Last week The Revs were the better side and lost… This week The Revs were the better side and won – against top spot chasing The Misfits no less.
However, as good as the overall performance was it wasn’t a patch on how the team played last week. This week was all about true Revs style of digging in when needed and doing the dirty, un-glamorous work better.
This is not to say The Revs didn’t shine, far from it. The first half the machine purred and some of the football was magnificent. The opposition clearly thought they had this win in the bag and was almost nonchalant about the whole thing and never truly got going in that first half. Again, this is not to take it away from The Revs as they didn’t afford the opposition any space or time on the ball, out muscling them every time they got the ball. Lewis lining up his big shoulders and easing them off the ball is always a wince-inducing sight!
It was that level of ‘in-your-face’ that led to the opener after 10 minutes. Tyman quickly closing down the defender and squirming the ball out to James Evans, who in fine form, drilled the ball low and hard under the keeper to put The Revs one up.
The score line should have been added to in that first half as The Revs continued to carve out chances and deny the opposition any sort of possession. Uprights and crossbars were rocked to their core, but the second goal just did not materialise. Tyman with the best chance creating space for himself to thrash against the crossbar with venom having beat the keeper.
Half time came and the consensus was to continue to show the opposition no respect, to continue to stifle them and communicate, but the opposition started the half much the brighter, finally waking up. Finally they had chances, albeit half chances, to get back into the game. Myers once again only really called upon to go chase wild shots from distance and chime into any Revs attack.
Finally The Revs added a second – a wonderful ball over the top into the danger zone from Allen was missed by Dave P but found James Evans, who had ditched his marker. The first time shot was saved but the keeper couldn’t keep hold of the ball and Evans followed up the loose ball and scrambled it over the line.
The opposition were not happy and began the all too familiar moaning. Every tackle was followed by demonstrations to the ref. Sometimes the ref bought them, other times the ref waved it away. There were some dubious calls as The Revs went into every tackle to protect their lead with hard, but fair means.
The Revs protected their lead by all means legal, getting any body part in the way of any shots, including Phil’s testicles, which saw him have to leave the pitch as a result.
Eventually they got a goal back, late on. An unmarked attacker managed to sneak in at the back and try as Myers might, the ball rolled over the line agonisingly slowly…
You would think the opposition, with less than 5 minutes to go, would up it but if they did it was noticed and certainly didn’t affect The Revs. The game kind of petered out as they lofted long balls forward in a kind of hit and hope manner but didn’t have the tools to get on the end of them.
In fact it was The Revs in possession and adding pressure to their goal as the final whistle sounded.
And so with that came The Revs 3rd win of the opening 5 games and in the process inflicted The Misfits first loss of the season to now sit a point in behind them.
It wasn’t as fluid as the previous week, but The Revs certainly deserved their victory with a mix of good football and hard fought defence.
RTID!
