We welcome the league leaders to our new pitch at Cove Green. We have to wear the "figure hugging" red kit as Bosc don't have a change of kit. Gaffer Smith decides to change things up a little by deploying a 4-5-1 formation with Manning ploughing a lone furrow up front with the 2 wide guys of Hale & Walker aiming to support where possible.
The game starts off at an even tempo with both sides trying to gain the upper hand in the midfield battle. But alas like so many other games, we fall behind. A long ball is missed by Mark and their striker slots it beyond Tags. 0-1 they soon double their lead when a goalmouth scramble leads to the same striker making it 0-2.
We start creating chances. A great run by Hale down the right leads to a defender making a last ditch tackle to thwart him. Manning also goes close with a few efforts, so we believe there are goals available for us.
But despite all our hard work, we fall further behind. The Bosc striker finds himself in acres of space in the box and slots it beyond tags. 0-3.
Ricky, Martyn & Joe are slowly begining to dominate midfield and our efforts pay off. Another great run down the right from Hale ends with him squaring the ball across the 6yrd box for Manning to slot away. 1-3. game on. Another Bosc attack down our left leads to a cross for their striker to score his hat-trick 1-4.
But we're soon back in it. From a Hale corner, Ricky's header bounces back off of the bar and drops to Taff about 1yrd out who bundles the ball over the line. 2-4. The Little Bosc striker scores again to make it 2-5. Crazy game
We manage to pull a goal back before half tme when a corner isn't cleared and Walker hooks the ball over his shoulder and into the back of the net. 3-5
Half time and what a half. an 8 goal blitz. We know there is more goals in it so we know what we have to do.
The 2nd half starts off at a quick pace with things starting to get a little heated. After being called a fat c**t by their striker, he then goes in to stamp on Joe who in typical fashion retaliates and needs to be dragged away. Ref calls over both players & captains, and despite admitting to seeing the stamp, doesn't brandish a card of any sorts.
We fall further behind when their winger tries one from all of 25yrds and Tags is not able to keep it out. 3-6. We pull another 1 back when a cross is deflected into the path of Walker who fires beyond the keeper 4-6
With our tails up the midfield decide to bomb forward hoping to pull another one back, but Bosc break and with the defence isolated, they work the ball thorough and their striker makes it 4-7.
After what looked like a 50/50 challenge, Taff is cautioned for what the ref called a "dangerous tackle". To be fair, Taff did hit him hard, but the ball was there to be won.
We manage to pull ANOTHER goal back when a quickly taken free-kick from Ricky is arrowing towards Joe, until Ridley pushes him out of the way, takes it in his stride, and lashes it beyond the keeper. 5-7. We again pile forward but Bosc break again and the ball is lashed beyond tags to make it 5-8.
And that's how it ended. 8-5 to Bosc. A game that the neutral would've loved. We felt unlucky as we did create more chances, but couldn't take them, whilst Bosc did.
If we can take our chances and tighten up a little at the back, then the results will come.
MOM is Richard Hale who was a constant menace all day.
Thanks also to the support we had too with the girls from the pub coming down to cheer us on
