After the shite display we put on over at East Peckham last time we met all the lads were keen before the game to make a point and show our opponents that we weren't as bad as we showed them last time.
The line up was strong and saw the return of Shaggy in the starting line up for the first time in 18 months. But as soon as the referee's whistle went everyone seemed to forget everything that we talked about before the game. Not only about getting revenge on the lads that rolled us over so easily last time around but also everything that was said about positioning and marking, playing as a team.
So it was no surprise that 15 minutes in they're right winger whipped in a lovely ball and they're fella had an easy head into an empty net. This was possibly the worst case of bad/no marking I have ever seen. Lesson learned??
The goal seemed to wake us up, or more accurately it seemed to slow them down. We started to push forward, Gozzy and Ferg both looked like they were going to find a way through. A lovely ball in from ferg on the left was headed millimeters over by Shaggy. The chances started to come and everyone started to believe we could get back in to it. Danny Harrison pulled off a great one on one save at the back to keep us in it. And Bayley playing at centre back again compensated for his lack of marking by winning every header and every tackle.
Robbie G was putting it about up front as always and trying his best to bulldoze a path through the middle for Gozzy.
Then disaster struck and we were hit with a sucker punch. A great strike from 18 yards that swerved into the net. Against the run of play but nether the less a good goal.
Half time 0-2
The half time report was something like this: We weren't playing badly as such but everyone seemed a bit slow and maybe not as up for it as they seemed before the game. We were second to a lot of the loose balls and needed to start taking our chances.
The second half was better, we started to play football. Gandhi went gallivanting forward and sprung the offside trap before whipping a lovely ball in to Hobbit who couldn't quite get the connection he wanted.
Hathaway came on for hobbit and slotted into the middle. Indeed it was his assist that led to the goal. I can't actually remember how but he assures me it was his slice of pie. Anyway I saw the goal and it was a lovely finish. Little Fraz Lawrence who had just come on at right mid sneaked into the back of the net while no one was looking and grabbed the match ball and respotted it for a quick restart.
Again we battled hard. The defending was slack but Ken Dog and Bayley were making some lovely last ditch tackles and Harrison was pulling off some great if not a little unorthodox saves.
Gozzy and Fraz were linking up well down the right and it really looked like we were going to get that goal. Robbie took his battling mentality to the next level and picked up a yellow card (which seemed harsh to me)
The last 5 minutes we laid siege to their goal. Gosnell and Gardiner both coming close. Pat Lawrence came on for the last few minutes and launched a few Delap'esq throwins in to the box but we couldn't find a way through and it finished 1-2.
All credit to East Peckham, they're young side came here and played some good football and battled hard. Over the 90 minutes I think they seemed to want it a fraction more. We now have to beat Eden Rangers next week to make sure of promotion.
