10/05/11: SR Dons FC (5) v (0) The Victory Club
Scorers: None
Starting Team: Swan (GK), Lewis, Rodgers, Bunyan (c), Robson, Hunter, Harding, M. Dryden, Fisher, Smiles, Stores
Subs: None
Yellows: Rodgers
Reds: None
SR Dons maintained their promotion push as a dominant display saw them run out convincing 5-0 winners over the Victory Club in a pretty one sided encounter.
With only eleven men available, Lee Hermiston’s team picked itself. Lewis Swan remained in goal playing behind a back four comprising of Jonny Lewis, Alex Rodgers, Paul Bunyan and Stephen Robson. Scott Hunter and Chris Fisher were deployed on the flanks whilst Peter Harding and Mark Dryden were selected in the middle of the park. James Smiles was given a free role just off Ben Stores, the lone striker.
The Victory were on the back foot from the word go as SR Dons attempted to use the big pitch to their advantage.
SR Dons were having some joy down their left flank but when it came to the final ball into the box they fell down. They did however almost take the lead with a quarter of an hour gone when a shot from distance whistled narrowly over the bar.
With just over twenty minutes gone, the goal did come as SR Dons went ahead. After some good work by the SR Dons right winger the ball was crossed into the box where it was met at the back post by their other winger and he planted a header back across goal and into the back of the net.
Around five minutes later and SR Dons almost doubled their advantage. A right footed corner drifted into the box and over Swan but was cleared by Peter Harding on the goal line just in the nick of time. The danger hadn’t passed though as Harding’s clearance went straight to an SR Dons player who headed the ball back towards goal but unluckily for him the ball was blocked by an unwitting team-mate who was also stood on the goal line before the Victory hacked it away to safety.
As the game passed the half hour mark, referee, Kieran Downey, decided to get his cards out. Following a foul by Mark Dryden on one of the SR Dons midfielders, Alex Rodgers lashed the ball up the other end of the pitch. It was not the first time that Rodgers had done this during the game after a foul and the referee had obviously taken notice and elected that this was once too many and booked the Victory man for kicking the ball away. It was Rodgers fourth caution of the season – the previous three all being for handball!
The Victory tried to muster a meaningful effort on goal to level proceedings before the break but aside from a couple of long range strikes by James Smiles, both of which were comfortably saved, they struggled to create anything of note.
At half time despite trailing by a single goal, the Victory were quite satisfied with the position they found themselves in.
Almost straight from the beginning of the second half, SR Dons took total control.
They did finally double their lead ten minutes into the second half when one of the SR Dons strikers turned home a cross from close range.
Passions were running high on both sides. Jonny Lewis and the SR Dons left winger had a coming together which on another day may have lead to more than just a talking to from the referee.
As the game entered the final twenty five minutes the Victory were still well in the game but were struggling badly to keep hold of the ball let alone create any goal scoring opportunities. When a chance finally did present itself, Scott Hunter tried so hard to shoot as powerfully as he could that he swung himself off his feet and missed the ball completely.
The Victory, without any subs, were now tiring on the big pitch so it was no surprise when with just under twenty minutes remaining SR Dons scored a third goal. A cross from the right was delivered into the Victory area where it found an oncoming SR Dons midfielder who met the ball firmly with his head and bulleted a header right into the top corner leaving Swan with not a prayer.
A fourth goal followed shortly afterwards when an SR Dons player was allowed to head home unchallenged from a corner.
In the final couple of minutes, SR Dons added a fifth when a ball over the top saw the left winger sprint clear before coolly lobbing the ball over Swan and into the net for his second goal of the game. It was tough luck on Swan who had made a string of outstanding saves to keep the score down. The pick of his saves being a brilliant stop diving away to his left to divert a shot from distance onto his post.
In the end SR Dons ran out more than comfortable winners while the Victory players were forced to return home having received a lesson in how to play slick passing football. Despite losing, Victory manager, Lee Hermiston praised the effort of the group and stated that he thought SR Dons were the best footballing side the team had come up against this season. The Victory’s campaign culminates this Sunday with another tough away encounter, this time against Grangetown WMC at Stannington Grove. Hermiston’s men will be looking for an improved performance to try and finish the season on a positive note.
