Casuals and Pelham edged out Newport FC in an easter weekend friendly 4-3. It was a Pelham team which saw a good few amount of players come in/back in to the fold who hadn't played much recently and it was good to get them out again. Pelham started the brighter of the two teams and had some early chances. Dan Arran came closest for the home side hitting the post after 5 minutes. However it wasn't long before Pelham did take the lead, a fantastic through ball from Jordan Knights was latched onto by Steve Callan who slotted the ball home making it 1-0. For all Pelhams early chances they were pegged back not too long after taking the lead as Newport broke on the counter attack with their first opportunity of the game, with the striker managing to get his shot off early, and Mark Jolley who was stepping in for the absent Dan Monk, couldn't get down quick enough to stop the ball going in to the bottom corner. Newport weren't finished there, before long they created their second chance of the game and once again converted it, making it 2-1 to the away side. After the second goal went in Pelham managed to get back on top of the game and started to put some good plays together again. However the rest of the half was played out and the teams went into the half with the scoreline at 2-1 to Newport FC. Pelham started the second half as they did the first and were once again starting to create a lot more, with Tim Shaw coming the closest to evening the scores. Pelham did manage to find a way through eventually, this time with Dan Boyce playing a ball through for Shaw, who just managed to nip in front of the defender and flick the ball round the corner for Jordan Knights who in turn took the ball on and placed it past the keeper, evening the game up at 2-2. 2-2 soon turned into 3-2 for the home side with the same three combining shortly after, a Boyce ball forwards found Shaw who layed it on to Knights who once again finished the move off and tucking the ball in the bottom corner. With the momentum with Pelham, they continued to push and again came close with Shaw. They eventually punished Newport again for all their pressure, as they broke down the right hand side through Medfai, his cross came into the box and the ball ricochet'd off the defender and bounced toward Shaw and Simper with the latter eventually taking on the half volley and scoring on his debut making it 4-2 to Pelham. Pelham were now fully in control of the game but it would be Newport who would have the last say. They managed to break down the right hand side and get a good ball into the box, with the Newport wide man tucking in late at the back post to get a free header in to the bottom corner, 4-3. However that was late in the game and Pelham had enough composure about them to see the game out and take the win. A good performance seems we have a goalkeeper missing and numerous players playing for the first time in a good while. Todays man of the match goes to Jordan Knights who put in an all round solid performance adding two goals and an assist as well.
