This week we were at Kesgrave with the lads only needing 1 point to secure the league title, What a difference a week makes to the weather last week t-shirts this week a cold wet day with jumpers coats and hats needed.
Unfortunately for Kesgrave they only had 10 players today but decided to play the game anyway. Kesgrave got the KO and started brightly but the Sax lads dealt with the early pressure well and we then had about 5 mins of scrappy play not helped by the conditions. The sax lads were the 1st to settle and Ed had a great opportunity to open the scoring after a long throw from John put him 1 on 1 with the keeper but his shot went just wide. Kesgrave then had a bit of possession down the right hand side of the pitch which ended in a free kick but it was dealt with by the Sax lads. On 7 mins Kesgrave had not learned from the previous long throw and John put another 1 in which Kyle got on the end of and he stuck it in the net off the post to get his 10th of the season and to make it Kesgrave 0-1 Sax. Sax had now started to get going and were looking like they were going to score every time they went forward the Kesgrave keeper was working hard and made some good saves to keep them in the game. Ed got the 2nd of the game just before we made 3 changes with 1 of them looking like it will keep Fish out for a couple of weeks. Zach, Jake and Ollie came on with Fish, George, and Kris making way. On 18 John put in a great ball from a corner and Rossi scored a brilliant goal to make it 0-3. At times it was easy to forget that Kesgrave only had 10 players as the defence had a few scares with the Kesgrave lads getting clear a few times and only the pace of Tom and Ollie in 1 of the attacks preventing a shot on Goal. Ed made it 0-4 when he was again set up by John who was having 1 of the better games that he has had for a while. On 25 we had another injury which saw Kyle getting the gloves and Jack limping off with a very sore hamstring.
The half finished Kesgrave 0 - 4 Sax 2. The defence and midfield working hard to support the forwards with Tom in particular getting forward at every opportunity and giving Kesgrave something else to think about.
2nd half
At half time we decide to switch things around a bit to give Kris a chance to get a goal Tom moved up to midfield and we went 3 at the back. Kris proved to be a nightmare for the Kesgrave defence win flick ons and using his pace to get in behind them. Kris chased a defender down and forced a corner on 45 and with Finchy making a perfectly timed run to the near post for Johns ball in he scored with an audacious chip over the keeper with his heel 0-5. Kris had spurned a couple of chances to get his goal when Ollie played a lovely ball over the top and Kris raced clear to put it into the corner of the net 0-6. We had to make another change because of injury Sam went over on his ankle so Rossi was put back on Sam limped off to join Jack. The boys were playing well Jake and Zach were linking up well down the left and it ended up with the keeper having to make another save. The lads had a great move down the right with some quick 1 touch football but it didn't quite end up with a goal. Another move down the right saw Rossi leave a player for dead play a great ball into the box which George hit 1st time and the keeper somehow got down to his left to keep it out. Tom got in on the goal action a ball in from the right came in to John and he laid it back to Tom who hit a rocket shot into the roof of the net from 20 yards 0-7. Ed was doing well up front and was unlucky not to get his 3rd when his shot went just wide. The defence worked hard to make sure that Kyle did not have too much to do and when he did he dealt with things as only Kyle can. Ollie played really well from the moment he came on and we will miss him when he is on Holiday for the next 2 games but I don't think he will miss the cold weather. Rossi completed the scoring when Ed played a great ball in to his feet and he coolly put it past the keeper to make it 0-8.
The Kesgrave team deserve a mention for the way they kept going to the end and never gave up and it was hard to remember they only had 10 players so well done to them.
Sax played some great stuff in places and I hope they can play like that for the rest of the season and go unbeaten in the league. Well done boys for securing the league with 3 games to go we should be able to relax and enjoy the rest of the games with no pressure on us and finish the season on a high.
Well done boys see you Thursday
David
