Casuals and Pelham started their 2018/19 campaign with a 4-1 win at home in their first pre season friendly against Green Man Athletic! The heat passed as the rain lashed down and with Pelham turning out with a squad of 12 men it probably wasn’t the worst thing! The first 10 minutes was fairly evenly matched between the two sides with not too many chances created for either, Pelham just missing out on that final ball to put them in behind! However once Pelham started to brush off the cobwebs they slowly started to create, and with their first real clear cut chance they took the lead! Lee Simper played a good through ball for Charlie Daniels to run on to, approaching the oppositions keeper and slotting calmly past him, 1-0 to Pelham! However taking the lead didn’t settle the home side down, and they continued to rush that last pass trying to force that second goal a little too much! However some good positioning and covering all over the park from various players meant Green Man Athletic didn’t create too many chances themselves! Pelham needed that second goal to give them some breathing space and finally settle them down, and finally after half hour they were gifted it. A poor clearance from the Green Man Athletic keeper fell straight to the feet of Tim Shaw, who took a touch and then dinked the ball from a distance, lobbing the keeper and into the back of the net, 2-0 to Pelham! Pelham could have increased their lead in the first half with chances from Daniels and Shaw just not finding the net! Therefore 2-0 was how it stayed with Pelham going into half time the happier of the two sides! Pelham knew they needed to continue to up their game as they had done over the first half, and they knew the next goal would be vital in the game! Pelham continued to play some good football in flashes and got the next goal around the hour mark! Tim Shaws acceleration saw him latch on to a ball he should never have got to, and despite being kicked on his way past two defenders, dinked the ball over the onrushing keeper and in to the back of the net, 3-0 to Pelham! At 3-0 and with only one sub Pelham took their foot off the gas and it started to show in the game! Green Man Athletic started to dominate possession and threaten Pelhams goal having their best spell of the game! The away side forced a couple of saves from the Monk and hit the post off the back of a corner! They got their well deserved goal, as a ball came over from the left hand side, into the back stick with the Green Man striker trying to judge the flight of the ball! Even though he misjudged it the ball managed to strike him on the thigh and roll in to the net! Although the goal was slightly lucky circumstances it was well deserved, 3-1 to Pelham! That kicked Pelham up the backside and they finally moved back up the gears looking to find a fourth goal! They started to play football again and found their fourth goal just under ten minutes before the end! Some good football saw Tim Shaw get on the end of a through ball, who squared for Charlie Daniels to tap into an essential empty net, 4-1 to Pelham! Pelham saw out the last 10 minutes or so and finished 4-1 winners in their first game back for the season! Overall for the first game back it was a decent display! Fitness, communication and quality on the ball will come with games, but have to be pleased with the performance and result of the first game back! Some good performances all round today and obviously Tim and Chaz opening their accounts with two goals each is just what you want, but today’s man of the match goes to Matt Newman, who had a solid game in the middle of the park!
