Well what can I say about today’s game other than a team beat us that were up for the game and wanted to win.
Stronstad were missing some players from last week and to be honest it showed as FC Boca out classed us and wanted to win.
With Ian Privett (work), Ian Killeen (injured) and Gareth Spicer (ill) Stronstad had to make some adjustments to the starting line up with Nick Crocker coming in for Gareth Spicer and Robert Pearson playing in goal.
The opening exchanges were a slow affair with FC Boca shading the possession and Stronstad found themselves on the back foot for the early part of the game. When Stronstad did manage to get their foots on the ball they tried to get the team moving forward but found themselves running into a wall of White shirts and most attack fell flat.
The opening goal came down to a poor bit of defensive play from Stronstad that brought back memories from last season as too many goals we conceded were from silly school boy mistakes. As FC Boca cleared their lines a ball over the top should have been a straight forward lay off to the keeper and clearance would have come but a very sloppy pass from Jorge Morrison-Cooke resulted in the ball falling nicely to the FC Boca striker who slotted past Robert Pearson to give his side the lead.
During the last two games Jorge had been a rock at the back for Stronstad but it was his mistake that gave FC Boca a lead that they probably deserved on the balance of play. But like they did against Cosham Blues in match day 2 Stronstad managed to get a goal back with a bit of fortune as a surging run from James Clarke took him to the bye line and his cross to the near post was headed home by a FC Boca defender to make the scores 1-1.
Really Stronstad should have raised their game and pushed forward looking to get themselves into the lead but yet another mistake from Jorge Morrison-Cooke resulted in a penalty for FC Boca after he felled the FC Boca striker as he burst into the box. An FC Boca player stepped up and sent Robert Pearson the wrong way to make the score 2-1 to FC Boca.
You could see Stronstad heads falling and this was when FC Boca took full advantage of the situation and they made it 3-1 after an FC Boca player had got into the box and pulled the ball back for one of his players to come steaming in and scoring from close range to basically seal the 3 points. Stronstad had a rare attack and really should have made the score 3-2 as Brad White found space in the FC Boca penalty are and instead of placing the ball home he opted for power and fired wide when it should have been easier to score. This gave Stronstad a small lift as they forced a corner but as FC Boca cleared the ball it fell to Rich Gillam who failed to control the ball and it resulted in a counter attack and from 25 yards out the FC Boca striker lobbed Robert Pearson to make the score 4-1 and caused an argument to break out between some Stronstad players.
Stronstad were struggling to cope with the midfield running of FC Boca with Nick Crocker, Rod Robertson and Mark Betteridge failing to get into the game where games before the midfield were solid and were the driving force of the team, which helped us to some great performances. Just before the break FC Boca made it 5-1 after a ball into the Stronstad box was not dealt with and a low striker found its way past Robert Pearson who should have done better to make the score 5-1 and game over.
There was one last twist in the game as Stronstad had a perfectly good goal chalked off as the linesman put his flag up for off-side when it was a pass back from one of his own team mates that played 3 Stronstad players on side as Brad White bundled the ball home.
Half Time FC Boca 5 Stronstad Utd 1
After some strong but far words Stronstad went out looking to put a better performance in but all their talking went to pot as another long ball forward found an FC Boca player who lobbed replacement goalkeeper Mark Betteridge to make the score 6-1 and an embarrassing day at the office for Stronstad Utd.
Stronstad then started to put some pressure on FC Boca and they did manage to pull a goal back from Bradley White as Stronstad won a throw in deep inside FC Boca’s half and a long throw from Robert Pearson caused panic in the FC Boca penalty area and Bradley White stabbed home from close range. Stronstad kept putting the pressure on but were caught at the back from the long ball that FC Boca were doing and it resulted in another goal for the home side as a ball to the back post was bundled past Mark Betteridge to make the score 7-2.
Next Stronstad put more pressure on FC Boca trying to salvage some pride and they pulled a goal back from James Clarke for his 4th of the season as Stronstad won a free kick down the right wing and a great ball from Robert Pearson found Jeff Needham who’s powerful header was pushed out by the FC Boca goalkeeper only to James Clarke who fired into the empty FC Boca net for 7-3. Stronstad had a new lift and they kept battling away and scored goal as they won a series of corners and throw ins and from one of these corners Stronstad then made it 7-4 as a corner from Bradley White found Nick Crocker who powered a header home as the FC Boca goalkeeper flapped at the corner to make the score 7-4.
Could Stronstad make the greatest come back of all times?
They thought they had scored a 5th goal but some how a referee saw a hand ball from a Stronstad player as another corner caused panic in the FC Boca penalty area and as the ball bounced in the lines man and the referee saw a hand ball.
Just before the end of the game as Stronstad ran out of ideas FC Boca got an 8th goal as a quick break resulted in another goal for the FC Boca striker to make it a bad day in the office for Stronstad and a hard bounce back to earth for the men in blue.
Full time from Alexander Park, FC Boca 8 Stronstad Utd 4
