Hampshire cup 3rd round and it was a trip to romsey to play a very well organised Salisbury City team from the tyro A league.
We started with the usual 4-5-1 formation with toby and ryan s on the bench we were missing sam due to being cup tied and josh due to him having tenditinits so we all wish him a speedy recovery.
We started very poorly being put straight under pressure from the kick off we never got a firm grip of the ball giving it away to easy and failing to win not just the first but also the second balls we were second best to everything in the opening moments and to the horror we gave the ball away inside are own box failed to close there attacker down and with the first shot at goal he unlessed a cracking strike that left poor billy no chance going in off the bar to put us 1-0 behind.
After that the game kind of went either way with neither team rwally playing any serious attacking football with the center of midfield breaking up anything going forward and both defences doing there jobs well.
We however did create a very good chance with 5mins of 1st half play remaining a great ball from kieron split the salisbury defence with alfie through one on one but just when you thought he was going to do what he does in taining week in week out and smash it he tried to lift it over the keeper but unfortunalty the keeper stood up well and got a good hand to it to put it wind for a corner.
We changed the formation to a 4-4-2 at half time bringing on toby for ryan n pushing toby upfront with alfie and straight from the kick off the intent to play well and get back into the game was there winning 3 corners in the opening mins pinning them into there own half for vertualy the whole of the second half other the one or two break aways on the counter attack we limited salisbury to very little in the second half.
Countless chances we created with alfie going close with a well hit free kick that was well saved yet we were again second to react and jack 8 yards out toe pocked it over the bar we kind of felt like it wasnt going to be are day.
Ryan s replaced cameron pushing upfront with toby leaving alfie to drop into midfield and within moments ryan s was brought down in the box which at first looked to be a penalty but the ref waved it away again we kept going digging deep and playing some great football showing an awful lot of determination.
In the closing 10mins alfie was replaced by cameron and ryan n replaced max with charlie slotting into center back and lewis pushing into midfield it was a move i wanted to do before hand but was hard due to the chances we were creating plus not wanting to leave us short at the back as salisbury were just forced to hit the ball over the top and chase down the wide areas which they did well but we also defended very well.
The game could of gone so much the other way but due to a lack of fire power soomething we have not lacked lately and the reactions of everyone being second best was the result in us losing the game 1-0.
Full credit to salisbury there were a very well organised team very strong at the back and the rub of the green was just with them today any other day we would of hit 4 or 5 but kay sara sara its a dream we have got to wait another year for and we must just focuse on the jobs ahead being the league pompey cup and a tough home game against wpt the weekend which could already be a title desider.
Man of the match was chosen by the salisbury manager and went to kieron who went through a hard time in the first half but blew them away in the second half making salisbury use three different right backs.
Well done lads am proud of the way you never gave up but more of the way you all took the defeat it was good to see you all except it and its time to move on come on the hawks ;)
