TS UNITS 2 v Darby End Athletic 4
The UNITS entertained unbeaten Div 1 side Darby End Athletic at their new home ground of Wolverley High School A couple of injuries picked up on Saturday robbed us of a couple of faces but we had 13 available and Cuzer set the team up
Mozza, Chinner, Gilo, Clarkey, Jamo, Luke, Azza, Ashton, Jim, Winny & Pountney Subs were Coco & Trigger
On a misty morning viewing wasn't easy early doors but our visitors had clearly set up with a 4-1-4-1 formation to keep things tight early on, however this wasn't to be the case with the UNITS getting off to a flyer and going in front after only 3 minutes. Jim won a fine 50/50 in midfield and played the ball to Winny who slid in Pountney with a superb pass and from 18 yards Lewis finished clinically into the bottom corner to put the UNITS 1 up
Darby End were a young, fit side full of energy but it was the home side showing the added quality as it was fairly comfortable for the UNITS. We almost went 2-0 up inside 10 minutes when Ashton flicked on a long Mozza kick and Lewis got away but elected to shoot early and dragged his chance wide Jamo went close with a header, Ashton should have scored with a header and Lewis again went close as it was mainly one way traffic for the home side but we couldn't get the 2nd goal. Darby End had their best & only spell of the half between the 30 and 40 minute mark and the UNITS found themselves behind On 33 minutes their striker got the better of Clarkey and drilled over a low cross and their lad got in front of Luke to prod home from 6 yards 5 minutes later we found ourselves behind in calamity circumstances when a deep cross found it's way to Chinner on the back stick who under no pressure sliced his clearance some how past Mozza to gift the visitors an unlikely lead Credit to the UNITS we managed to level things up right on half time when the Darby End centre half tried to run the ball out, then tried to play it off Lewis when it wasn't going to carry however he only played the ball to Lewis who cut inside, beat a man in the box and finished low into the bottom corner
HT UNITS 2 - 2 Darby End
Mixed bag of a first half as we had dominated most of it but some sloppy play had given DE a lift and the message was to be more clinical in both boxes
We started the 2nd half like a steam train and pegged DE back, Lewis did well down the left and pulled the ball back to Winny who sidefooted high and wide from 10 yards with a real chance. It was then Lewis's turn to miss a great opportunity, after he was played in by Ashton he went to curl the ball past the keeper from inside the box but placed his shot wide when he would normally bury such chances Azza then raced through and elected to shoot with players waiting and fizzed a 20 yarder just wide 60 gone and it was a tragedy we weren't in front but the longer it stayed level the visitors fancied their chances and with some lively players on the break they asked a couple of routine questions of Mozza who saved comfortably from 2 edge of the box efforts Luke then rolled his ankle on 65 minutes which forced Cuzer into a re-shuffle, Coco making his long awaited comeback from injury with an out of sorts Gilo moving back into the three Shortly after Trigger replaced Jim with Winny moving into the midfield On 80 minutes we shot ourselves in the foot and again gifted a goal to the visitors, Clarkey & Gilo getting into a bit of a tangle in attempting to clear the ball but we couldn't clear our lines and the Darby End midfielder scrambled home the loose ball as we fell behind again With 10 left we threw men forward chasing an equaliser, Jamo again went close trying to lift the ball over the keeper but the ball sailed wide, Lewis them put in a worldie of a cross which Trigger headed wide from 8 yards out when out jumping the defender. Ashton has two attempts watched wide by the keeper and on 88 minutes Darby End caught us on the break, our midfield shape was all over the place and they had a spare man who was played in and finished clinically to snatch a win for the visitors
Ultimately an extremely frustrating mornings work, some nice football played, some clear chances created but some soft defending and inability to do the ugly stuff left us ultimately frustrated as we bowed out of the Hospital Cup at the first hurdle
Man of the match went to Lewis who scored 2 seemed to have the beating of the Darby End back line all morning and didn't deserve to be on the losing side
Next up we return to league action as we take on Harriers Trust at home, Cuzer will be hoping for a few returning faces to give him some selection headaches after todays showing
Mozza 7 Chinner 6 Gilo 6 Clarkey 7 Steve Pritchard (Heath) 7 Luke 7 Azza 7 Jim 7 Ashton 7 Winny 8 Lewis 8*
Subs Coco 7 Trigger 6
