WELL IT WAS AN IMPORTANT NIGHT FOR MENAN RETURNING TO LEAGUE ACTION AFTER A CUP CAMPAIGN THAT SAW THEM PROGRESS TO KNOCK OUT STAGES ONCE AGAIN. AFTER LAST WEEKS DEFAULT 3 - 0 VICTORY, MENAN PLAYED A FRIENDLY AND WON BY 5 - 0 .
MENAN PRODUCED SOME FREE FLOWING FOOTBALL AND THE TEAM WHO IT MUST BE SAID HAD PREVIOUSLY PLAYED FOR AN HOUR AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE USE OF THE PITCH, REGRETTED THEIR DECISION WITH MENAN CONTROLLING THE GAME FROM START TO FINISH, SINGLETON WAS ONLY CALLED INTO ACTION ONCE AND TO BE HONEST IF HE DID NOT HAVE A DENTIST APPOINTMENT THE FOLLOWING MORNING WOULD OF BEEN WELL P***ED OFF WITH THE JOURNY MADE FROM ALTRINCHAM WITH NO OPPOSITION TO PLAY!
ONTO THE DISTINCLY GAME AND IT WAS A BIG GAME, REVENGE ON THE CARDS FOR A CUP DEFEAT BY 3-2, AND TO THIS DAY I STILL DONT KNOW HOW WE GOT BEAT BY THIS TEAM, WHOOSE NAME JUST SUMS THEM UP FROM START TO FINISH, AND WHO WERE COMPLETLY OUTCLASSED PLAYER FOR PLAYER.
MENAN CARRIED ON THEIR PASSING STYLE FROM LAST WEEKS FRIENDLY AND WENT 2-0 UP EARLY ON WITH WELL TAKEN GOALS FROM DAVE HUGHES, HE IS GOING TO BE A BIG MISS NEXT WEEK, GOING ON A SCOUTING MISSION TO AFRICA, WHERE HE HAS INFORMED ME REGULAR BEECH RUNS WILL BE MAINTAINED.
BIG SHAME TO SEE POWLEY MISISNG NEXT WEEK, THEIR CAN BE NO DENYING THAT POWLEY HAS BEEN FIGHTING TO RETURN TO HIS BEST FORM OF LATE, AND A RECENT RELEASE ON TWITTER INFORMING FANS THAT HE IS NOT QUITE SURE WHICH BOOTS ARE DOING THE BUSINESS FOR HIM LATELY, BUT TONIGHT REALLY DID SEE THE RETURN OF THE POWLEY A PLAYER THE CLUBS FAN LOVE TO SEE , DEADLY IN FRONT OF GOAL, SETTING UP A NUMBER OF ASSISTS AND A GENERAL FIGHT AND DETERMINATION TO NOT ONLY LEAVE A FOOT PRINT ON THE OPPOSITIONS SHINS BUT ALSO TO KEEP MENAN OUT OF TROUBLE WHEN THE WHOLE SQUAD BOMBS ON LOOKING FOR GOALS.
POWLEY IS REGULARLY SEEN PUTTING IN A LAST DITCH TACKLE, AND IT WAS NOTICED THAT POWLEY DID TAKE DOWN THEIR BIG NUMBER 9, WHEN A TWO ON 1 WAS DEVELOPING THIS EVENING. AS GAFFER FOR POWLEY NOT TO GET A BOOKING FOR IT AND LEAVE MENAN WITH A CLEAN SHEET, I SEE THAT AS A CLEVER TACKLE, OFTEN SEEN IN THE MODERN GAME, PARTICULARLY BY A TIRING RIO FERDINAND WHO WILL OFTEN CLAIM, "IT WAS A GREAT TACKLE" , POWLEY TO HIS CREIDT, WOULD ADMIT, "NO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE BAS***DS LEGS".
SO WHAT SHOULD BE TAKEN FROM TONIGHTS ENCOUNTER, WELL A CLEAN SHEET FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON, IT HAS TO BE NOTED BOTH CENTRE HALFS DID NOT GET ON THE SCORE SHEET TONIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME, I'D SAY JOB DONE AT THE BACK AND LET THE MIDFIELDERS/STRIKERS SCORE, BUT IM NEVER GOING TO DENY PHIL SINGLETON A SHOT ON GOAL OR NATHAN VINE A DETERMINED RUGBY SCRUM DOWN, IF IT MEANS WE FINISH IN A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE POSITION.
WELL SINGLETON IN GOAL HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT ALL SEASON, A CHANCE TO BOOST HIS AVERAGE STATISITCS, WITH A HIGHER RATING, AND TONIGHT ITS OFTEN IMPORTANT WHEN A KEEPER DOES NOTHING ALL GAME TO COME UP WITH THE BIG SAVES TO WIN MATCHES, ADMITTEDLY IT WAS WHEN THE TEAM WAS ALREADY WINNING 6 - 0 AND FOOT WAS OFF THE GASS, BUT WHAT A MOMENT A ONE ON ONE, BRUCE GROBELAAR, JERZY DUDEK, NEUER, SINGLETON PRODUCED EVERYTHING THESE TOP KEEPERS HAVE DONE IN THE TOP GAMES TO PROTECT THE GOAL HE WAS DEFENDING TONIGHT, IT WAS REPORTED NATHAN VINE WAS LEFT WITH A MIGRANE AFTER THE GAME, REPORTING HIS EYES WERE DAZZLED AT THE WAVES AND WOBBLY LEGS SINGLETON PRODUCED, BUT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS SAVE AND KEPT MENAN WITH THAT MUCH NEEDED CLEAN SHEET AND CONFIDENCE BOOSTER GOING INTO NEXT WEEKS CRUCIAL ENCOUNTER VERSUS WEST KIRBY COLTS, WHERE ANOTHER WIN IS NEEDED AHEAD OF THE TOUGH RUN IN MENAN FACE.
ENJOY THE WEEK AHEAD BOYS AND LETS MAKE SURE MENAN GET ANOTHER 3 POINTS NEXT WEEK
