Here we go again, another week on and what a GREAT weekend for the club and all 3 teams. The 1st team kept there unbeaten run going for a sixth consecutive week, the 2nds record a cup upset from a side two divisons higher and the 3rds record back to back wins for the first time this season.............BOOM, DILLY DONG KERCHING....! (I think that is how the pro's might describe it...)
Seriously though, well done to all the players who represented the club it is great news all round. Im sure that alot of hard graft, determination and a never say die attitude were all at the forefront of the performances. Congratulations must go to Sam Fuller/Ash Russell and Paul caister/Matt Davey - Keep up the good work all of you.
Turning my attentions to all things 1st team related and the match report.
Sedlescombe 5 Rock-a-Nore 0
I'm going to open up this week by reserving a special mention for Pip Hatch, who for the third week running bagged another hat trick. In all my years of playing football and then coaching I cant remeber any other player having recorded this milestone. Im sure some of you may know of someone you played with who might have managed to replicate this record - but none the less I think it is some achievement. Well done Pip and keep it going buddy.......!
Man of the match this week goes to Kevin Clifford who despite his tender years and playing his first game for the club in over 6 years looked at home back with the Seds.
Well done to those lads that provided the assists, who's unselfish work does not go unoticed from the sideline or the chaps that were onthe bench in horrible weather but came on and gave really good account of themselves.
The game itself was a scruffy ugly affair, played in tricky slippery wet conditions, the heaviest of the pitches experiened this season so far. In the coming weeks and months this is something that we must learn to adapt to if we are to continue to progress as a team. The ball has to be worked much harder than when the pitches are firmer and the ball rolls more naturally. The players that we have who are gifted at dribbling and beating there man may need to consider pushing the ball beyond there marker and using there speed, looking for give and go's or making intelligent and sometimes unselfish runs in behind the opposition defence - in short be prepared to mix it up !. We must guard against taking our experiences of training on an artificial pitch in to Saturday afternoons as quite clearly the surfaces are going to behave very differently in the coming months ahead.
We started the game quite brightly keeping possesion and moving the ball around with some ease. However, we seemed a little tentative in our approach as if we were waiting for something to kick start us in to life, a little lacking in energy. This happens occassionally and sometimes is due in part to the quality of opposition and there tatics. That said we were a little flat at times
and again as I reflect I think the game was a little too easy and we fell in to that trap of playing there brand of football rather than our own - with possesion of the ball being frequently exchanged it is hard to build pressure on the opposition.
The positives for me was keeping a clean sheet, kept them at arms length and never gave them a chance of any real note, being patient, sticking to the game plan and just keep plugging away. It's a cliche but the sign of a good side is to get a result when you are not playing well and as stated at half time, sometimes we just need to "win ugly" !!
Eventually patience and persistence paid off and we opened the scoring on 35 minutes from Pip and then grabbed a second from a converted Pete Matthews penatly.
The second half we started brightly and added to the scoreline quickly with Pip completing his hat trick and a well taken goal from Mikey Booth. The last 20 minutes of the game petered out in to a fairly tame affair with Adam making his first save of any real note from a pot shot from distance.
The game will not be remembered with any fondness. The performance was okay, but we know we can play better. We were disciplined and I was pleased that we did not allow them to provoke us in word and deed, we were patient and kept going.
It wasn't perfect but that is football, the objective was to keep the good run going and to that end it is 3 points claimed as we start to climb the table. Lets keep it going lads, another test of our credentials on Saturday as we taken on Social in the cup !!
Lets continue to give it all we have got to protect this run we have created and who know's what we might achieve.......
In closing Happy belated birthday wishes for the skipper - whom travelled all the way to Barcelona in the hope he would see Messi, Suarez and Neymar. A scoreless draw, and an injured Messi and Suarez hopefully didnt distract from what was a great birthday experience.
Get your replies in to Matt for next week asap, and training as usual on Wednesday - fitness is even more important now the pitches are getting heavy and will drain your stamina far more quickly so its important to get out and work out !!!!
Have a good week and dont forget the Social evening on Saturday the 26th, the more the merrier from all 3 teams and all club represenatives.
