This was a match we were eagerly looking forward to and one that we wanted for a friendly in the off season! Following the success of our last home game we wanted another good win and from the second we kicked off it was clear that we were not going to lose this match. As soon as the whistle went, Travis and Alex went for goal and within about 40 seconds the ball was in the back of the Appleton goal! 1-0 - good finish by Travis but well worked between him and Alex. I think both Ethan and Ben also got involved but it happened that quickly it wasn't 100% clear!
For the next 10 minutes we applied constant pressure to the opposition in a mad flurry that left Appleton shell-shocked and did not see them enter our half of the pitch once! They started to move the ball about a little at which point we made some substitutions to bring fresh legs onto the pitch resulting in yet more pressure and just after coming on the pitch, Kurtis attempting a cheeky back-heeled pass across the opposition goal mouth that was intended for one of our strikers but instead found its way slipping into the net - 2-0! Tom showed great speed and skill and fought hard for every ball and helped to make it almost impossible for Appleton to get a look in!
Joe also showed tremendous effort and fast legs during his spell on the pitch and was rewarded with a beautifully taken and emphatic finish into the corner of the goal, that was quite simply a stunning strike - 3-0 Ben was just a 'Billy Whizz' in midfield chasing every ball and helping it to the strikers, whilst Ethan as usual showed fantastic vision with some defence splitting passes and flicks of the ball that have by now become his trademark!
Jacob showed more strength in this match and used his shoulder to good effect although he did inadvertently use his elbow on one occasion and was rightly penalised for it by the ref. It was clear that the players expected very long throws from him when the ball went over the side line as they moved a long way off when he stepped up to throw it. Fortunately on this day he was able to get it to them but we need to be careful not to move too far off on future games!
Dom and Dan started at the back today and both played very well in keeping the opposition completely shut out, Dom picking the ball up and going on some long searching runs at times and showing great skill in dribbling past opponent after opponent but not quite managing to finish. Dan stood strong and what he lacked in skill occasionally was made up in sheer determination in wanting to win the ball.
When Marc entered the 'battle' we stepped up yet another gear and totally shut up shop at the back! In the second half Katie came on and did what she does best, got hold of the ball and just attacked forward with it, showing to yet another team that she is not a girl to be messed with! Lots of praise for Thomas in this match who played probably the best game he has had for the club since he joined us. He showed that he'd been listening to us and tracked back to chase the ball at every opportunity he could whilst also putting in some excellent runs forward. This paid off when he fired a lovely shot towards goal that the Appleton defence could not handle and despite an attempt to stop it the ball ricocheted off their defender and into the back of the goal - 4-0
Alex came back onto the pitch for another spell and once again showed that we made the right decision in playing him up front this season by some excellent play and another calmly taken but lovely finish rounding off our scoreline at 5-0. Jako hardly had to do any work in our goal during this match but on the occasions that he was called upon he showed his usual great ability in our goal, throwing himself onto any loose balls and commanding his area with vigour.
The info above doesn't really do Appleton any justice however as they certainly did not play badly and they did make some great runs forward at times, particularly from their number 8 and 9 players. 9 in particular put in some fantastic crosses and corners and was actually very unlucky not to score against us in a move that resulted in him getting off an unopposed shot which had everyone beat but fortunately for us he pulled wide, I think it actually bounced back off the post and Jako was able to recover and pounce on it. Although a great shot, we were a little sloppy in allowing the shot in the first place, as no-one chased him down which showed us that we still have areas to improve.
Overall this was a great game that was fantastic to watch and has meant that we are unbeaten at home and yet to concede a goal at our new ground! We're not going to give in lightly in our 'fortress'!
Man of the match was shared between Alex and Thomas today for great performances from both of them and as we found it hard to decide between them, we decided to share the honours. Thanks to everyone for trying hard and for the usual great support from our parents :)
