We knew we were in for a battle with Caterham Eagles after a very tight pre-season game and it turned out to be just that. In the first half, Reigate played some of the best football they have ever played on the heath and we're shortly infront when Chris Wigley was played in down the wing and he whipped it into the box where O'Keeffe was waiting at the far side to finish well and earn his first goal for the club outside of friendlies. We were on top and running riot with some superb passing play before Rob Smith was fouled well inside his own half and Lewis stepped up to fire in one of his trademark rocket freekicks but this one ended up beating everyone including the keeper who rushed out to meet it and misjudged the bounce only to watch it loop over his head and into the net. Certainly an early contender for goal of the season. We shortly made it 3 with about 10 minutes to go when O'Keeffe put Carroll through who finished superbly caressing the ball past the keeper on the outside of his boot. At half time it all looked done and dusted with the scoreline at 3-0 and looking good on the pitch. Then the storm came, Reigate suddenly looked very leggy and a mixture of poor defending and organisation left gaps all around the pitch for Caterham to exploit and they did that putting 3 past us within 20 minutes. It all looked like doom and gloom but then Carroll released Bradley who had the better of the oppo defence all game and he slotted it past the keeper to put us back infront and then the Reigate onslaught came with Bradley, Carroll and Brockhurst all being denied by the keeper inside of the box and a vicious half volley from Driver was tipped past the post as well. If any of those had gone in it may have been game over but they managed to grab 2 more goals on the break that at least one of them should have been offside but not given. We went 3-5-2 for the last 10 minutes and tried everything to take the game to extra time. Carroll nearly played Driver in but was fouled and not given, Bradley scored off a throughball but was unfairly given offside, the referee stopped the game when we had the ball in their box for a head injury that wasn't a head injury. Everything went against us unfortunately but we can only blame ourselves at the end of the day for throwing away a 3 goal lead.
Now it means we can focus on the league where we are one of only 3 teams still unbeaten. If we play like we did in the first half we will run riot in the league as we were superb especially the whole back line. We go to Caterham Pumas Legends next week and we really need to turn it on with a chance to go top.
Managers Comments -
Shame abut the result today boys losing 5-4 to a team that we were much betther and and in the first half we showed so much class and everything that we have been working on in preseason clicked in that first half. Second half we were very slow out of the blocks and we paid for that. Fair enough the ref didn't have a great game and the linesman was an out an out cheat at the end of the game.
Man of the match today was Jack Carroll who was fantastic in the midfield today and did not deserve to be on the losing side today! Heads up though we move back to the league next week and lets go and get 3 points to keep moving up the league and there was so many positives today, especially from that first half I have every confidence that we will bounce back with a win. Training Tuesday as usual at Battlebridge and I want to see everyone there.
