Saturday 22nd November
vs Town Green Rovers 4-4
Team: Ciarán; Mark, Dylan, Sam, Josh; Cameron, Caleb
(capt.), Joe D, Ollie; Joe H, Jacob. Subs: Cormac, Tom.
This was a Jekyll and Hyde performance which resulted in
another draw against the Rovers when greater concentration should have seen the
boys run out winners.
They were a goal down in the first minute – poor clearances
from Josh and Sam gave the Rovers a shot from the edge of the box which looked
close enough to Ciarán for him to deal with.
After Dylan had stopped the Rovers from making too much
of a break in the 11th minute, Ciarán made amends a minute later,
pushing a low shot round the base of the post after the Rovers had surged down
their left.
On heavy ground, the boys were slowly beginning to get a
passing game together as Joe D and Joe H combined to create a chance for
Jacob. Joe H attacked off the right wing
to force another save in the 18th minute and they finally got back
on level terms after 22 minutes. From Ciarán’s kick out, Jacob passed it into
Caleb and his ball beat the Rovers defence, Joe H keeping cool to slot it into
the corner of the net.
Ciarán was being kept busy, scrambling to take the ball
from the Rovers’ forward’s feet and then getting everything behind a free kick,
harshly awarded for handball against Mark. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep hold
of a shot in the 34th minute, after the Rovers forward had lots of
time to turn and shoot, and they followed it in to take a lead into the break… a
lead that lasted for all of 20 seconds of the second half as Joe H’s long range
shot, after Mark had laid the ball back to him, was far too strong for the
keeper.
Mark was pushed further forward in the second half, as
Tom replaced Cameron who had had a solid first half on debut and he revelled in
the extra space and time. Ollie headed Joes H’s free kick over the bar as they
looked to take the lead but, instead, they went behind for a third time in the
43rd minute as the Rovers played the ball across the box, with the
forward turning easily past Josh to score.
Going forward, they continued to play some attractive
football. Joe H managed to work the ball back to Caleb to centre but Ollie
could only lift his shot high. Joe D gave Jacob a glorious chance to equalise after
51 minutes, but the forward failed to get his shot away with his first touch
and the Rovers defence regrouped to close him out.
A minute later, he had his reward at the end of a great
one touch passing move that he started. From his ball laid back to Caleb, the
captain found Joe H in lots of space on the right and his low cross to Jacob was
steered into the net at the second attempt: one of the best passages of play
the boys have put together this season.
Joe H had a great free kick headed off the line two
minutes later but the Rovers will still a threat, and Dylan was alert on more
than one occasion to keep them from getting anything on the break. Caleb, not
at 100%, was replaced by Cormac with a quarter of an hour left, and it was in
midfield with 10 minutes to go that they lost the ball to expose Dylan who couldn’t
prevent a fourth Rovers goal.
Cameron came back on, replacing Ollie, as they went
looking for another equaliser in the final five minutes, and it turned out to
be an inspired change by Ian. He was soon involved, his shot closed down for a
corner the Rovers hacked clear. The boys had them under the cosh now, Cameron
closed out on the goal line for another corner. At the fourth attempt, they got
their fourth goal as Jacob’s shot was cleared off the line and Cameron found
the time and space to get the ball into the corner of the net.
They had a chance of a winner in injury time from a free
kick after Cameron was chopped down but Joe H’s free kick ended up in the
keeper’s hands and the Rovers hung on to their point.
As good as the play was going forward, the boys kept
letting sloppy goals in such that they needed four equalisers to stay in the
game. With the ball on the floor, they look like they can score against anyone
but they will need to show more concentration and determination when they haven't got the ball to turn
the goals into victories. Despite this, Dylan deservedly took the Man of the
Match award for a measured display at the centre of a defence too often all at
sea.
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