Scorers: Busari, Reynolds, Jenkins
Another week and another win for the mighty 4th team. The score line indicates that this was a close game but in fact we should have been well out of sight by the time Vamps scuttered in their second goal. We started brightly keeping the ball and making Vamps do all the running. Within the first ten minutes we tore them apart but between a few dubious referee decisions and last ditch tackles we were only two ahead when our play deserved a lot more, Reynolds and Busari with the strikes from a combined distance of 5 yards!
With the midfield and strikers dominating the game Vamps resorted to hoofing the ball up field to their pacey attacker who was causing the makeshift centre back partnership a bit of hassle. From one of their hoofs up field we lost concentration for a second to let the ball bounce to one of their strikers who tucked it away. A few minutes later and from another hopeful long ball Pat and Steve got in a bit of a mix up outside the box giving their striker time on the ball. Pat made great strides to get back on the line and produce a stunning save, not bad for a centre back already on a yellow card! How he didn’t get his marching orders only the referee can understand. Steve saved the resulting pen and it remained 2-1 till half time.
The game had the same flow in the second half but it took a moment of magic from us to get our two goal lead back. A short free kick in the middle from Stuart to Paul, he unleashed a dipping, swerving volley that their keeper could only admire! They managed to sneak one back with 15 to go but all in all we were never really in that much trouble.
We did learn a couple of things though 1. we are creating a lot of chances and we need to put them away to stop doing things the hard way 2. never let the ball bounce in front of the defence, always attack the ball and 3. if we’re stuck for a goalie Pat will be able to come up with the goods between the sticks!
Overall a good result that keeps the momentum rolling forward to a big game on Saturday.
Team: Edelman, E Gyapon, McGlogan (Lambert), Murphy, Harris, Morris, Jenkins, Johnson, D Gyapon, Reynolds, Busari (Atkinson)
