A battling display against a decent team saw the Lions maintain their 100 percent start to the season. We again started off poorly but rallied in the second half to earn a deserved 3 points.
Line-up:
Dorian (GK)
Alfie (RB), Mark W (CB), Simon (CB), Matt R (LB)
Brett (RM), JP (CM), Dale (CM), Gary (LM)
Scott (CF), Lee M (CF)
We'd played and beaten Elm Tree 4-3 in a pre-season friendly with 2 late goals to come back from behind so we knew it would be a tough match. Yet for all Dave's talk of getting stuck in from the off and playing our football from the start we were still slow off the mark and they had the better of the play in the first half hour or so.
We were having trouble keeping the ball with maybe one pass out from the defence and then the ball being overhit to our attackers. We couldn't build any meaningful attacks and chances for both sides were very few and far between. The first real effort on goal came from Dale whose shot inside the penalty area was blocked for a corner.
A lot of the play was down our right hand side and they did get some crosses in which we cleared but didn't look too comfortable in doing so. The game was scrappy and nervy and a lot of fouls were being committed by both sides not all of them getting brought back by the ref who didn't have a good game.
Their goal came from a free kick (can't remember who conceded it) just outside the area. The shot was low and took a deflection off the edge of the wall that took it past Dorian. It wasn't a surprise as we hadn't really gotten into the game but it finally woke us up. We started getting the ball down and playing football and the equaliser came about from a through ball to Lee who together with Scott managed to cause a scramble just inside their area in front of the goal. Their goalie came out and when Lee managed to wriggle past him, quite cynically hauled him down.
No doubt it was a penalty and by the letter of the law should have been a straight red as the keeper was the last man, but not even a yellow came out despite Mark's strenuous encouragement to the ref which heated things up a bit.
Brett stepped up and dispatched the penalty and we continued playing football getting a few more chances before another penalty was awarded.
The goalie again gave it away when he body checked Scott as he was going past him. At least he got a yellow this time, though again it was enough for a straight red. Brett stepped up but skied the spot kick pretty much into orbit so we went in all square at half time. Special mention must be given to MotM JP for some great tracking back and tackling in his midfield role. Won't mention the one shot he had.
We started the second half even better than we finished the first and the play was much more in the half for the first 10 minutes. We then went ahead when a ball out to the right found Gary in some space and he got down the line to put in a great cross that the keeper came out for and completely missed and Dale running in guided an exquisite header into the net.
The lead lasted for only a few minutes before Brett gave away a free kick on the right side a few yards from the area. The ball in came out as far as their forward who swept it in low inside the right post.
Kevin came on for Gary for his league debut and made an immediate impact on the opposition - specifically one guy's ankle which just maintained the theme of tasty tackles flying in. He had a hand in the winner though, picking up a pass to the left and cutting inside to Lee who steadied himself before lifting one past the keeper to see it go in off the post.
This time we held it together in the next few minutes to weather their attacks, though it needed some great tackling from JP and last ditch goal line clearance from Mark to keep us in front. Kyle on for Alfie and myself on for Scott and although they pressed desperately they didn't have a shot on target for the rest of the game.
So 3 from 3 and another good second half performance but we must start playing like we know we can straight from the off.
