This was one of the matches that i had allocated to me playing strongest available team and taking 15-16 absolute max and not mucking around with subs but ironically we had 15 (with Conway who hasnt played since injury and isnt sure hes back to fine again and 2 keepers !!)
When have you ever been to a local league where they can muster up 3 keepers !!
I spoke "at length" before the game about keeping positions and the formation and working hard and not giving easy goals away. Apparently you werent listening. We were 1-0 down from a shoddy cheap goal after about 8 mins and 2-0 by 15 mins. I felt that we were majorally lacking physically in midfield so had to change Collins and Emlyn round and it worked out well.We started winning the ball and challenges and kept the ball for longer and played it around quite nicely at times and had a couple of chances before we got back in the game.
A long free kick from Jamie M hit perfectly for the monster Collins to rise majestically to easily head it in the corner. GAME ON and we were making all the running and doing all the pressing. We were rewarded with an equaliser not long after, ball being cleared outside the box to jack woodford who hit one off his shin / knee / leg / bottom - who knows or cares, it scuffed beautifully into the top corner and queue shouting at each other from our rattled opponents.
We carried on playing well and pressing and St Andrews werent really in on it. At half time the message was, keep playing as we are, work hard and we'll win it.
We started well surprisingly (as normally no-one listens to me), and were doing all the running and took a deserved lead through Gary M. I dont remember it to be fair, even this short time after the game but it was a beaut as it put us in the lead for the first time this game.
We kept organised, put loads of effort and running in, worked so hard and didnt let the game slip. They were only playing on the break away every now and then and most of the time it was us pushing and pressurizing them all over the pitch. I dont remember seeing anyone run as much as Hemmings did today, he was everywhere. Stephen White came back in and was using his pace and running to hassle the full back, the midfield of Gary, Collins and Jack got control of things once monkey mike came back in and gave them more physical punch and Emlyn and Tom W put in loads of effort in the fruitless 1 up top role. The defense was superb. Jamie and Jon in middle were rocks, Matt and Tom had good games at full back and Chris was sound in goal for the little he had to do. The experienced wise old owl manager even had a 15 min stint just to shore things up at the end using all my many years experience
Tom Taylor - hmmmmmmmm, he deserves his own paragraph. I think me and tom must be lovers as i love him to bits and hes a smashing bloke but sometimes i want to smash his head in the ground (just like married life for those lucky enough to be in married bliss!!). I was concerned by positioning in the 2nd half at times as we were 3-2 up, under a bit of pressure at times and needed to be sensible to see the game out. I've seen us through away games recently especially Danbury where we surrendered 3 goals to draw and was determined that wouldnt happen in this game. That meant that we didnt need to commit numbers forward chasing a 4th all the time leaving space open where they might exploit and it was only a fine tackle from Jonesy that saved us in a 1 on 1 where we had stupidly allowed ourselves to be caught out of position needlessly. If that had resulted in a goal i would have gone mental fullstop.
Worst things i heard and saw today were Collins "tom daly" in the pen box where he ended up apologising to the ref and someone who shalt remain nameless who when asked why they hadnt laid off an easy ball said "well he doesnt pass to me so im not passing to him!". I think next week i'll bring me wet wipes so i can wipe your botties you dirty bunch of kids !!!
Anyway, fantastic result with some key players missing. Everyone played really well and massive credit to you all
