The Units took on Top House on a bitterly cold morning at Brown Westhead. Top House faced us on the back of two heavy defeats yet we knew before kick off we were not facing the Top House of those games when two emergency signings were made and they still had a squad of 16 to choose from, later admitting they had drafted in a few from a Saturday side to bump up the quality and numbers!
This was bad timing on the UNITS part as we were the walking wounded this morning, Chinner, Darbs and Pountney all played with knocks as we lost Barney, Kirbs and Marcus from last week with injuries, gaffer Cuzer and the returning Shorty taking places on the bench. We lined up as follows
Mala, Chinner, Lacey, Eggy, Darbs, Ashton, Baker, Coco, Turner, Taylor, Pountney - subs were Jim, Ross, Shorty and Cuzer
However, for the first 15 minutes it was arguably as slick as we have been all season, we tore into Top House who despite the new faces were shell shocked as wave after wave of UNITS attacks opened them up. Coco was having a field day against the hapless full back and he was the first to threaten forcing the keeper into a good save. Straight after Taylor went through one on one and the keeper pulled off a fine save as Taylor went to dink the ball over the keeper, then Pountney got away and had a shot blocked, next Taylor again after great work harassing the centre half blocked an attempted clearance, raced clear, beat the keeper only to slice wide with the goal gaping. Next Turner was picked out expertly by Pountney only to head wide from 8 yards as we dominated yet amazingly couldn't take the lead
THE UNITS were dealt a blow just after the quarter of an hour mark when the excellent Coco pulled up and had to be replaced by Rosco in a like for like
Thankfully on 20 we got the goal our dominance deserved when Pountney swung in a free kick and Darbs up from the back bulleted a header past the keeper to put us 1-0 up
We continued to take the game to Athletico for the rest of the half without them registering a shot on target but they dug in and clearly had some ability in certain areas but all over the pitch the UNITS were working hard, creating chances and generally looking solid it was such a disappointment to come in at HT only 1-0 up as we had deserved more
Half Time Top House 0 v 1 TS UNITS
Cuzer praised the boys at HT for their start especially but stressed at 1-0 they were still well in the game and we needed that killer 2nd goal
Again we started the half well, Ashton had a shot blocked as did Lewis as we again went on the attack
Top House had their first clear chance on the hour mark as from a corner their defender headed just over, whilst at the other end Lewis picked out Turner with a back post cross, he took a great first touch only to see the keeper stick out a boot and divert his shot away as that 2nd goal still wouldn't come
You kind of got the feeling it wasn't going to be our day when from a Pountney deflected free kick their keeper diverted himself to somehow save with his feet when it looked a certain goal
This spurred on Top House who now grew into the game, one of their forwards blazed over when he should have done better and then Mala made a good save low down from a low shot through a crowd of players as they now smelt an equaliser
On 70 minutes Jim replaced Turner and the units shuffled shape yet disaster struck 5 minutes later when Lacey was adjudged to have handled on the corner of the box when it seemed to most to be outside the box yet Mala restored some justice with an excellent penalty save low to his left
However Top House did level on 80 minutes when from a long throw we lost the first header, Mala made the save only for the Top House wide player to steer home from an acute angle
With 10 left credit to both sides as they went for a winner, Darbs had one cleared off the line and couldn't find the unmarked Ashton with the pull back which followed, Pountney was denied by a last ditch tackle when through and the Number 9 from Top House headed straight at Mala from 6 yards when he should have scored
There was still time for Ross to do well and set up Taylor who spun his man only to not have enough on his low shot to beat the keeper and Ashton's 20 yard free kick took a slight deflection off the wall to go over the bar when the top corner looked it's initial likely destination
Mixed fortunes in the end then for the UNITS, we're not used to dropping points and really should have won the game but it's difficult to be critical as we were struggling for eleven fit players and you couldn't fault anybodys work rate or commitment
Man of the match went to Chinner who put last weeks indifferent display behind him with a solid performance at full back
