This was the perfect response from last weeks cup disappointment. A superb team display culminating in a 10-0 victory over UFC.
In terms of halves of football the first half today was the best we have produced, some slick passing and some great finishing saw us take and 8-0 lead into half time. We were gifted a dream start after only 2 minutes a Piercey corner was diverted into his own net by a UFC defending under heavy pressure from Mark Janes. Within 10 minutes we added a second Piercey picking the ball up outside the area and struck with a decent strike although the keeper would have been disappointed not have made a save. Another 2 goals arrived within the next five minutes, firstly a piercey corner causing havoc in the UFC defence saw the ball only cleared as far as Rodriguez just outside the area who turned and produced a delightful finish, 3 soon became 4 when piercey again teed up Coker who's header when in despite the efforts of the defender and goalkeeper. Finding ourselves 4-0 up inside 18 minutes and producing some excellent football particully down the right wing with Wilkinson having his best game of the season, we soon had our 5th goal, Rodriguez stooping to head home a Wilkinson cross on 26 minutes. Jonny piercey then added a 6th goal heading home from a Coker cross on 28 minutes. The one way traffic continued and we could have added further goals through a coker header which went narrowly wide, Shadbolt missing from 5 yards at the back post and then producing a quality cross which the on rushing Wilkinson could not quite connect with. A 7th goal arrived in the 38th minute, Ebberson heading in from close range from a piercey cross, the 8th goal coming in the last minute of the half with a rodriguez completing a deserved first half hat rick firing home from a mark janes cross.
The second half began with a goal within the first minute, Wilkinson beating his marker before firing past the keeper from a tight angle. With the game in the bag manager Gunnell made a double sub with the returning Carpenter and Carter replacing Janes who had an ankle knock and shadbolt. Within 5 minutes Carter's game was over on the receiving end of a couple of heavy challenges one in particular that warrented a red card and left the striker with a nasty lower back injury. Carter was replaced by holding midfielder Roberts which saw a change in formation with Roberts joining ebberson and piercey in a three man midfield and wilkinson and rodriguez forming a 3 man attack with Coker. The change in shape affect the team and allowed UFC there best spell of the game utilising the space on the wings to create several openings which Beattie, Matt Gunnell, Burton and goalkeeper Summers did well to deal with. Further chances continued to come at each end Roberts desperately unlucky to see his shot from the edge of the area cannon back of the post before Piercey added number 10 on 75 mins direct from a free kick, once again the keeper did not cover himself in glory appearing to palm the shot into the net from what appeared a simple save. For the last 15 minutes our old habit of overplaying crept in with several over hit passes or shots from distance not threatening the keeper, that said Ebberson was really unlucky to see a shot from the edge of the area beat the keeper but hit the post.
All in all a great display, in the first half he passing and movement was excellent, the second half understandably was never going to live up to the first half with the game over as a contest. We need to still be ruthless even when we find ourselves in these positions, goal difference could play a big factor later in the season, and I believe we could have won by 16 or 17 goals today.
Well done to the entire squad, this week there were several contenders for man of the match, Piercey, Wilkinson and Rodgriguez all having excellent games, however I have awarded it this week to Pete Ebberson who's tireless box to box performance was outstanding.
