This game at home to Pointon was nearly a non starter as with all the rain it was only a morning pitch inspection, and a afternoon change of pitch by the new manager Liam Pitts that Old Dons were able to play this match, and the choice paid off. The only real change since the new manager took over was to re-instate Jamie Welsh back into defence from the reserve team, Ricky Mason is still serving his suspension so Kyle Graves again filled in at right back, and he had a brilliant game in defence, with Dave Slaughter moved to the bench it was Oli Gedney who came in for his first start for a while, wide on the left apart from this Old Dons were unchanged. The game started off just as the rain started both teams knew it was going to be heavy going but Pointon started off the better and after a couple of efforts at goal ,took the lead on 15 minutes, there midfielder cut through the heart of the Dons defence and after laying the ball off to a attacker he tried his luck from distance along the ground, as the Dons keeper slipped in the mud he couldn’t quite make it to the ball and after getting his fingers to it just couldn’t keep it out the net, he was to make up for it though throughout the first half as Jamie hall pulled off 3 or 4 brilliant saves to keep the Pointon score down to one. At the other end the strikers were doing their job ,as on 20 minutes Oli Gedney burst down the left got into the danger area and lifted a teasing pin point cross over into the box for the un marked Chris Grimer to rise high and head the ball brilliantly back across the keeper and into the net to level the scores,10 minutes later the Dons were in front as a through ball set Jonny Butler on his way, as the goalkeeper advanced out he took Jonny out, and the ball rolled to Kieran Rose who gratefully tapped the ball into a empty net, with Jonny Butler still laid in a heap on the floor, after consulting the away team linesman to see if Kieren was offside when he received the ball ,and to find out that he was not the goal was given and Dons were in front, Martin Fox took a hefty knock a few minutes later, and so did Kieran who was booked a few minutes later for his disagreement with the tackle on him, both players came off at half time limping. As the rain continued to fall the pitch got heavier and so the running slowed down a bit in the second half but not the commitment Wayne Foster and new captain Lloyd Ogilvie were solid in the heart of defence as was Liam Pitts and Kieran Rose in the heart of midfield, as the players tired Oli Gedney went on a mazy run inside the box on 55 minutes and shot, the keeper made a real fumble of the shot and tried to catch it, but the ball bounced out of his hands and behind him into the net to give Dons a three one lead.Pointon never gave up though and forced quite a few corners and long distance half chances but all come to no avail. Then within 10 minutes of Dons scoring their third goal the manager had made two substitutions’ giving Alex Wood his chance instead of Kieran Rose and replacing the hard working Chris Grimer with Dave Slaughter both of these players played their part when they came on and didn’t let the pressure slip, on 75 minutes Oli Gedney again found space and after another crossed ball Martin Fox rose to head the ball into the net to put Dons four one up, as I said at the start Kyle Graves had a brilliant game in defence and throughout the game he cleared two shots off the line and a lucky one that bounced off the back of his head and over bar, this is maybe the bit of luck Dons had been missing in recent weeks but let’s hope it’s here to stay, after 75 minutes a corner and then a goalmouth scramble a fierce shot from just outside the box through crowded players and into the net made the score four two to the Dons, even after a bit more pressure Dons held on for the last few minutes without conceding, to record a comfortable four –two win, let’s hope the same luck is with us next Saturday for the visit of Skegness Reserves and the weather holds up this time. As I maybe mentioned some players more than others throughout this report it certainly was not a case of some doing more than others on the pitch.....Everyone played there part in this match and it was a great team performance well done all at Old Dons for Saturdays effort
