Well...what can I say....?
Today saw a fantastic performance from the Blues which inexplicably resulted in defeat.
I am not going to do an “Arsene Wenger” and sit here telling how the officials cost us the game, I will say however that if certain decisions went our way today, the result could have been very different.....
The group performed fantastically well today, so much so that it was even difficult to make substitutions.
PJ was in sparkling form – despite taking a ball to the face in the warm up! He pulled off a couple of good stops and claimed crosses with real conviction. He was helped by superb performances from his defence. Gareth played out of his skin today, Matty was dominant and Kian produced a captain’s performance on his last game for the Blues.
In midfield, Toby and Ben played their first game together which looked like their 100th. We really started to look like a unit today, right across the pitch and this was highlighted by these two midfield generals! The Ledge did what the Ledge does, providing width and pace – especially in the first half even getting to grips with challenging the giant Wigton #18. Bully was strong beyond his size down the left and was subject to some quite heavy handed defending throughout – always the sign of a good player. Louie really looked dangerous today as he ploughed a lone furrow up front, linking things up nicely and testing the keeper on a couple of occasions. Anton, Ben Connor and Seb slipped straight into the game when twice called upon to do so. Again, this group are really starting to learn how to play together.
I would still like to see us calm down on the ball a little sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt for us to be shooting more often too...but...we are creating the opportunities and defending better, which are improvements and things to be celebrated.
Now onto the actual match itself......
For the first time this season we played out a 0-0 draw in the first half. If we played this game a 100 times, we would be 2-0 up by half-time in 99 of them...shame this was the 100th! To say we dominated the first period would be an understatement. The passing was excellent, the boys kept a very good shape throughout and our back three are starting to learn how not only to defend for themselves, but also how to support their teammates. They were really getting hold of thinking “what happens next if I do this...?”. This is very important and will stand us in good stead for future games. One further encouragement for the first half – penalty claims aside – is how good we looked from set pieces, Matty being closest to putting a header in from one of the Ledge’s pinpoint deliveries. Bully created a number of opportunities not just for himself but for others around the box, Toby coming close with a couple of strikes.
The second half was...let’s say...entertaining!
There were more penalty shouts (for Pannal), a lot more free-kicks and a general increase in intensity. Bully, Toby, Louis, Kian, Ben W and Seb peppered the Wigton goal with shots and yet it was a goal for Wigton that started the ball rolling on the 50th minute. I am not going to say too much about the goal other than the lads felt aggrieved about it standing, as did the rest of us Pannal Ash supporters. But the scoresheet said 1-0 so we had to roll our sleeves up and respond. What followed from our boys made me very proud, and I mean that. They battled like heroes, putting Wigton back under the cosh, eventually resulting in a corner on the 58th minute which was taken by Toby. The delivery was great and was put into the goal by a Wigton defender. 1-1, game on!
Things got a little scrappy from here. We continued to try and play football but the game was a bit more stop-start. On the 64th minute we conceded our 2nd goal. A cracking volley from the aforementioned giant who had been moved from defence to attack, there may have been an infringement in the build-up but the finish was first class. Nothing PJ could do about it. The game continued much in the same way, up until the final chance of the game for Pannal. Bully made yet another strong run into the box only to have been stopped before he could get a shot off; some may say he was stopped by being pushed over with two hands by the Wigton defender....not me however....
[Dodgy French accent] ”I didn’t see it”.
