WITH THE CAT MESSENGER TAKING OVER MANAGERIAL DUTIES FOR THE DAY WITH MANAGER RENNIE AWAY ON FAMILY BUSINESS, CERNEY WERE HOPING TO PROGRESS TO THE SEMI FINALS WITH A REASONABLY STRONG SQUAD. THAT SQUAD WAS SOON TO SHRINK AFTER 'SATURDAY MORNING SIMON' PROMOTED DALE AND DICKO TO FIRST TEAM DUTY. RENNIE MANAGED TO DRIVE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL TO MAKE KICK OFF, ALTHOUGH WISHES HE HADN'T BOTHERED AS HE HAD AN ABSOLUTE REGGIE BLINKER!
THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A FEW CHANGES IN THE TEAM AS JORDAN LED THE LINE UPFRONT WITH LEVETT, AND GOBLE AND 'DAVE' OCCUPYING THE CENTRE. STRATTON APPLIED SOME EARLY PRESSURE AS CERNEYS MAKESHIFT BACK 4 LOOKED EXPLOITED AT TIMES AND WERE REWARDED AN EARLY GOAL WHEN A CUT BACK ON THE RIGHT WING WAS TURNED HOME AT CLOSE RANGE BY THE YETI WHO HAD SCORED ON THE EARLIER GAME BETWEEN THE TWO. STRATTON WENT FURTHER AHEAD WHEN A POP SHOT WAS DEFLECTED IN OFF RENNIE INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER. CERNEY HOWEVER CAME BACK INTO THE GAME AND STARTED TO DOMINATE IN POSSESSION AND CREATED NUMEROUS CHANCES, WITH EFFORTS FROM JORDAN AND TRIG BOTH BEING CLEARED OFF THE LINE BY THE LANKY STREAK OF PISS IN GOAL. THEY DID GET THEIR GOAL BACK THOUGH WHEN JORDAN WAS SET FREE AND HIS ACCURATE CUT BACK WAS TURNED HOME AT CLOSE RANGE BY 'DAVE'.
THE MAJOR TALKING POINT IN THE FIRST HALF CAME SOON AFTER WHEN 'DAVE' WAS TAKEN OUT WHEN CLEAN THROUGH ON GOAL AND SURELY THE KEEPER SHOULD HAVE SEEN RED, BUT THE REF SAW JUSTICE WOULD BE SERVED BY AWARDING A FREE KICK AND NOT EVEN A TALKING TO. THE GAME WAS REAL END TO END WITH CHANCES GOING A MISS AT EACH END. CERNEY DID GET THE EQUALIZER HOWEVER WHEN A RARE EFFORT FROM MUELLER, WHO HAD GOT HIMSELF INTO A DECENT POSITION, WAS FUMBLED BY THE KEEPER AND JORDAN LATCHED ONTO THE REBOUND FOR HIS LONG AWAITED FIRST GOAL FOR THE CLUB. R CRAIG ALSO HAD A GOOD CHANCE TOWARDS THE END OF THE HALF BUT LOST HIS COMPOSURE AND GAVE THE KEEPER AN EASY SAVE.
SPIRITS WERE HIGH AT HALF TIME HAVING GOT THEMSELVES BACK INTO THE GAME, BUT IT ONLY TOOK STRATTON A MINUTE AFTER THE BREAK TO GET THEMSELVES BACK IN FRONT WITH SOME POOR DEFENDING FROM YET AGAIN ANOTHER CORNER. THE REAL KILLER GOAL CAME SOON AFTER WHEN A VERY DUBIOUS GOAL WAS AWARDED DESPITE A STRONG APPEAL FOR OFFSIDE AND CERNEYS CUP CHANCES WERE HANGING IN THE BALANCE. ANOTHER POOR DECISION FROM THE REFEREE CAME AS HE LET A TWO FOOTED LUNGE GO FOR JUST A YELLOW CARD TO SUM UP HIS AFTERNOON AND HE WAS ABOUT AS POPULAR AS JIMMY SAVILLE WITH THE CERNEY PLAYERS. ANOTHER CORNER AND ANOTHER GOAL CAME FOR STRATTON TO PUT THEM 5-2 UP AND THE TIE SURELY OVER. R CRAIG HOWEVER GAVE CERNEY A LIFE LINE WHEN HE FOUND HIMSELF ONE ON ONE WITH THE KEEPER AND LIKE A YOUNG PETER BEARDSLEY ( ONLY IN LOOKS) COOLY SLOTTED HOME. RENNIE THEN GOT HIMSELF ON THE SCORE SHEET WITH A FINE HEADER INTO THE TOP CORNER UNFORTUNATELY INTO HIS OWN NET AND ANOTHER CORNER ANOTHER GOAL PUT THE GAME WELL OUT OF REACH.
CERNEY GOT A CONSOLATION WITH A FINE FREE KICK FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX FROM TRIG FOR THE GOAL OF THE GAME AND ALSO SAW A SPECTACULAR VOLLEY FROM DAN HUGHES COME BACK OFF THE CROSSBAR, BUT IT WAS AN AFTERNOON TO FORGET WITH SOME REAL COMEDY DEFENDING.
WITH NEXT WEEKS BIG COUNTY CUP TIE AT HOME TO THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, CERNEY MUST IMPROVE DEFENSIVELY, BUT WITH THE RETURN OF RANDELL AND SCOTTISH DAVE TO BOLSTER THE BACK AND KEEN, DICKSON AND KING ALSO RETURNING THE COMPETITION FOR PLACES WILL BE FIERCE.
APOLOGEES FOR A SHIT GAME FROM MYSELF....PEACE
