G&S kicked off this first home game of the season in the main league cup against lower division Valley Park Rangers B at a roasting Meridian.
The 1st half was a quiet affair in what was a keenly fought, fair contest, only interrupted by an incessant, shrill noise (?!).
13 minutes had passed when TJ burst clear of his markers from his own half before slotting Deji through with a delightful ball. The cool striker finished with aplomb! 1-0. Deji was soon through again on 19 but saw his snap shot go over.
A free kick just outside the box on the half hour from Lewis was deflected wide, Chris burst in to the box on 38 but could only find the right had side netting and a corner as the half closed was headed over by Jo when he should have done better.
1-0 half time but the game should have been put to bed good & proper by then!
2nd half chances were also thick & fast. Only 4 minutes on the clock & Russ missed a golden chance when put through by Deji hitting the ball with his right when he would surely have scored with his left. Jo again headed over on 52 from a corner & only 5 minutes later TJ again skinned his marker only to see Deji shoot wide from the eventual through ball.
Deji was at his usual busy game & would surely have got an assist if his fellow strike partners had been awake. He beat at least 3 before squaring. The ball was on the goal line begging to be buried but the gift was not taken up.
Then a mad period with 20 to go. First Lewis did well to clear a corner off the line, but from the resulting corner PENALTY! Disaster, some holding was allegedly seen in the box! Ben rose to the occasion saving to his left BUT a retake was demanded… what was going on!? Ben saved again brilliantly, then a third Pen was claimed from the resulting scramble…. Say no more! Minutes later Ben again pulled out all the stops saving a close range effort which would normally have beaten any other league keeper. The boy came of age! Top drawer!!
78 minutes down & some breathing space at last. Lewis was coming in to his own now & scrambled the ball across the goal for TJ to slot home. Phew!!
5 minutes later & again Lewis showed his class. Drag backs & beating 3, he laid it on a plate for Dario on the left. No mistake & 3-0. Dario should have made it 4 seconds later but flailed a limp right foot at a sitter!
4 minutes left & Frenchie sprung from his cage! He took the ball up outside the box & slammed it home for a deserved 4-0 against the hapless stand in keeper.
The less said about the last 3 minutes the better, but from an offside position & with a whistle eminating from somewhere, the ball nestled in Rovers’ net for 4-1. Slack but strange.
Copy books were blotted at the end with unnecessary bookings to sour a pretty good contest already ruined by officialdom, but you live & learn. You were warned not to open your mouths, but I suppose there is only so much any human can take. BUT, like last week, is there any point when you have clearly already won the game……??? TO THE NEXT ROUND… BRING IT ON!!
