Alec once again had a wealth of options, including the welcome return of Bunny after a substantial lay-off. With Niki missing this meant Eye-Ball wearing the poorly fitting arm-band (I really need to work on the guns), Tapsell partnering Rob at the back, and Bunny slotting straight back into midfield alongside Foggy. H's impressive substitute appearance the previous week also earned him a start upfront with Liam.
Subs: Sharpy, Alan, Chris
There was a strong wind blowing against Clements in the first half, so it was important to limit the damage. H very nearly went one better when the ball fell to him unmarked in the six yard box. Unfortunately he is still searching for the finishing touch that saw him score 17 goals and be top goal scorer two seasons ago, and he did well to lift the ball over the bar.
Kynoch took the lead when their free-kick taker applied a similar trajectory to the ball that H had previously. The difference was that he was about 35 yards out, and with Conor misjudging the assistance offered by the wind, we could only watch as the ball floated over his head and into the roof of the net: 0-1.
The response from Clements was instantaneous, and Bunny received the ball from the kick off before riding a few challenges and playing a pass down the line to Ryan. He cut inside and finished superbly into the far corner: 1-1.
Kynoch retook the lead before Clements then scored one of the best team goals of the season. Liam came short to play a one-two with Dale, who then repeated the same move with Foggy, all the time continuing his run into the box. With the Kynoch defence bamboozled Dale then finished expertly into the far corner: 2-2.
The second half saw the quickest substitution of a substitute in living memory, in an incident that it is sad to say may have been Sharpy's last for the club. He maintains that his dual with Kynoch's mammoth midfielder was under control, but having been booked and showing no sign of letting it go, Alec felt he had no choice but to swap Sharpy for Chris. Alec was only doing what he (and some of the other players) felt he had to do to avoid Sharpy getting himself (and more importantly Ben) into more trouble, but it is a shame his involvement had to end like this as he has been such a loyal servant to the club, and has the potential to have such a positive impact on the side. I hope we can still see him down the pub and enjoy a bit of banter, as there is so much more to Sharpy than what you see on the football pitch.
Clements played really well throughout the second half, with Alan coming on to play the anchor role with a composure that meant he always seemed to have time on the ball to pick out the simple pass. We were so close to gaining the point we deserved for some really dogged defending, but a strong run from Kynoch's striker through a crowd box somehow ended with a shooting opportunity as the ball seemed to stick to him through every challenge. Tapsell's last ditch block wasn't enough to stop the powerful drive nestling in the top of the net: 2-3.
The 4th was a long range effort that exploited tired legs, and we were left with nothing but the job of taking down to goals as reward for our efforts. Still, if we show that sort of grit and determination every week the rub of the green has to fall our way sooner or later.
Eye-Ball
Goal scoring chart
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