Blown away by league leaders

Saturday 4^th October

vs Active Soccer 0-7

Team: Ciarán; Dylan, Tom, Caleb, Louis, Josh; Mark, Ollie, Jacob, Adam; Joe H. Subs: Cormac, Elliot, Joe D, Sam.

There is light at the end of the tunnel – the run of games against contenders for the league is over, for now – but the boys must come out of this run of defeats with a positive approach and begin to regain some confidence. Ultimately, this was a simple victory for Active Soccer – every goal was gifted to them by slack marking, weak challenges and poor decision making.

Ciarán, Caleb and Louis had all prevented chances before Active took an 8^th minute lead, with a free header from a corner and they doubled it minutes later, with the forward having all the time he needed to chest down the throw-in, turn and rifle past the helpless Ciarán.

Sam and Joe D replaced Tom and Ollie at the restart and Joe D was soon snapping at their heels in midfield. This gave the boys a platform to push forward and Jacob was stopped from getting a shot on target only by a sturdy challenge that went unpunished.  After 15 minutes Joe D then sprayed a cross field pass to Joe H who turned past the full back but lifted his shot just over the bar.

Ciarán had come to the rescue after Dylan was caught in possession but Active were getting behind the defence with ease and extended their lead with a near post header from a left wing cross in the 22^nd minute.

As Elliot replaced Adam in another defensive shuffle, they still had chances as Active pushed forward. Joe H was brought down outside the box and his low free kick ran to Joe D who could not get any power behind the shot. In the 28^th minute, Joe H made another powerful run down the right but Jacob couldn’t get into the box in time to get to his ball across the face of the goal.

Ciarán pulled off a smart save after 29 minutes after the ball broke kindly to the Active forward but he could do nothing to prevent the fourth goal from the resulting corner, as another unmarked forward punished them.

The Active back line got away with a pull on Jacob as he surged through them just before the break and he then got a rest as he, Mark and Josh were replaced by Tom, Ollie and Adam at the start of the second half. Ciarán was the busiest player on the pitch again, blocking a shot and bravely grabbing the ball back after a quick burst into the box and then saving again after hesitation from those in front of him to prevent Active extending their lead in the first two minutes of the half.

Joe D and Elliot combined together to push forward down the right but it proved to be debutant Joe’s last action as a knock forced him to be replaced by Jacob after 40 minutes. Mark and Cormac then came on, with Louis and a tiring Ollie making way. The boys were still struggling to get out of their own half, surrendering possession too easily, and another Ciarán save and blocks from Caleb and Cormac prevented them from going further behind.

The inevitable fifth goal finally came in the 50^th minute and highlighted all their failings. Having won possession close to their left corner flag, they gave it away too easily and there was little resistance as Active worked to a central position it for a long range shot that flew into the top corner. Time and space on the edge of the box was offered up again four minutes later: this time a low shot was too hot for Ciarán to keep out.

Ciarán pushed another long range shot to safety soon after and the boys had a glimmer of a chance after the Active replacement keeper miskicked a back pass but his defence cleared the corner. Tom fired a free kick upfield 5 minutes before the end and the ball fell to Cormac but his weak shot was easily held by the keeper. This was after they had conceded a seventh goal, however, as more weak challenges did nothing to prevent Active scything through the defence and they finished the game with Sam bravely heading a goal-bound shot to safety.

As they repeatedly give up possession too easily, allowing their opponents to come straight back at them, they have relied on the form of their keeper and the efforts of a handful of team mates who are willing to put in the last ditch tackles to prevent their opponents from inflicting bigger defeats over recent weeks. Joe H has cut a lone figure up front, doing all that he can to relieve the pressure but there needs to be more composure, better ball retention and more purpose in trying to win the ball back in future weeks. Joe D’s efforts in midfield to do this, along with some clever use of the ball when he had won it, saw him take the Man of the Match award. In the meantime, more work on defensive shape and responsibility will be needed at training this week.