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Vipers Vs Whiteleas Tigers
Saturday 24th April 09:30 – St James Catley Park …aka Monkton Stadium
Well, here we are again, happy as can be, all good friends and jolly good company….and so goes the song….but just how jollily would we get along with Whiteleas Tigers ?
Our fellow Reds found it tough going in a 1 – Nil win last week, so nothing to be taken for granted…as the late GREAT Sir Bobby Robson once said…”If we start counting our chickens before they hatch, they won’t lay any eggs in the basket”…so while you think about that (not for too long) we’ll crack on….more Sir Bobby one liners later…
Good warm up and prep to get the guys into the right mindset for the day….passing & moving are the order of the day, and remember we go from the W of the WHISTLE !...
After last weeks game we were looking for more of the same commitment & effort, but improved passing, no headless chicken impersonations (apart from the Coaches which is normal)…and some looking up before moving the ball on….let’s see how it went…
Phil spoiled for choice again, with a full squad to choose from….finally settling for Matt in goal, Max and James along the back, Kyle left side midfield, Joe Mitchell right side midfield, Thomas through the middle and James Reed up front…Mason, Sam and Kaie starting on the sidelines…
Vipers kicking off, putting the ball long into the Whiteleas half but cleared away well by their defence…collected nicely by Max, passing it across to Thomas then onto Kyle who’s long ball went out for a goal kick…
Good goal kick saw the ball back through our midfield, James Catley making the stop then passing to Kyle who again cleared long, James Reed running onto the ball and taking on the last man, only a good stop from him won the ball back….James picking it up again from the goal kick but just kicked it a little too far ahead of him this time and the keeper collected again…
Big goal kick saw the ball back to the midfield, Joe tackling well to win the ball playing Kyle in who’s chipped cross looked suspiciously handballed but nothing mentioned by the ref…the Whiteleas keeper collecting well again…
Goal kick again through midfield, this lad could kick them alright !....Midfield getting back and helping defence…this time James Catley clearing well for the throw in…good marking from Thomas, Max in defence, getting goalside and straight in for the tackles…Kyle Ferguson collecting the loose ball and going down the line, passing to James Reed who cut inside, crossed the ball over the box but just wide for a goal kick..
Goal kick this time being flicked on and coming off a James clearance for a Whiteleas corner…whipped across the box and palmed away by a flying Matthew…excellent work Matt, really good vision to watch the ball all the way and clear well…
Ball fired back in again, this time Matt collected and made a lovely goal kick, well into the Whiteleas half..
Thomas in on the loose ball, clearing well to Kyle who’s ball down the line won us a throw in….Kyle took the throw, James and Joe running to create space and Thomas in a good central position, in space….the ball finally falling between Joe and James but the defence just getting in ahead of us….got to be a little bit more aggressive in the last third to win those important tackles…
Cleared again by Whiteleas but this time hammered clear by Max through midfield, picked up again by Thomas, passing a nicely flicked ball over the Whiteleas midfields heads, onto Kyle who ran down the left wing and fired in a long cross/shot that just evaded the keeper and snuk under the keeper…1 – 0 Vipers !!
Great effort and well deserved…
From the kick off Tom was straight into the challenge, another ball down by Kyle again, this time tucked away by Joe to make it 2 – 0 Vipers…..a poachers goal…perhaps a new nickname…Joe Lineker Mitchell….well Joe you do leave the 6 yard box unlike Gary Lineker so maybe not…
Substitutions…On…Mason Kaie Sam….Off Max, James Catley and Joe…
Good tackling from Tom again, continuing his good form, Sam straight into the action making an important defensive tackle out for a throw in…
Kaie and Kyle tackling well from the throw, then working well together to run through the midfield, finally playing a lovely ball through to James Reed who’s shot was saved and blocked out for the corner….unfortunately the corner went straight into the side netting….lets hit that penalty spot guys ….
Goal kick put back in from Kyle…flicking the ball back into the danger area ..Mason taking 2 kick up touches then half volleying the ball goalwards….keeper saving well…nice try !
Goal kick from Whiteleas collected well by Kaie in midfield, passing across to Kyle who took on 1 player then with Kaie, James and Mason just ahead of him, took on 1 man too many and was tackled….remember to take that quick look up Kyle and maybe the quick first time pass ? Good play though mate..
Throw ins’ from Whiteleas that found it’s way back to a charging Matt, collecting the ball well and clearing dow the pitch…
2 – 0 Vipers @ Half time…
“We didn’t underestimate them, they were just a lot better than we thought”….Sir Bobby once again…
Easy team talk from Phil & Chris….more of the same please, hard working, good passing and support, 2 nice goals and a clean sheet…excellent….James Reed, just be patient and the chances will come but a little bit more determination in that last tackle and you’ll be right there mate….
Kicking off the 2nd half….good running from Mason and Kaie through the middle from the kick off, James Reed making a good challenge that just went wide…that’s better !
Goal kick down the pitch across the left side, quick ball across our box and everyone missed it….at least 2 Whiteleas players just couldn’t get a foot on it ‘cos from where I was it had goal written on it all day !..lucky break for us….
Big Kyle clearance, chased down by Kaie, eventually winning a corner….nice corner whipped in but everyone ducked !.....across and cleared out by Whiteleas…another clipped ball by Kyle back in, bounced once in front of the defender and over his head…James Reed onto it in a flash but just wide again with the shot…strong under pressure and a great start to the half by James.
Nice passing and play again this time with Mason going down the right, crossing well to Kyle who hammered a shot in from close range and miraculously saved by the Whiteleas keeper…incredible…until we realized it was his face he had saved it with !....tough on the lad but he was back on his feet in no time, very brave and a credit to his team !....from the corner Kaie whipped the ball across and Mason’s header crashed into the cross bar….unbelievable effort !....
“The little lad jumped like a Salmon and tackled like a ferret” – Sir Bobby Robson….
James off and Joe back on, with Max and James C also back on for Thomas and Kyle, all having given their all !
Whiteleas attacking down the left and a bouncing ball just clipped Max’s hand….the free kick on the edge of the box was braved up with a 2 man wall but the lad hammered the shot in…Matt got his hands to it and saved brilliantly….the clearance down to Kaie on the left saw him racing away…taking on the last man befre sliding the ball under the keeper….3 – 0 and a lovely goal from a position where we were almost conceding !
Minutes later another Kaie run down the left saw a nicely crossed ball to Joe..with Mase right behind him, but no mistaking from Joe and 4 – 0 it was…
Whiteleas were attacking well, making life hard in midfield but Mason working hard, with Kaie to win the ball back and get it forward and once again Joe was in with the shot to tuck it away and make it Monkton Vipers 5th and his third….well done Joe (great run of form mate !) but also credit to the work and effort from your team mates to create the chances for you.
5 – 0 Vipers…
Whiteleas attacking again down the left, Mason tracking back to help out Sam but just clipping the lads heels and giving away the foul…..a dangerous spot ….the lad hammered it in again and AGAIN Matt was ready for it….tipping the ball away and making a great save…
Good marking from the corner….clearing the ball well, down to Kaie, then onto James Catley who fired a pass down to Mason, back to Kaie then onto Joe who was never going to miss….4 for him and 6 – 0 to the Vipers…
Minutes later and the final whistle blew…
Great effort and performance from everyone…Whiteleas never stopped working and made it really hard for us, their Keeper in particular was outstanding and stopped at least 3 James Reed efforts, so hard lines James but you got in the right positions so more of the same next time buddy !
Joe given Man of the Match from Phil and Kaie from Chris, but once again, some solid performances right around the team….Matt called into action regularly and coming up with the goods….Sam, Max, James Catley all awesome in defence…that composure we were talking about at the start of the game was much on view….Thomas, Mason, Kaie, Kyle – outstanding today from every one of you….James and Joe…great work rate and creating chances galore….
Some big games to come over the coming weeks and if we perform like that again we’ll be absolutely fine !
Next game on Tuesday night…against..er who is it again…ah yes the Vipers Reds….in the form both teams are in it should be a cracker !
Well done guys.
Diego Maradona describing his 1st goal against England at the 1986 World Cup – “A little bit the hand of God, a little the head of Diego”
Then England Manager, Sir Bobby Robson’s response was.. “it wasn’t the hand of God, it was the hand of a rascal. God had nothing to do with it”…quite right as well.
