Sometimes it just works. Sometimes you set foot on that pitch and everything you try comes off. Sometimes football, as it is meant to be played, is simple and joyful and, you know, it just works!
Going into the game The Revs knew they had to pick it up after the previous weeks performance, albeit a winning one. And the opposition were riding high after their dramatic victory the previous week also. This time The Revs did not stand back and admire the opposition.
From the off it was clear The Revs lads were up for this one. Hounding the opposition into mistakes, piling on the pressure, closing down, defending from the front and quick to every loose ball. This made the opposition incredibly nervous and as a result led to many mistakes just out of sheer panic.
Kick ins and corners rained down on the opposition but the breakthrough could not be made. In fact Myers, the birthday boy, had very little to do but chimed in well to start attacks at every opportunity.
Everyone just got it. The movement off the ball, the composure on the ball. Therefore it was frustrating to not get the goal in that first half. Thoughts naturally crept in that it would not be The Revs day.
There were chances first half of course, but shots that went wide, were blocked or skied over the perimeter.
But something in the second half just felt magical… the style was turned on!
In the space of less than 5 minutes in the early stages of the second half The Revs shredded through the opposition. Goal one saw James Evans closing down defender and keeper who slid out with both feet high and the ball ricocheted off Evans and into the path of Beardall. Evans remonstrated with the ref whilst Beardall kept his head to put the ball in the net.
A second followed shortly after with a lovely flowing move across the pitch involving Beardall and Lewis Evans, who then played a lovely square pass to his brother to sweep home.
And the third was just a sublime finish after further pressure forced the keeper into an error and Dave Pinkstone hit it sweetly on the half volley and in off the inside of the post. The opposition were stunned and The Revs wanted more!
The opposition tried to play out from the back but due to such a water tight defence from the likes of Phil Pinkstone, they had to resort to long range efforts that never troubled The Revs goal. The Revs soaked it up and continued to apply the pressure. Lewis Evans blazed over from close range and Dave Pinkstone crashed a header against the bar and down onto the line and out. James Evans closed down the keeper who scrambled the ball away in sheer panic into the path of Dave Pinkstone who couldn’t get the ball out of his feet.
Eventually the 4th goal came and it was a moment of amazement as Beardall raced onto a through ball from Myers and channelled his inner Usain Bolt to beat his man down the wing and play a lovely pass into the middle for James Evans to smash home.
And still The Revs cranked up the pressure. Their defence now all at sea as crosses and corners were whipped into the area low and hard. The 5th soon followed when James Evans hit a corner in with venom that evaded Dave Pinkstone but had Jamie Allen loitering at the back post to finish from an acute angle.
James Evans had the chance to complete a hatrick late on but took an extra touch instead of putting his laces through the ball and the opposition finally had a chance of note when Myers saved well to his right down low to deny the opposition any late pride.
In all honesty a game that The Revs were not looking forward to, ended up been a game they didn’t want to end. The interplay, the passing and support was a joy and the score line does not flatter The Revs one bit. The boys were ruthless as they ran riot in the second half.
More of that needed boys!
