ollie’s perfectly weighted ball, after he had expertly brought it
under control. Joe T was too strong for the centre back and his shot beat the
keeper.
They had grown slowly into
the game, with the choice of Tom at centre back to counter the Lions’ pace
proving a wise decision. Connor and Matty were solid in the tackle, although a
Lions header over the bar from a corner in the 9th minute again
exposed their set piece fragility.
When they kept it simple,
the boys had the chance to move it around the Lions in midfield. Caleb’s
incisive pass set up Joe H on the edge of the box who went close in the 13th
minute and he forced a save from the keeper from a similar position a minute
later after Ollie’s head had flicked on Ben’s throw-in.
The Lions were on the back
foot and Joe T’s surging run forced a corner, which Ben swung into the six yard
box. Adam had two chances from the edge of the box after it was partially cleared
but his shot was pulled wide.
Ciarán had had little to do
up until the 21st minute, when he pushed a shot to safety after the
ball had been hoisted hopefully into the box. Matty recovered well after
playing them onside a minute later as the Lions relieved the pressure on their
defence but it was the boys who finished half stronger, a mazy run from Adam
and a confident turn and shot from Joe T either side of the goal giving them
the upper hand.
The Lions defence was alert
at the start of the second period, cutting out Joe T’s chance after Caleb had
found him on the edge of the box. Matty’s headed clearance cut out a cross as
the Lions countered, still looking to stretch the boys with pace up front.
Danny and Elliot came on for
Josh and Matty early in the half to freshen up the right hand side. Ciarán was
out quickly to save with his feet as the Lions found a ball that was within the
forward’s range in the 36th minute but the back header that gave
them another chance four minutes later left him with no chance to prevent the
equaliser.
Joe H shot narrowly wide
from the restart as the boys responded well but they rode their luck in the 43rd
minute as a free kick from the edge of the box, given for Ben’s handball,
rattled the crossbar and Tom and Connor combined to clear it to safety. Joe T’s
powerful run after 47 minutes force the Lions to concede a free kick on the
right hand edge of the area, but the chance went begging.
The final change saw Cormac
come on after 48 minutes, replacing Tom as Joe H dropped into defence but it
was a miskick out on the left moments later that allowed the Lions in behind
the defence and the cross was headed home to give them the lead.
 |
| Caleb Willis - Man of the Match |
Joe T and Cormac worked had
to put the Lions defence under pressure in search of an equaliser and it was
the sub who came closest, just failing to get anything on the ball and turn it
into an unguarded net after Danny had beaten the keeper to the ball.
Once again the effort and
application could not be faulted as they fell to another narrow defeat. With
the luck they are having at the moment, there is no way any of them should have
picked Aurora’s
Encore in the National! Tom and Connor gave solid displays at the back,
standing strong against the pace of the Lions’ attack, but another metronomic performance
in midfield from Caleb just took the Man of the Match award.
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