Creditable Draw…But Should It Have Been More?
A great all-round team performance made sure that GSK shared the spoils with L&S and kept level-pegging in the table with their fellow wannabe title contenders. However, it would be fair to say GSK left the awful ground that is Monks Rec with a feeling that they maybe should’ve capitalised more on their opportunities to secure all 3 points and really put a dent in their rivals title aspirations.
Fresh from a focussed pre-match team-talk from manager Jeffery, GSK knew that they had to bring their A-game to the table all over the park if they were going to get anything from this one and show the L&S upstarts that they were up for mounting a serious title challenge. In the early exchanges, it was clear that the players had duly obliged and heeded Jeffery’s words. Wayner in goal was being as vocal as ever, Cheese was looking assured taking advantage of the right-back slot vacated by Hughes’ injury and giving Jeffery somewhat of a future selection headache. Penfold and LaRusso looked as if they’d played together at centre-back for years, LaRusso marshalling the defence superbly whilst Penfold was touch-tight and biting into challenges sharper than he’d been all season. Baumers looked to be relishing the task of the very tricky winger he was up against. Marv, Brisey and Leakie were dominating their midfield counter-parts, all 3 not only linking the play well but Marv commanding in the air, Brisey buzzing around snapping at heels and Leake in particular biting into challenges and almost smiling as he was doing so…it really was his sort of game! Seags provided a pacey outlet on the right whilst Coxy, fresh back from injury was looking quality, displaying touches as if he’d not had weeks off crocked on the sidelines. Fluff tasked with a lone striker role up front was all action, putting the L&S back line under constant pressure, clearly something they weren’t used to and also clearly something they didn’t look like they could handle. L&S simply didn’t look comfortable with this tempo from their opposition anywhere around the pitch…maybe they were expecting yet another team to go over there and lie down waiting for their belly to be tickled? We weren’t about to do that. Anyway DSA (Dog Sh1t Alley) isn’t exactly the best (or cleanest) place for lying down!
GSK's high-energy, pressing-high-up-the-pitch start, reaped its rewards after 12 minutes albeit from a route one jobbie! Prompted by Nicholas to aim his kick towards Coxy, Wayner duly obliged. Coxy came 5 yards in-field off his marker and attacked Wayner’s dead-ball in the air. For a couple of seconds, time stood still as both the nearest L&S defenders didn’t know whether to stick or twist. Fluff latched onto Coxy’s flick-on, akin to the way he does with snatch on the dance-floor at the Liquid Lounge! He then dispatched what is becoming his trademark finish with a clinical low crisp shot into the bottom far corner. 1-0 GSK. Game on.
For the next quarter of an hour or so this spurred GSK on…but also awoke L&S in what was becoming now a very fast-paced game. Coxy and Fluff were linking up well with some clever interplay, creating openings for Marv who hit a shot from distance just over the bar and Nicholas, who had an effort from 20 yards clearly turned round the post…although stunningly it was given as a goal-kick much to the fury of Penfold in particular, who fortunately escaped caution from Noakes. Fluff (at least I think it was Fluff?!) also hit the post in a spell where GSK looked lively.
Midway into the half, it looked like the energy GSK had put into that opening spell had began to take its toll as L&S were creeping more and more into the half, using their right-wing outlet to good effect. To be fair he was a difficult winger to live with at times and had a part to play in the L&S equaliser on 31 minutes. L&S won the ball in the middle of the park. Brisey put in a crunching tackle on Rapps but the ricochet from the tackle fell straight to the L&S livewire. Still with a lot to do, he managed to elude the subsequent GSK challenges, weave his way into the GSK box and score from a low angled drive that gave Wayner no chance. 1-1. Minutes later a post-equaliser lapse meant that despite all their good work up to this point, it could have been worse for GSK. From an L&S corner, GSK afforded L&S a free header from 10 yards. Fortunately for GSK, it sailed over the bar when really the lad should’ve scored.
HT L&S 1 GSK 1.
GSK took the opportunity to re-charge well at halftime, especially when manager Jeffery finally found the Jaffa Cakes and the Mars Bars that were causing him severe consternation! The chat was all positive and GSK were asked to start the half as they had the first, re-finding their tempo.
GSK certainly started with intent and when Coxy was released down the left, made his way into the box and then dinked his effort past the keeper, it looked to all (well me anyway!) as if it was in. However, in what appeared to be an optical illusion, he’d managed to put the effort the wrong side of the post. The GSK back line still in superb form not only in the tackle but also in their distribution, it was clear that L&S were miffed and frustrated by GSK’s sheer appetite for the game. Subbing their ineffective forwards, L&S went what seemed like 3 up top to cause more problems for GSK but despite huff and puff they only created one chance from that move, which the oncoming striker blazed over from 15 yards.
Their changes actually seemed to favour GSK as they countered with aplomb. Fluff, continuing to be a constant menace for a nervy looking L&S back line, went close with a lob just over the bar. Then Coxy, after nice link-up play, drove into the box and was seemingly felled. Referee Noakes however waved away the penalty appeals, much to GSK’s annoyance. In an excellent counter-attacking spell, GSK also had a header cleared off the line. Cries of handball were heard and although (to me) it did clearly hit the lad’s arm, it would’ve been very harsh to award that given the proximity of the header. In a challenge typical of the game, Penfold was caught sustaining a sizeable gash to his leg. This lead to 5 minutes of angst for GSK as Nicholas had to drop into the back line and Fluff into midfield, handing L&S the initiative...but L&S failed to capitalise, in particular, when a through-ball worked its way to their front-man, who seemed in an offside position. The flag stayed down but Wayner produced a tidy save to turn the lad’s effort from 12 yards round the post.
War-wounds were coming a-plenty. Nicholas sustaining a knock on his shin, Marv a neck injury after a fall, Fluff a knee-injury…but still GSK’s will continued un-abated. With Penfold now healed, Ripper replaced Coxy, who had run himself into the ground, Mikey looking keen to make up for being left out of the side and Seags was replaced by Den on the other flank. It was now end-to-end stuff but with no real clear chances…until Fluff’s chance right at the death. After being played through and as ever hassling the defender, he found himself clear but going away from goal on the angle. Still with the form he was in, every man and his dog thought he was going to bury the chance with only the keeper to beat. However he sent his angled drive wide of the far-post, much to the relief of L&S.
With both teams still not content to settle for the draw, the final whistle blew and GSK were left with that good but could it have been better feeling. Maybe the real “winners” on the day were Leisure.
FT L&S 1 GSK 1.
If the reaction since is anything to go by, the woeful non-performance of GSK versus RBL a few weeks back in the cup, has served to get GSK to take a good look at themselves and focus. To a man, they can feel very content with the shift they put in, in what was a great team performance. Given the excellent performances and attitude of many all over the park, it would be churlish to pick out an individual for MOM, so this game is awarded a team MOM. Would’ve been all 9s all-round if we’d actually secured the win! More importantly, with the “distraction” of RAFA in the cup next week, it is imperative GSK individually and collectively don’t take their foot off the gas, bringing that hunger, good form, right attitude and focus into next week, so that they can then take that into the Leisure game at month-end.
