Casuals & Pelham were given a stern test in their second game of pre season against a Pelham Legends XI side! Everyone was in good spirits before the game and was looking forward to a good friendly game! However once both teams crossed that white line they both became much more serious about the task at hand! Not as many bodies today for the home side with only a squad of 13 so less substitute disturbances in comparison to last weekend! Pelham started the brighter of the 2 sides and played some good passing football creating a good few early chances! However the Legends side dug in, worked hard and kept the scores level! Skipper knight had made his tactics clear at the start of the game and those tactics payed off with the Legends side breaking the deadlock! The Legends started to get a couple of passages of play together and broke quickly with some good quick football! Three or four passes found a ball to Nathan Wheeler who slid the ball in behind for John Nevin, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner, 1-0 Legends!! Pelham wanted to hit back immediately but started to panic on the ball making silly mistakes trying to force an equaliser, with their good passing from the first 10 minutes going out the window! However they did eventually find an equaliser, Dan Boyce making a run down the right and cutting the ball back for Tim Shaw on the edge of the box, who struck the ball first time and into the back of the net, 1-1! The first half turned into an evenly matched game and the next goal could have gone either way, with both teams creating chances for themselves, Parrish and Richards having one on one opportunities but not quite being able to finish! However it was Pelham who took the lead, some good battling work from Grant Clark down the left saw the ball get into the feet of Rob Parrish, who's first attempt at goal was saved well but managed to get a second bite at it and slotted the ball into the bottom right hand corner, 2-1! The game then started to open up in midfield with both teams feeling the pace a little, but the Legends side made the most of it! Just as it looked like it would be 2-1 at the half, the Legends side broke quickly again, Flanders and Nevin with some good work, with the ball eventually making its way through to Charlie Daniels who's delicate finish over the top of the keeper made it 2-2 just before the half! That's how it stayed when the ref blew his whistle for the half, with a fair scoreline of 2-2 at the break! Harsh words were spoken at the break for Pelham with the home side not doing the basics they spoke about at the start of the game! They came out second half to put it right, but the Legends side had their tails up, and were well and truly in this game and going for the win! It was the Legends who took the lead next with again more good passing play and making the most of Pelhams formation being all over the place, with Cain Robinson finishing off a good move to make it 3-2 to the Legends! Once again Pelham came fighting back and levelled the scores 5 minutes later! Some good work from Clark again on the right layed the ball to Boyce on the edge of the box, who passed it on once more to Shaw who once again hit it first time and into the net, 3-3! However the Legends came fighting back again and soon took the lead once more, Charli Daniels taking on 2 defenders on the left, getting passed them and crossing the ball low across the box, with James Rose ghosting in at the back post and tapping into the net, 4-3 to the Legends!! Once again Pelham dug deep and found another equaliser! The same combination of Boyce and Shaw again with the later placing the ball over the keeper and into top left hand corner, completing his hattrick and making it 4-4! With 20 minutes left, it was anyone's game to take and the next goal could potentially win it! That next goal went to the home side as once again Shaw grabbed himself another goal, this time Shaw playing Arran in on goal who decided to return the favour and give the ball back to him, with Shaw finishing well, 5-4 to Pelham! With 10/15 minutes left would there be another goal in it! Pelham decided to tighten up a bit and try to see the game out! However they could have bagged a 6th goal as Dan Arran was played through on goal but couldn't find the finish! That is how it stayed and an evenly matched game finished 5-4 to Pelham to make it 2 wins out of 2, but only just with a stubborn Legends side putting up a good fight! Not as good of a performance today from us as last weekend but obviously a lot less bodies and a few players making their firsts appearances of the season! The next 3-4 weeks are massive, and we have to get the basics right and get some consistency in the squad, getting used to playing with each other with so many new faces! Pelhams man of the match today goes to Tim Shaw, with 4 goals in a 5-4 win and a decent performance in midfield, it's hard to look past him!
