First match in a month for the Lions after the Christmas/snow break and we start 2011 as we left 2010 - getting a much needed win despite literally gifting the opposition two goals in a a very nervy second half.
Line up:
Dorian (GK)
Phil (RB) Simon (CB) Matt R (CB) Julian (LB)
Dave (CM) Brett (CM) JP (CM)
Jon (RF) Lee (CF) Dale (LF)
It was a gorgeous crisp winter's day with a clear blue sky and a very low and very bright sun that caused problems with high balls all game. The pitch was on a very steep side to side slope that didn't seem to be much of a problem but made us appreciate having a level pitch for our home games.
We started the match brightly enough and enjoyed most of the early possession. Lee kept their back line busy and there a couple of occasions early on when their defence had to scramble the ball away after a through pass had put him in on goal. They lost their keeper early on due to a back injury and we immediately tried to put the new one under pressure.
Our first goal came about as a result of this as a bad clearance from the keeper went straight to Jon outside the area. He hit a first time lob and it just dipped inside the keeper's left hand post.
We always looked more likely to score from open play as the few times they did get in our half, their balls in were wasteful. They had a player with a long throw-in but we dealt with that easily enough in the first half.
We had a few more chances before our second goal, this time from Brett who met another poor clearance from the oppo with a nicely weighted lob. The keeper got a good palm to it and to his credit, if he had been on his line the ball would probably have been tipped over the bar. However, he was 5 or 6 yards in front of goal so he just helped it in.
It got even better a few minutes later when Jon tricked his way down the right wing and put in a ball to the near post where Brett was lurking. Their defender couldn't get it away and Brett got the ball out from under his feet to power the shot past the keeper at his near post.
Aside from that Dave had a couple of shots, one that almost went out for a throw and the other just over the bar. Somebody else (sorry, forget who) had a low shot that the keeper scrambled away. JP who had a great game (apart from a moment in the second half - more on that later) showed some lovely touches in midfield nutmegging and leaving for dead the oppo on several occasions then finding the right pass. The last action of the hals was poor kick out from the keeper went straight to Lee who was just shaping up to take the shot when the ref blew for half time. In retrospect, if the ref had waited five more seconds and Lee had scored, the second half could have been very different.
As it was, the next 45 minutes started with us very much on the back foot. Maybe it was defending with the sun in our eyes, maybe it was just our old habit of not quite putting the work in for the full 90 but they really came at us in the second half and we very nearly paid the full price for it.
In one of their first really threatening attacks of the game, their winger managed to get the ball to the byline and put a square ball past Dorian that unfortunately rebounded off the player covering the line (me) into the goal. Simon and Julian who were closest to the their winger were incensed as they believed it had actually gone over the line for a goal kick but the ref allowed the goal to stand. They were still arguing about it, when we restarted the match and the Lions sort of lost focus on the game for a bit.
IT went from bad to worse, minutes later when a corner from our left was unwittingly flicked by JP at the near post into the goal. We were rocked and it was all the more hard to take as they were the only shots on goal for the opposition at that stage. Dorian was forced to make a save low to his right as we continued to hang on.
We were having difficulty getting out of our half and we struggled to put any meaningful football together. We were also conceding a lot of free kicks in our half too which we really didn't need as the oppo could sense that we weren't dealing too well with set pieces at the time.
Kevin came on for and went to left forward with Dale dropping to right back. We did get more into the game and although we didn't control it as had in the first half, we didn't seem so desperate. Danny and Kyle came on for Dave and Jon late on and Kyle impressed with some great closing down in their half getting three tackles in succession to win the ball back for us. We had a bit of a scare when a through ball had Matt in a straight chase with striker who blatantly pushed him out of the way before trying to poke the ball pas the onrushing Dorian who spread himself well to smother the shot.
That was nothing compared to the last minute fright when a corner from our left was met with a goalbound shot from their player that was past Dorian and all but in, if it wasn't for Kevin's boot flicking it onto the cross bar and out, to be cleared downfield by Brett.
So we hung on for the win, probably deservedly so on the balance of play but memories of our draw against Double H (where threw away a 3-0 halt time lead) were definitely gnawing at us and it was a relief to hear the final whistle a the end. Happy New Year indeed.
