The Revs were out Revved! That is the sad truth about giving up a 2-0 lead, in the dying minutes.
My issue here is that as a team we have been playing for 35 minutes, so when the ref told us that the games are 36 minutes long it explains the last minute equaliser! It also lead to a math conversation between Captain and ref around when subs were made - this was never in the handbook!
In all honesty this was a game The Revs should have won at a stroll. Attacking wise it was some of the best forward play The Revs have produced, but they were not as clinical in font of goal or were thwarted by a keeper who got better as the game wore on.
The other issue was game management – something The Revs have been good at recently. They did not retain possession enough, didn’t do the simpler things well and there was an over reliance on the Hollywood ball when it just needed to be calmed down.
Finally The Revs seem to struggle against similar opposition who are slow. It meant everything was done at a leisurely pace – if The Revs had picked up the speed this game could have been put to bed by half time.
The opposition had the first sighter of the game. Hartrick returned after 5 months to fill the keeping position The Revs seem to be struggling with recently and he had to deal with flailing limbs, miss kicks and panic defending in the first few minutes. The Revs then calmed down a bit and started applying pressure themselves.
The Revs scored early after a quick pass into the box from Allen saw James Evans cleverly sweep the ball into the net past the defender and the keeper. It was at this early point The Revs smelt blood and lost some of their shape though.
Further chances came and went from a number of the players and it wasn’t until late on in the 2nd half that The Revs improved the score line after a lovely attacking move down the flanks allowed Beardall to play Tyman in, who was totally unmarked, for him to send the keeper the wrong way.
Words were had at half time about upping the intensity, but it never really happened.
Phil P was unlucky not to register his first assist at 6aside after playing James in who struck it well enough with his left but was denied by the keeper. In fact a few times James was played into space by clever through balls from Beardall and Allen but the keeper proved to be a thorn in The Revs side.
Lewis had space open up but his shot was always rising and Beardall had a stinging shot narrowly wide. The lack of a clinical finisher in front of goal would come back to haunt The Revs.
The warning signs were there from the opposition – their plan to counter attack after absorbing pressure almost working when they hit the post on a couple of occasions.
Eventually a comedy of errors led to a goal back, Phil clearing against their man and the bounce not falling kind for The Revs defender.
The opposition, now late on, sensed they could get something from this game. This was where The Revs should have managed the game better, but instead long passes and further Hollywood balls gave the opposition easy possession and a way back into the game. James and Jamie playing a one two in the corner, possession lost and a quick counter led to a defence all at sea at the back and the equaliser was finally scored with less than a minute to go. The 36th minute!
Even then The Revs had one final chance to win the game with James firing in from the edge of the area and the keeper not been able to keep a hold of it, but Allen could cleanly get the ball from under his feet and the keeper pulled off two point blank saves to deny the winner.
It ended all square and The Revs felt like they had dropped two points and allowed the game to slip away from them. There were moments of sublime football and then moments of madness.
Unfortunately it was the moments of madness that the opposition took advantage of, especially in the evil 36th minute!
But we go again! RTID!
