TS UNITS 2 v 3 Netherton Colts Snrs (AET)
The UNITS were at home again this time in the cup as we took on Div 1 outfit Netherton Colts Snrs, with the visitors only suffering two league defeats to date we knew it would be a difficult game The situation wasn't helped by the late drop out of Azza and we lost Leon from last week due to injury but we still had a strong enough squad as we lined up Mozza, Clarkey, Chinner, Tonka, Gilo, Baker, Coco, Jim, Ashton, Lewis & Trigger Subs were Si, Luke, Ryan and Winnie
The opening 10 minutes were even, the UNITS were passing the ball well and the visitors a little more direct but you could see they carried a threat The games first clear chance fell to Pountney when he found himself with space in the box but very unlike Lewis he could only shoot at the keeper who blocked the shot and the NCS defence cleared the danger On 15 minutes we fell behind to a sloppy goal, their wide midfielder deep in his own half knocked a 60 yard ball which evaded Chinner and Gilo and their striker got a couple of yards on Tonka before firing superbly across Mozza into the bottom corner
Within 5 minutes the UNITS were back on level terms, a free kick was only partially cleared and Ashton hooked the ball back into the danger zone and Tonka rose highest to head the ball down and past the keeper For the rest of the half we moved the ball well and remained in control of possession, the big criticism was our build up play was a little one paced meaning NCS could get bodies behind the ball and nullify our threat all to often Jim and Trigger combined well before Trigger chose the wrong option and shot tamely wide of the near post with Jim screaming for the pull back then Pountney whipped in a great cross which was just over the head of Trigger as we pushed for the lead but the best chance of the half fell to the NCS striker who was clean through but could only shoot wide as the sides came in level at HT 1-1
UNITS 1 v NCS 1
The message was to try and play a bit wider and with a bit more urgency and the game was there for the taking
It was the visitors who started better and for the first 10 of the 2nd half had the lions share of possession but Mozza was only called into action once saving comfortably from a long range effort Jim then played Lewis in with a great ball but Pountney's took the ball on his chest but over ran it when clean through and the keeper pounced on the ball, a real chance went begging On the hour mark Winnie replaced Trigger and shortly after Ryan replaced Jim This resulted in a change of shape and it seemed to have worked instantly when Coco's initial corner was cleared back to him this time, on the run, he whipped in a deep cross and Ryan did well to volley past the keeper from the tightest of angles to give the UNITS the lead
This time there was no reaction from the visitors as we played arguably some of our best stuff of the season for the next 20 minutes or so, chance after chance came and went and we just couldn't get the killer 3rd. Winnie had started lively and had two chances, both inside the 18 yard box, the first shot wide and the 2nd blocked. Then Chinner played a 1-2 and elected to shoot early which the keeper saved comfortably. Coco was having much more impact out wide and had the full back on toast, he put a great cross in for Ryan who had his header saved and then in a carbon copy of the move Winny's header from Coco's cross beat the keeper but hit the crossbar Coco then cut inside and took on one to many when the shot was on
On 70 minutes Luke replaced Lewis with Ashton moving further up
It was all UNITS, Baker was having a great 2nd half as was Coco and the visitors had stopped creating you just wondered whether our inability to get the killer 3rd would cost us It certainly seemed not as with 47 minutes on the clock we were still leading and under little threat but NCS won a free kick some 40 yards out and sent the big men forward a big long diagonal ball came in, we competed for the ball well but a lucky ricochet dropped perfectly for their substitute who somehow had found loads of space in our box and he made no mistake past Mozza to level things up, against the run of play, deep into injury time
FT UNITS 2 v NCS 2
So into extra time we went and with all subs being made it was the same 11 who went back out The first 15 of ET offered few chances for either side, the visitors were playing better now, Mozza making one decent stop low down from a pull back whereas the UNITS were looking a little leggy. At the start of the 2nd half Winnie picked up a needless 2nd yellow for an altercation with the NCS goal keeper and left the ref with little choice but to send him off. The UNITS had to re-shuffle but we were doing OK and you couldn't see a goal coming but with 5 left we failed to learn our lesson when we conceeded another free kick in a dangerous area as the ball came in Clarkey went to clear but somehow the ball came off the side of his head and the ball looped past Mozza into the corner, a freak OG but one that gave NCS the lead The UNITS now threw men forward chasing the game, Baker and Ashton had half chances and Ryan headed into the side nettting but somehow the UNITS had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and bowed out of the cup
Man of the match went to Baker who played superbly when we had our purple patch in the 2nd half and didn't deserve to end up on the losing side
Next up the UNITS take on Namaste Tigers back in league action
Mozza 6 Clarkey 6 Chinner 6 Gilo 7 Tonka 7 Baker 7* Jim 6 Ashton 6 Coco 7 Lewis 6 Trigger 6
Subs Winnie 6 Ryan 7 Luke 7
