We were beaten as much by the conditions as the opposition
in this top of the table clash, and it was encouraging to hear the boys talking
confidently about our chances of overturning this defeat next week on our home
turf. We should definitely not be
lacking in motivation, as we are still in a strong position with two games in
hand on Pegasus. Beat them next week and
winning the league will still be under our control. Lose and we will need to beat everyone else
to keep the pressure on the other teams and hope that they slip up.
We know we have a small squad, and it could ultimately cost
us as injuries meant Sharpy was forced to play people out of position, and was
not able to replace as many tiring pairs of legs as would have been ideal. Still, given where we were pre-season (not
knowing if we’d even have enough for a team) it’s great that we’ve put out a
team every week and I’m sure the level of commitment that everyone has shown will
continue.
Subs: Neil, Rob
I’ve already mentioned the conditions, and there are
multiple match reports you can read that talk of the huge pitches at the
Pegasus Club. However, as well as having
to cover twice the distance as usual we were also having to run through
porridge as the pitch was frankly in an awful state. In the end our opposition (with their
superior fitness and copious substitutes) coped with the conditions better than
we did, and the last 30 minutes were pure agony. Still I was particularly proud that, despite
the game being lost at 4-1, we kept getting into the opposition box and forcing
them to defend.
Against the odds we took the lead when Dale was put clear on
the right by Robin, made it to the bye line and crossed low into the six yard
box where ISP was on hand to slot home from 3 yards for his first goal of the
season: 0-1.
Unfortunately before we had time to enjoy our lead we had
lost it, as we were peeled open by some
good short passing and moving which was finished off with a smart finish into
the corner of the net. We were then soon
the ones chasing the lead when we were once again surprised by the quality of
Pegasus’s finishing, and definitely learned the hard way that we can’t afford
to give these boys an eye at goal in and around the box: 2-1.
Despite being hit for six by these two quick goals, a key
decision before half time denied us going into half time with the momentum and
lift that a late goal in the half would have provided.* An out-swinging cross from a free kick on the
right was attacked by ISP in the box, who came from behind his man and planted
a magnificent looping header into the far corner from about 12 yards out. The referee pointed to the centre circle, we
started to celebrate and the opposition started to get back in position to
restart from the middle. However, the
linesman had his flag up and following a consultation with the referee, the
goal was ruled out for offside. The
argument being that ISP had started from an offside position, and only came
back onside after the ball had been played in.
This was hotly disputed, but we lost this particular argument.
We never really recovered from this and although the effort
in the second half can’t be faulted, we became increasingly ragged, and let
Pegasus stretch us thin across the pitch and exploit the space this
created. Despite ISP continuing to make
good runs, we struggled to create any clear cut chances, and to make matters
worse our injury problems deepened when Webby pulled up lame with a groin
injury. Fortunately we were able to
convince Brian that putting him down wasn’t, on this occasion, the most humane solution
and instead he was given the linesman flag and replaced in the goal by Foggy.
The last two goals came late, and simply rubbed salt into
our gaping wounds. The first came
despite Eye-Ball arriving first when the ball rebounded off the cross bar. His tired attempt at clearing whilst facing
goal made it over the striker, who swivelled and hit the ball at the top of the
bounce, back over his head and Foggy into the top corner: 3-1.
Three became four and the game was finished when a cross
from the left was somehow guided from the front post to the back despite the
arriving player having Eye-Ball in close attendance: 4-1.
We may have lost this battle, but that doesn’t have to mean
that we lose the war and next week have the chance to put things right. The awarding of MoTM was a somewhat
unenthusiastic event, and I don’t know for sure why Eye-Ball received the most
votes (we did lose so it sort of makes sense).
Perhaps the free reign he gave himself to get up and down the pitch when
defending became a pointless past-time was noted, and might encourage him to be
more adventurous in future. DoTD rather
harshly went to Foggy, who voted for himself and was not overruled. His reasoning was for giving the ball away in
the build up to the second goal we conceded, but there were a lot of tackles
that should have been made before the ball ended up in the net. He may have deserved a nomination anyway for
attempting to have a democratic debate with a referee who would start an
argument with himself if left alone in a dark room.
Anyway what is done is done, and all we can do is give all
we have got next week, and we can only do that if we approach the game with
positivity and believe (as we should) that we can win.
Eye-Ball
Next game: Sunday 25th January @ Home v Pegasus.
Goal scoring chart
*Correction: I have been reliably informed that our second goal would have put us 2-1 up. Still, the impact was still as described.
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