Washington Colliery 5-4 The Victory Club
The Victory Club crashed to yet another defeat at the weekend! The early season promise is slowly evapourating as the Victory continue to make sloppy defensive errors as a a team.
Manager Jackson was again forced into changes and decided to play himself as well as recalling Alex Rodgers at Left Back.
The Vics started really postively with Rodgers breaking down the left and seeing his low strike saved by the 'keeper, but within minutes that positivity had turned sour as a long ball was chipped over Hudson and as he and 'keeper Lordon dallied over who would be clearing the Colliery forward nipped in to chip over the strandard Vics stopper. Moments later it was two as the nippy Colliery winger skinned Rodgers and whipped in a terrific ball for the opposite winger who got high above Trimble to head home. The Victory were lacking shape and a third arrived when Steve Jackson lost his man from a corner and the ball was riffled home past Lordon who could only throw his arms up like a subbutteo 'keeper but get no where near it due to the power of the strike.
The Victory who defending dreadfully were continuing to pass the ball quite well and carved open a couple of chances through firstly Reece Langley who tested the 'keeper and then James Smiles who blazed wide. Washington nearly went four up but Steve Lordon reacted well tipping the ball over the bar.
The Victory got on the scoresheet just before the break through Scott Hunter who placed a neat finish into the net (his first goal in two years!). But de ja vu for the Victory who had not learnt from their mistakes, the game previously and calamatously conceded another, Greg Davison usually so reliable in the air missed read the flight of the ball, slipped, and the bulky Colliery forward bustled through to cooly slot home a fourth for the hosts.
Half Time
Jackson was furious at half time with the defending but was quite pleased with the possession and challenged his side to go out and get something out of the game.
The Second half was slower paced than the first with the Victory having a lot of possession but doing little with it and Washington happy to soak up the play. Ironically though it was the hosts who had the first meanigful attack only to be denied by Lordon and then Rodgers who cleared off the line.
That was the final action for the Vics left back as he was replaced by Simon Mountford in a more attacking move(?). The Victory though sprung into life and forced a couple of saves out of the 'keeper again through Langley and Smiles. Washington kept going and forced a decent smothering stop out of Lordon again.
The Vics then pulled another goal back through Langley who placed a shot low into the bottom corner to give the Victory hope with 15 minutes remaining. The Victory were well and truly on the comeback trail as Langley then turned provider to set up Snowdon who lobbed the 'keeper to make it 4-3.
Washington Colliery were hanging on and Langley then hit the post with a header from three yards (when he should have scored) the ball was hacked to safety. For the final 5 minutes the Vics went 3-4-3 with Stores on for Trimble. The move paid off straight away as from a corner, Washington could not clear their lines and Hunter (like a Bus, wait for one and two come at once) smashed home his second of the game to make it 4-4, and surely give the Vics a share of the spoils.
But in one final twist the Victory contrived to throw it all away by not clearing their lines goal hero Hunter could only clear to the edge of the box and a Washington midfielder smashed a screamer beyond Lordon to give the home side all three points, much to the disgust of Jackson who will expect a far better performance next time out.
