AFC Wearside 5-2 The Victory Club
The 2012/2013 season began with defeat for the Victory Club at the hands of newly promoted AFC Wearside.
Manager Steve Jackson had a good squad to pick from and gave several summer signings their debuts.
The Victory started sluggishly and were behind within the first 10 minutes, Greg Davison's long back pass found new 'keeper Steve Lordon but his clearance was poor and fell straight to a Wearside player, he took a hopeful punt which seemed to go straight through the back pedalling 'keeper and into the net.
The terrible start soon got even worse as the Vics fell two behind a long ball caught the Victory defence napping and the Wearside attacker was on hand to smash the ball high into the net from 10 yards.
In a frantic 1st half the Victory responded through Michael Snowdon when he latched onto a clever ball from James Smiles and deftly chipped it over the on rushing 'keeper. The Victory barely had time to catch their breath as they soon fell 3-1 behind, after clearing the ball for a corner the Vics failed to pick up their men and slack marking led to a free header in the box which led to a third goal being conceded.
The Victory tried to respond again with Smiles forcing an excellent stop out of the Wearside goalkeeper. But mistakes proved to be costly again as Lordon got his positioning all wrong and he was lobbed direct from a corner!
Four - One down the Victory were struggling and they could have fell further behind if AFC Wearside finishing had been a touch more clinical.
Half Time
Jackson was in a strange position at the break as he was quite impressed in the way the Vics had passed and threatened only to be furious with the defensive display which was nothing short of shambolic.
He left the same team to try and rectify the match but the 2nd period unlike the 1st peeteed out as both teams seemed to struggle in the August heat. Jackson then made a change bringing on Collins for Rodgers in a more attacking move.
The change seemed to work as the Victory went close through Davison and Spence, and Collins himself even had a goal chalked off as the referee had already blown for a free kick when the Vics would have took the advantage. The free kick innevitably went wide of the post.
There was still time though for more goals as Karl Addison registered his 1st goal for the club, scrambling the ball ove the line from a Scott Hunter cross.
Wearside then smashed the bar with four minutes to go, but they finally did manage to get their fifth goal of the morning through another defensive mistake, AFC Wearside punted a ball forward and the pacey attacker caused problems for Hudson and Lordon, the Vics' keeper got there first only to smash the ball into the striker who then composed himself to tap the ball into the empty net, to bring to an end a terrible opening day and a miserable debut for the Vics new stopper Steve Lordon.
On Tuesday night the Victory will be hoping to be alot tighter against Chester x1 in order to get off the mark this season.
