Managers Notes: Awesome performance from everyone today! No matter how you look at this, 2-0 up with 7 or so minutes left the game was in the bag. We stuck to the game plan and played some excellent counter attacking football in the second half. First half we got the lead we required and we were seeing out the game and hitting Chartham on the break beautfully. This was down to Mateusz and Charlie Steines sheer pace and power up front to chase everything down.
What happened in the last 7 minutes for me just beggars belief.
Man of the Match, Reece was superb in goal today and we should be looking at our second clean sheet in a row. I honestly came away feeling like we lost. We were robbed as Alex mentions in his report.
All that aside, we were superb but now need to finish with 4 straight wins to clinch second place whilst hoping that Chartham lose whilst on their travels as they certainly don't seem like they can be beaten at home judging by the events today and the way this game finished.
Many thanks Alex for the below report.
We wuz robbed! For the second successive visit we were 'cheated' out of the result we so richly deserved. The circumstances were quite different, but poor officiating meant the games' outcomes became in many ways lotteries-but now to this game in particular. The swamp-like characteristics of the playing surface partly explained why a number of the local supporters seemed to 'quack' when their side were in possession. Prior to KO I told Charlie Steine that this surface was not the type you carried a ball on; to find drier, grassier avenues along the touchline, and that passes had to be hit to feet. He pretty much followed that advice to the letter, please bear that in mind fellas for the next time you encounter such playing conditions.
The day was mild and dry, despite the pitch's slimy surface. The grass was too long and tussocky, no one likes these conditions, though when I mentioned this to a local with webbed feet named Donald, he just gave a quick quack in response-I think I ruffled his feathers! So we began and it took just a couple of minutes for Mateusz to strike the inside of a post, which the keeper had palmed the ball onto. Marcus, stealing into the box, went close from the resulting corner. A few minutes later and Charlie Steine received the ball and ran at the defence-the keeper advanced forcing him a little wide and he placed his shot just past the post. A moment later a corner was won, Charlie Steine had won a header in the box which was sliced out of play. On eight minutes a cross by Mateusz was met first by a defender-we looked likely scorers anytime soon. Within a minute Marcus found Charlie Steine and his run saw him cushion a pass to Sean, his turn and shot was smothered by the keeper, who was already having an inspired game.
A few passages of play saw Galin playing like the Viking he is-battling his way to the ball, prodding it forward, or clearing his lines. He was finding Del, Ryan and Calum constantly. On nine minutes Finley received the ball, he brought it forward and found Delroy. He in turn angled a diagonal pass to Charlie Steine who saw it into Sean's feet. Sean was tackled, stuck at the man and the ball ran free to Mateusz who lashed it wide. Three minutes later Ben came striding forward, he brought Galin into play, he passed to Charlie Steine who hooked it onto Del. Del's run forced a corner; Calum took it and Ryan's header was held by the keeper.
Ryan was a demon in midfield, in fact all three-he, Del and Calum were toiling to create in dire conditions. The central area of the pitch resembled a glue pot now. An occasional attack led to Reece gathering a tame shot, and a moment later Marcus won an important header-he wins so many-and Ben completed the clearance by being first to the ball and with exceptional agility hooked an overhead clearance. Half way through the half the keeper miskicked, was stranded from his line and Mateusz measured a quick shot which went wide of the unguarded goal. Surely it was only a matter of time before our superiority gave us the lead. Delroy gave an acute pass which split the defence, Charlie Steine had read the intention but the keeper was first to the ball-different conditions and I would have had my money on Charlie getting to it first. I have in my notes, 'sustained pressure'. To flesh those words out, Ryan to Charlie Steine, ball into Sean, on to Calum, shot wide. Galin stepping into space intercepted a ball and knocked it short to Del. Fin taking the ball off an attackers toe, slipping past him, moving down the flank and finding Ryan. Ryan crashing into one, two, three tackles in quick succession-a few on the sidelines wincing and fearing for that 'ankle'.
On twenty five minutes a long searching shot by Marcus asked a lot from the keeper, but he was equal to most things we threw at him today, and this effort was touched over the bar. It wasn't a wasted effort though because Calum sent in a beautiful curling ball and there was Ryan meeting it with a vicious half volley. It flew off a defender and hit the net, 0-1. From the kick off they attacked and Reece had to be smartly off his line to clear the danger. On twenty seven minutes clever feet by Ryan and the ball went to Del, he helped it onto Mateusz who had his shot blocked. Then a move from Finley to Del, Del to Marcus who was in an advanced position, and he passed it to Sean. Sean had to hurry his shot and the keeper yet again held the ball. Another three minutes ticked by and this time Calum eased a simple ball to Ben. Ben always thinking saw Galin, passed, and Galin's shot was deflected into the side netting. A moment later another vintage Vikings move, from the album of football excellence, took place. Delroy with great tenacity won the ball in a crunching tackle, came forward, looked up, bypassed the central midfield men of Ryan and Calum, and found Charlie Steine. With instant realisation he returned the ball to Del, who slipped it onto Joey. Joey, who has great balance on the ball, took it, looked up, measured his shot, and fired a stunning strike into the net, 0-2. That was a good goal. There was still time for Finley to snuff out a threat down their wing, Galin to once more intercept a prodded through ball, Reece to gather a long shot, and Ben to show a little trickery on the ball before sending his clearance away with the attacker a-slippin' and a-slidin'. Just before the break an exhausted Del signalled to be replaced and Tom Skinner came on for him. He came into the action immediately by intelligently reading an intended pass and clearing to Mateusz. H.T 0-2.
Within a minute of the restart Fin was dispossessed and the attacker's shot flicked the top of the bar-that was a wake up call. Two minutes later Charlie Howard, coming on for Mateusz threw the ball in to Calum, he was pulled off the ball, took the free kick himself and found Marcus. He came steaming in and his header went over the bar. A few minutes on from this and they appealed for handball which was ignored-Tom Skinner cleared away. On 51 minutes Mateusz came back on for Joey, Del for Calum. A moment later Galin cushioned a header back to Reece-a minute on from there and Reece gathered comfortably.
On 53 minutes Mateusz sent a perfectly weighted ball through to Charlie Steine. He nodded the ball on and lobbed the keeper-it just wasn't enough. Leaping high the keeper got fingertips on it, to thwart that attempt. The play swung to the other end and a good header was grasped just under the bar by Reece. Just a minute later a lofted ball saw Mateusz beat the offside trap but sadly with the one on one with the keeper the shot just cleared the bar.
As we approached the middle of the half a ball was worked forward by Ben. It was lost in the centre but picked up by Ryan and passed to Del. He moved forward and found Charlie Steine running into the box. He was tackled, went down, and found his feet firing a good shot with his left foot. Once more the keeper got a touch on the ball. On 60 minutes Ryan passed a great ball to Mateusz who again found Charlie Steine. As he tried to control the ball a defender clattered into him-no penalty-he regained his feet but the keeper was fast out to collide with him as he cleared the ball away. After 63 minutes Charlie Howard, who was finding time and space on the left, sent in a nice cross to Mason who had appeared instead of Charlie Steine. Mason passed to Mateusz who shot beyond the post. Two minutes on from there an attack in our box saw an outrageous decision go against us. Reece had gathered the ball in a crowded area but whilst still on the floor an opponent kicked the ball from his hands. Finley was adjudged to have levered the player off the ball and a penalty was awarded. Without the referee's signal the forward blasted the ball from the spot past Reece. Appeals that the keeper wasn't prepared was ignored by the official, 1-2.
That goal lifted them and it was Del to the rescue scooping a ball from a corner away from the far post, it bobbled about and Reece clutched it gratefully. On seventy minutes they drew level. Charlie Howard knocked a ball for a corner. The ball whipped in wasn't dealt with adequately and a goalmouth scrimmage developed. A forward handled the ball, controlling it, and hammered it into the net. The referee ignored appeals once more, 2-2. After 76 minutes the two Charlies exchanged places, but despite this the game ended a draw, 2-2.
So onto the synopsis. I was so disappointed last week as we lost our shape, discipline and responsibilities, yet we won 6-0. With more than a sense of irony I was very pleased with the commitment and performance in the 2-2 draw. So how does this register? Well I was quite dispirited for that few mad minutes, but then weren't we all, especially those on the pitch? I bounce back fairly quickly-I put that down to my Bi-polar disorder...only kidding! My reasoning is that we came back from last week's super result, with all it's drawbacks and performed with a level of maturity which more fittingly becomes us. The disappointment has to be dealt with, and we now need to focus on the positives. What David said and what I am saying sounds like, 'good cop-bad cop', it isn't. David was annoyed and rightly so, he wrote it immediately. I am in a reflective mode, calm and looking to the next game on Sunday against Deal. To encapsulate our position despite a big score by Faversham on Sunday, they are 2 points and 15 goals behind us. As it is so great the two points advantage we hold over them is as good as three, which is what they need to gain to overtake us. Therefore win three and draw one of our four remaining games and the runners up medals are ours. We have to beat Deal, Dynamo and Canterbury, then draw with Chartham...we have just done that! Some superb performances gents, a little naivety in how to play the game in those conditions, but a great team performance. On Thursday we can regroup, set our sights on three points in Deal, then go and do the job. Undefeated for the rest of the season? You bet!
Goalscorers: Charlie Steine/Mateusz-10: Finley/Sam-5: Del-4: Calum/Sean/Joey-3:Mason/Ryan-2:
Assists: Ryan-10: Charlie Steine-8: Calum/Mateusz-4: Del/Sam/Lewis-3:Finley-2: Sean/Joey/Mason/Galin/Marcus:
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