CERNEY WELCOMED A VERY DIFFERENT ASHTON SIDE TO THE ONE THEY PLAYED EARLIER IN THE SEASON IN THIS WEEKS CRUCIAL LEAGUE GAME. WITH CERNEY HAVING ONLY BEAT ASHTON SO FAR IN THE LEAGUE THEY WERE DESPERATE FOR A WIN. WITH DAVE, DEAN, DAN, SPIKE AND REN ALL MISSING FROM LAST WEEKS SIDE, THEY WERE REPLACED BY WORM, TIMMY, JEHU AND LIL CHRIS.
CERNEY SEEMED TO PLAY MOST OF THE FOOTBALL EARLY ON ALTHOUGH NEVER MANAGED TO PENETRATE THE ASHTON DEFENCE, AND THE OPENING GOAL CAME FROM THE VISITORS WHEN A SPECULATIVE LOOKING SHOT WAS DEFLECTED IN BY THE LUCKLESS JEHU, LEAVING THE CAT WITH NO CHANCE. IF THEY THOUGHT THE FIRST GOAL WAS SOFT THE SECOND WAS EVEN WORSE WHEN A MISS KICK FROM THE CAT FELL STRAIGHT TO THE ASHTON STRIKER WHO ROLLED THE BALL INTO THE EMPTY NET. CERNEY CONTINUED TO KEEP MOST OF THE POSSESSION IN AND AROUND DEFENCE, BUT WITHOUT A SHOT AT GOAL AS HALF TIME APPROACHED. THEIR SITUATION WAS TO GET EVEN WORSE WHEN THEY CONCEEDED AGAIN ON THE STROKE OF HALF TIME WITH ANOTHER SOFT GOAL.
IT LOOKED BLEAK FOR CERNEY AT HALF TIME AND I'M SURE NO ONE WAS EXPECTING THEM TO GET BACK INTO IT, BUT IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SIDE THAT TURNED UP FOR THE SECOND HALF AS THEY KEPT ASHTON STUCK IN THEIR OWN HALF FOR MOST OF THE NEXT 45 MINUTES. HAVING BEEN REWARDED WITH AN EARLY GOAL FOR THEIR DOMINANCE THEY LOOKED FULL OF BELIEF. THE GOAL CAME FROM THE FIRST BIT OF ROUTE ONE FOOTBALL THEY HAD TRIED, WHEN A JEHU FREE KICK WAS FLICKED ON BY KEEN TO BONDY AND HE FINISHED CALMLY INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER. THE SUBSTITUITION BRINGING DICKO ON SEEMED TO SPUR CERNEY ON FURTHER AND THEY CREATED CHANCE AFTER CHANCE BUT WERE UNFOTUNATE TO CONCEEDE A 4TH GOAL ON THE BREAK, WITH A LONG RANGE STRIKE LEAVING THE CAT WITH LITTLE CHANCE. CERNEY HOWEVER NEVER GAVE UP AND QUICKLY GOT THEMSELVES BACK INTO IT WHEN A TRADEMARK STEP OVER FROM DICKSON BEAT THE DEFENDER (HE MUST HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDNT SEE IT COMING) AND HIS CUT BACK WAS TURNED HOME BY JEHU AT CLOSE RANGE.
BY NOW ASHTON DIDNT SEEM TO HAVE THE LEGS AND CERNEY CONTINUED TO PRESS FORWARD AGAIN CREATING GOOD CHANCES. THEY DID MANAGE TO GET A 3RD AND SET UP A PULSATING LAST 10 MINUTES WHEN JEHU GOT HIS SECOND GOAL FROM SIMILAR RANGE FROM ANOTHER CROSS FROM DICKSON. CERNEY AGAIN CREATED MORE CHANCES WITH BOTH KEEN AND SLANEY GOING CLOSE, BUT THE BEST CHANCE FELL IN THE DYING SECONDS WHEN A NEAT PASSING MOVE FELL TO THE FEET OF BONDY WITH THE GOAL AT HIS MERCY, BUT HIS POWERFUL SHOT AGONISELY CRASHED OFF THE CROSSBAR TO SUM UP CERNEYS AFTERNOON.
UNDER FIRE BOSS RENNIE, TOLD JEFF SHREEVES IN A POST MATCH PRESS COMFERENCE THAT HE WAS REALLY PROUD OF THE EFFORT THE BOYS PUT IN IN THE SECOND HALF BUT WARNED THAT THEY CANT GIFT TEAMS A 3 GOAL START AND EXPECT TO WINS GAMES. WITH THE BOYS TRAVELLING TO THE LEAGUES ONLY TEAM WITH A 100% RECORD, CORINIUM SPORTS NEXT WEEKEND, THEIR SURE TO BE IN FOR ANOTHER TOUGH GAME.
TO WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK http://youtu.be/d8an97eD_os OR GO TO YOU TUBE AND SEARCH SOUTH CERNEY V ASHTON
PLAYER RATINGS PROVIDED BY A NEUTRAL SPECTATOR
