The UNITS returned to league ways this morning traveling once again to Lea Castle to take on, this time, Sporting Hagley
Cuzer was without Si Hollick, Ross, Ashton & Acer from last week as we lined up
Mala, Chinner, Gilo, Taylor, Barney, Baker, Newt, Coco, Pountney, Azza & Ginge
Subs were Stefan, Kieron, Trigger, Rad & Eggy
Cuzer had set the units up with a system to exploit the width of the pitch and to encourage them to pass the ball and we certainly started on the front foot with Hagley penned back in the early exchanges. For the UNITS both wide players were finding space and having the better of the Hagley full backs, Azza was also finding space and he had the best early chance on 10 minutes when he dragged wide from 18 yards
The UNITS were playing some lovely stuff on a fine pitch, the balance of the side was good and despite Hagley being competitive the flow of the game was constant towards their goal, Ginge was causing all sorts of problems with his work rate up top and one sharp turn in the box resulted in a fine last ditch tackle preventing a certain goal
On 15 minutes the UNITS were dealt a blow when Chinner pulled up with a hamstring strain and was replaced like for like by Eggy
20 minutes in it was somehow still 0-0, Coco was then inches away from opening the scoring when Pountney once again roasted Jonny 10 men at full back and whipped in a low ball which coco came in at the back stick only to prod wide at full stretch
On 30 minutes we really should have taken the lead, again some lovely passing resulted in Ginge playing in Azza who found himself clean through only to stroke past the keeper but agonizingly inches wide of the far post
Taylor then headed just over from a corner as the onslaught continued and then on 35 minutes the UNITS came even closer when Baker ran from midfield before rasping a 25 yarder which beat the Hagley keeper all ends up only to cannon back off the crossbar
Mala was a total spectator for the first half, not having a save to make yet despite their dominance the UNITS came in 0-0 at HT
Cuzer couldn't fault the lads for taking their instructions on board and playing some fine football in the first half all that was lacking was the deserved lead however at 0-0 Hagley always remained in the game so the UNITS needed to put away some of their chances
The 2nd half started the same with the UNITS playing some good football and asking questions of Hagley on a regular basis
On 55 minutes Newt was the next to threaten when after some slick football around their box Newt had the ball at his feet, he skipped round his man only to fire high from 15 yards and the Hagley keeper parried the ball in the air and saved the rebound on the line under pressure
Hagley then had their best and only clear chance of the game so far, on 60 minutes their wide player got in behind Gilo and Mala did well to parry away his low shot which was desitned for the bottom corner
The UNITS then had two more good chances, Ginge getting to the byeline only to see his near post shot blocked and then Azza fizzed in a low shot which was hacked away 6 yards out with the keeper well beaten
The UNITS thought their superiority was to finally count on 70 minutes when after more good build up play Ginge received the ball to feet in the box, turned his man and was hacked down, Taylor stepped up but from the spot his low penalty was clawed away low down by the Hagley keeper
The UNITS then were forced to make their 2nd change when Barney feeling a tight hamstring was replaced by Stef again in a like for like swap
Taylor did have the ball in the net with a header from a Pountney cross on 75 minutes but the flag was raised with Tayl's a yard the wrong side of the defender
As is often the way with football on 80 minutes Hagley snatched the lead, a long diagonal ball was played in behind Eggy, the Hagley winger got the better of him and laid off the ball to the onrushing midfielder who curled a fine finish into the bottom corner past Mala
Cuzer then replaced Ginge with Trigger to add fresh legs for the last 10 but such was our dominance we kept the same shape and hoped another chance would come
It did almost instantly when Baker again picked up the ball in midfield and rattled in a 25 yarder, beating the keeper all ends up and again it crashed back off the crossbar
Coco then had a shot blocked and Pountney whizzed a ball across the 6 yard box as the UNITS threw everything forward in search of an equaliser
We thought it had come right on 90 minutes when Taylor who had stayed up top was played in, just inside the box, he held off his man and drilled the ball across goal Trigger ran onto the cross and side footed home to give the UNITS a deserved share of the spoils....or so we thought, a ridiculously late flag was raised by the Hagley linesman a good few seconds after the goal, the goal for all the money looked onside but the referee sided with the linesman, much to the UNITS disgust as our deserved level was questionably chalked off
FT Hagley 1 v 0 UNITS
Couldn't fault anybody today, we passed the ball well, worked hard and had 80% of the game and chances but were punished totally against the run of play and hampered by some questionable decisions. How Hagley have managed to get 6 points off us this season is a mystery but we dust ourselves down with 3 more games scheduled in over the next 7 days including a cup Quarter Final to come
Man of the match was a close one between Ginge, Taylor, Gilo and Baker but Baker again gets the nod after another fine game in the engine room
