So first game after the new year, back on the cup trail and we walk into a team flying high in the division above. Them’s the breaks! JC United looked organised from the off. They were all at the game early, and came dressed in full club colours - very impressive. They were a young team too, and I figured that we were in for a game. We set up in our now tried and trusted 3-5-2, with Gregor playing the mid town bully. As Nolan remarked before kick off, this is a compromise defensively, so that we are able to play our football higher up the pitch. It does make it a lot of running for the defenders and wing backs especially. You have all commented that you like the formation, but it ONLY works if everyone is switched on and prepared to run, track, show (for the ball) and play the passes. That said, against this very good side, I thought we defended exceptionally. Reduced to very few chances we slowly started to get a grip on the game in midfield. I took a time out with the central team to “discuss” the organisation in the middle. We were a little bit fractious and sniped on a couple of occasions. When Gregor is in there - its for a reason. We sacrifice his leadership in centre defense for a higher up the pitch version in the centre of the park. Only one person can call the midfield and that is what he is there for. Thats not to say everyone else stops talking! More that the other four now comunicate around these positions and instructions. That sorted, we only went on and scored! some good wing play earned us a succession of corners and throw ins, scrapping for every 50/50 and knockdown, eventually a shot cleared to Kieran who planted a superb header into the top right hand corner! 1-0 Rotten. Unfortunately a free kick left us ruing an off-side flag that never came (Mr Rose - you must have been asleep!). The bad thing is that we didm’t play the whistle, and three players fought over who was going to score the equaliser. 1-1 - Half Time. Nolan & I spoke about the niggles early in the game, which I think by and large were sorted. Remember we aren’t professional footballers, and we will make mistakes. Everyone laughed about the terrible shot/clearance that I rushed, but its a case in point. I had run up and down the pitch to make a couple of tackles and win the interception that got us moving forwards. When the ball broke to me, I was just too tired to do anything other than lash it. All that happens if people then snipe, is that the player is disheartened to run that hard next time. Think about the result to the person you are speaking to - What will they have to say the next time that you drop the ball? This really was a game of few chances. Credit to the midfield for squashing the game, and the defence for standing tall and restricting the chances. Unfortunately it did make it an attritional day for the bent coppers up top. Feeding on scraps and having to make interceptions to get any ball, anyone who thinks playing forward is easy needs to have a try when its one of these types of games. This was very much a take your medicine event for our boys in blue. Games spin on tiny margins some times. A well worked and incisive forays saw Alky and the Machine drive their way up the right hand side, with lovely skill the Machine slinked along the touchline and from an impossible angle hit the crossbar. Five minutes later, and in a matching moment of quality, Alky found himself backing his pace when maybe a foul was the better option? Having won the foot race the self same tight angle in mirrored reverse had the opposite result and the winning goal was scored. Tight margins and tough luck on Potten End’s hard work. 1-2. A word for Man of the Match. Unusually I'm not going to give a man of the match award this week. I don't think any one single player desrves it. Whilst we lost this was a gritty old game, and every player stood up for themselves, so Man of the Match this week goes to: Potten End. Overall we can’t be upset with this game. A good side came to play us today. Your captain (injured today) overheard the opposition refer to us in quite glowing terms. They were very complimentrary towards our compact shape and work ethic, words I would like to echo myself. You worked your bloody socks off today boys - to a man. You can be well pleased with your aching bones after a gritty, disciplined and compact performance. Thank you all. Keep it Rotten.
