Inn Place 7 - 0 Victory Club
It may be the start of a new year but 2012 seems to be bringing no more luck to the Victory who seem to be almost certain for the drop come April this year.
Manager Steve Jackson was missing, so Dave White took the managerial reins and also had to play. Also missing were Scott Hunter, Ben Stores, Lewis Swan, Ryan Fairweather & long term absentee Graham Lamb, whilst new signing Alan Tench was unable to make his debut leaving the squad very depleted. Although there was a debut for new goalkeeper Gary Cooke who became the Victory's Oldest player at 48 years old taking the record from John "Silverfox" Davis.
The Victory understandebly started defensively but despite this were working hard to keep themselves in the game without much of the ball. The first real moment of note happened around the 20 minute mark when a cross swung in by Inn Place was headered towards goal only for Veteran stopper Cooke to pull off a fine reflex save tipping the ball onto the cross bar and away for a corner. From the resulting corner Inn Place only for Harding to clear the ball off the line.
The reprieve didn't last long and in a crazy fifteen minutes the Victory found themselves four nil down. When Collins lost possesion on the half way line Inn Place broke down the Victory left and althought the first cross was cleared at the near post it could only fall to an Inn Place forward who cracked the ball home from 10 yards. Almost innevitably the way the season has gone so far the Victory conceded another soon after a break down the Victory right this time left them exposed and the Inn Place tapped home a second.
The Victory had then a remarkable chance to get themselves back in the game a great run by Peter Harding set up Rob Timm but with the goal empty he remarkably missed from 3 yards and with it went the Victory's hopes of a result.
As fortune would have the Victory conceded from the resulting goal kick. It was punted down field flicked on the winger got to the byline whipped it in to the box, for the Victory Simon Mountford and Nathan Hudson got in each others way and the Inn Place forward took full advantage to make the score three. Before half time a fourth was added a long ranging ball was rammed past the helpless Cooke.
Half Time
At half time an air of dejection was evident amongst the Victory players who once they let one goal in let in two or three more in ten minutes which constantly puts them out of matches by half time.
The second half was a none affair with the game clearly up, although Cooke made a superb save to deny an Inn Place attacker.
The Victory then had a couple of chances for a consolation a long throw allowed Dave White to have a header but that was easily saved by the 'keeper then Greg Davison had a long range shot that went narrowly wide of the post.
Anthony Collins was then booked for a cynical foul and the Vics man picked up his 5th yellow of the season in the process.
Inn Place then had a chance to rattle three more goals in the final fifteen. The first you would have to give credit to the Inn Place forward who smashed a right foot half volley beyond Cooke from all of 20 yards (Nothing the Vics could do with that!). Then some sloppy defending and tired legs led to the sixth as some slick passing led to the Inn Place man tapping the ball in from four yards and the seveth and final goal was a carbon copy of the fourth - giving the scoreline a glossy seven nil look but in truth probably wasn't a seven nil game although Inn Place did deserve to win overall.
At the final whistle many of the players looked dejected but they have a week off next week before their next game against the New Derby and Jackson will be hoping their luck changes and a few injuries clear up to make sure the match at least competitive.
