DC Steamers started the 14/15 campaign with a 3-0 win over arch rivals Wokingham and Emmbrook to take them 2nd in the league.
A tough preseason of 8 matches saw the DCS head into the match fighting fit and raring to go. We lined up in our new 3-5-2 formation, which has had mixed results, for our opening game. From Kick-off you could see we were the dominate side but our passing let us down with some sloppy short balls getting cut out by the W&E midfield. This resulted in an already grumpy Josh Courage throwing most of his toys across the pitch threatening to give up after 4 minutes.
Our dominance would pay off but not until a few good chances were scuppered. Ide ran through onto a pass, beating the offside trap!, to take it round the keeper and then past the by-line onto the field next to us into a game from another league altogether. Another comical Sunday league goal-mouth scrabble occurred with back-heels, headers from the floor and other stuff crashing around the 6 yard box before smashing the bar to safety.
We broke the deadlock when Jonny Clifford was put through one on one with a ball over the top from Sammo Wyatt. Jonny side-footed the ball neatly into the bottom right of the goal and the pressure lifted off the players. Jonny was also relieved as he had a few chances to score prior to this moment and had a habit of attempting silky skills and moves on the edge of our own box that never really worked out.
Steamers quickly made it 2-0 when our ever grumpy CM, Courage, picked the ball out and vented all his anger into a shot from 25 yards that hammered the crossbar. Owen Temple was quick to follow this up and place a delicate header into the goal.
H/T 2-0
The 2nd half didn’t have anywhere near as much action as the 1st. DC Steamers seemed to spend most of it defending but W&E never seemed like scoring. The back 3 and Paul Moore did their jobs well without having to much to do and they will expect much tougher tests through the season.
The goal came in about the 60th minute when another Wyatt ball was found by Ide who did a typical 12/13 season style shot into the bottom right of the net (albeit a bit of deflection or 2 en route).
Other highlights from the half included 2 foul throws, a not so deadly free-kick, Jonny missing, Paul calling half our team a ‘Deeeck!’ and one of the finest touches you will ever see by a centre back.
MOTM goes to SAM WYATT for his 2 assists and for running for a whole 90 minutes. A very close runner-up goes to Owen Temple for his constant work up and down the left hand side and a well-earned goal.
Forget to mention Sam Hall attempted an overhead kick that actually almost went in. It went downhill from there and he got subbed.
COYS!
