The Lions lost out in this top of the table clash after an awful first half left us with too much to do in the second - though, we gave it a damned good try.
Line up:
Dorian (GK)
Phil (RB), Simon (CB), Matt R (CB), Julian (LB)
Kyle (RM), JP (CM), Mark W (CM), Alfie (LM)
Lee (CF), Brett (CF)
Will say now that quite a lot happened in this game and I'm having trouble remembering it all, so feel free to correct if I get things wrong.
With top spot as the prize, we had to be up for this and we were. We competed well enough at start but were undone on the first corner we conceded for the second week in a row. The ball came over the top and broke out to their attacker on the edge of the area. who'd drifted away from our right back (yours truly) He took it first time and put it into the bottom far corner.
They scored another when Dorian's goal kick failed to get any height and it was knocked towards the same player who finished it first time. I actually can't remember their third goal (or if it was even their third and not their second). May have been a header, I really couldn't say. They had a shot come off the post and put a couple over the bar.
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ADDENDUM:
I couldn't remember their third until I saw one just like it on the weekend's FA cup highlights. It was not a happy memory. Their third goal completed their striker's hat trick and as I was the one who was supposed to be marking him, completed a truly miserable half for me. Their left back got past Alfie who had switched flanks with Kyle. I went out to intercept him but he played the ball past me to their striker who had time to settle himself, then ping a cross over before I got to him. He probably meant it as a cross but it arrowed in despite Dorian's touch.
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As for our attacks, Brett put a first time effort over the bar. A shot from Mark span just wide with neither Brett or Lee able to get a touch on it to divert it goalwards. Can't remember any other decent chances for us. Alfie had to go off after he came off worst when he fouled their left back so Jon came on for the last few minutes before half time.
Their last goal of the half was a counter attack from our throw-in down our left, with their striker going one-on-one with Dorian and passing it low into the net.
We had a shit first half.
All Dave could say at half time was to stop the embarrassment and win the second half. Scott came on for Kyle and Lee moved to left wing. We started off well, putting them under a lot more pressure than we had previously and got our rewards when mark flicked on Brett's throw in and JP got enough on the ball with his head to divert it past the keeper just inside the night.
Scott then had a glorious chance when a poor kick from the keeper fell to him and he got free to run on goal. He lifted the ball over the keeper but agonisingly, it was over the bar as well.
We had a corner (or throw in) from the left and the ball ping-ponged round the penalty area eventually ending up at Brett's feet 2 yards from goal line. He swiped at it with his left leg but it didn't have enough power and their defender was to clear it off the line.
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CORRECTION
Have been reminded that Brett's awful miss wasn't the result of a corner at all, but down to Lee winning the ball in the middle of their half then taking it past most of their defence to the left side of the goal where he then laid it on a plate for Brett. Cue a pea roller from Brett with his left foot which had no chance of getting past the defender on the line. To be fair to Lee, he was doing those kinds of runs and winning the ball most of the second half once he got moved out to the left flank which is probably why he got man of the match, so apologies for not getting that right.
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We were on top, but then they got a free kick in an increasingly physical and fractious game. The ball in was met with a glancing header from their forward which had enough direction on it to settle just inside the post.
To our credit, our heads didn't go down and we continued to press. Brett almost got on the end of a great through ball on goal, but was a little late and clattered the keeper. He needed some time to recover which added a bit of stoppage time to the end of the game.
They were defending deeper and not threatening so much which gave us a chance. We had a few wild shots off target, before Brett was put in by a lovely volleyed pass from Matt and he finished coolly past the onrushing keeper.
The challenges were flying in from both sides and one of their players got booked for taking out Lee. I thought the ref was actually quite good even if he was on a serious power trip. We were getting a lot of free kicks around their penalty area (usually the other way round to be honest) and JP took one that just went over the bar. Later on we had another free kick on the edge of the area just inside the 'D' after a blatant handball. Mark took this one and hit it low just the wrong side of the left post. For reasons known only to him, the ref ordered a re-take. This time Mark put it beautifully into the top right hand corner with the goalkeeper nowhere.
The game played out with no more goals. Thinking back, I can't remember either keeper actually making a save in the whole game (apologies Dorian, if you did). It just seemed that if a shot from either side was on target it went in - except for Brett's.
So we miss out on top spot for now and as Bookham and Royal Oak Reserves were also playing at Fairfield I happen to know that Bookham (unsurprisingly) won 7-0, which moves them ahead of us into second. If we play like we did in the second half for 90 minutes, we can beat anyone, because in the end, we had the chances to actually win the game today. We've just got to get the cackness that was the first half out of our system.
