After the bank holiday break it was always going to be a big ask against top flight opposition as The Revs begin their cup group stages. Borussia Teeth are 4th in their respective league, only dropping points to the top 3. So when the whistle went it was very much them on the attack from the off and The Revs defending for dear life, hoping to nick something.
On the whole that plan went as anticipated with the opposition having the lion’s share of the ball and The Revs, albeit scrappy sometimes, defending bravely. If the opposition got past the defence there was Myers in goal to pull of some brilliant saves and really frustrate the opposition.
This was Myers at his best. A full bodied, confident display. He smothered anything that encroached his area, distributed the ball either via by hand or foot exquisitely and truly thwarted the opposition on numerous occasions. The opposition couldn’t quite believe they had come up against a force in goal. It really was one of his best games in between the sticks for The Revs this season.
When Myers did look beaten Beardall was on hand to belie gravity with a tremendous gut busting block with the goal begging. The opposition weren’t just banging on the door, they were knocking it down, but still The Revs stood strong.
The Revs didn’t offer much going forward in the first half if truth be told. The best chance falling to Hartrick after a pin point ball over the top from Myers, but he couldn’t quite get the connection when in on goal.
After sterling effort for the first 15 eventually the deadlock was broken after a lapse in concentration and lack of tracking allowed their danger player to smash home, finally beating Myers in this mini battle that was going on. Soon after, on the stroke of half time, the whistle went and The Revs stopped playing only for their striker to go through and chip Myers with a lovely finish. The team then realising the whistle was from another pitch!
Heads didn’t go down at half time though and even though it was much of the same in the early part of the second half, The Revs battled on. The problem the team had was being too slow to react with and without the ball, so The Revs had no penetration going forward. Something that is a big issue this season generally. The Revs also are punished for their momentary lack of concentration and within 5 minutes of the second half had conceded again after several warnings. The woodwork was also on hand to save the score line being higher, as well as Myers still stopping everything else. The work rate at the back typified with Evans clearing off the line when Myers was eventually beaten and Allen marshalling his troops and getting any body part in the way of shots.
Whether the opposition had sensed that was game, set and match or whether The Revs upped their work rate with pride on the line, the boys in blue did start playing in the last 10 minutes. Openings were beginning to appear with Steane running the opposition ragged at times, hassling defenders and showing a true desire to get the ball back. The opposition soaked it up, but there was no real threat during a game they had controlled. Once again though, as tradition dictates, the opposition hit The Revs on the counter attack and Evans, straining to track back and get a tackle in, inadvertently turned the ball into his own goal past a despairing Myers to make it 4 nil with 5 minutes still to go.
In that last 5, time and time again, The Revs got into decent positions only for the final ball to be wasteful or too slow to pass or see an opening. It did, however, lead to a decent period of pressure with several corners been won and the opposition scrambling the ball away, desperate not to concede. And so with the final passage of play Allen, Steane and Evans linked up well with Evans deciding to shoot instead of play a square pass across to Steane. The keeper tipped it round the post and the final whistle blew on a 4 nil defeat.
Again, fine margins, maybe on another day that shot goes in, maybe Evans should have squared it across to Steane. Everyone on the pitch and in the surrounding areas knew what decision Steane wanted in that passage of play that’s for sure.
If The Revs can defend like that against weaker opposition, then maybe results will come. And with Myers in goal, putting in displays like he did, surely that victory is soon. We can only hope.
