Wolverley Athletic 6 v 4 TS UNITS FC
So, against all odds, the UNITS began their Premiership campaign away at Wolverley With Si & Coco injured and Jim on holiday Cuzer had 14 at his disposal as we started with Mozza, Clarkey, CJ, Taylor, Ryan, Gilo, Azza, Ashton, Baker, Winnie & Lewis Subs were Chinner, Luke & Trigger
The UNITS couldn't have wished for a better start when we took the lead within 40 seconds, from the kick off a good attack down our left resulted in Gilo having a cross blocked for a corner. Pountney whipped in a lovely corner and Ashton got in front of a static Wolverley defence to put us 1 up Our lead however lasted all of 30 seconds when Wolverley won the ball in midfield poked the ball forward to their striker who crossed low and as all the UNITS hesitated their striker tapped home, 1-1 We then, all inside 4 minutes, found ourselves 2-1 down, a long throw was flicked on and we fell asleep at the back post as their striker shinned one into the bottom corner from 6 yards, poor marking
The opening game of the season is always crazy in the first 20 minutes or so and this was certainly no different, we got ourselves back on level terms inside 20 minutes when Ashton broke into the Wolverley box had a low shot blocked by the keeper with the ball looping up in the air and Pountney was on hand at the back stick to volley the loose ball home, 2-2
Wolverley have a lot of new faces from last season and look a better side, they were causing us problems up top, a combination of us allowing them too much space and the pacey forward working the line, twice he went close whilst at the other end Winnie hit a blinding 30 yard volley which was only inches wide
Wolverley edged in front with a real howler from the referee on the half hour mark their midfielder hit a good shot from 25 yards, their striker yards off side and stood bang in front of Mozza, he ducks to avoid the ball which whistles into the net yet the forward, clearly interfering and in Mozza's eyeline is ignored by the referee and the goal stands, woeful decision and 3-2
Disappointingly this knocked the stuffing out the UNITS and we stopped playing, Wolverley now had their tales up and they missed another good couple of chances before a Ryan pass was siezed on and their striker was released to score 4-2 and right on halftime we again afforded both strikers too much time and space in our box as the initial shot was saved by Mozza but the rebound was prodded home to put Wolverley 5-2 up
There was still time for Lewis to turn a low cross from Ashton goalwards from no more than 3 yards and somehow their keeper trapped the ball on the line between his legs to rob us off a goal we badly needed as we came in 5-2 down at HT
HT Wolverley 5 v 2 TS UNITS FC
Half time chins were down and a few were feeling sorry for themselves as we really hadn't played in the first half and now faced an uphill task to get back in the game. The message was to make it harder for Wolverley on the ball and have some more belief in our own game when we had it, no changes were made and we kept the same shape
Wolverley went close very early on in the 2nd half but then the UNITS took over, the home side making a strange substitution up top which meant the ball wasn't sticking and the UNITS were now having the lions share of possession. Azza went close from distance as did Ashton before on 55 minutes Azza whipped in a free kick and Winny did well to get in front of the keeper and head home to make it 5-3 Baker then had a re-occurrence of his knee injury and was forced to withdraw with Trigger coming on as the UNITS re-shuffled
Wolverley had just stopped playing and despite carrying the threat of the ball over the top to the pacey striker it was all UNITS 65 gone and we made it 5-4, Winnie did well in the middle of the park and laid the ball square to Ashton who took a touch and unleashed a pile driver from 25 yards giving the home keeper no chance as it whistled into the top corner, game on Finally the belief was with the UNITS we could get something out the game, Trigger then rounded the keeper when played through by Azza, he was clipped by the keeper but went to ground when he could have stayed on his feet and stroked the ball home, the referee judging the contact to be minimal and gave no penalty Clarkey then volleyed over from 20 yards before the home keeper spilled a routine shot, Lewis had his follow up shot cleared off the line and Winny's follow up shot was blocked by the defender at full stretch as we came within a whisker of an equaliser
Tayls then released Trigger from the back and as he raced clean through he was hacked down by the Wolverley defender, only a yellow and the UNITS denied a clear chance at goal On 80 minutes Chinner replaced Clarkey in a like for like swap
With the UNITS now gambling men forward Wolverley had more of a threat on the break, CJ did well to hack the ball off the line from one effort before their striker did well to lob Mozza and was unlucky to see the ball come back off the post On 88 minutes Trigger came within a whisker of leveling things up, he found himself one on one with the keeper in the box, on his left foot he made good contact but the home keeper parried his shot away. We then went close from a corner before on 93 minutes with all bar CJ up the pitch for the UNITS the home side broke from another UNITS corner and used the spare man well as he took the cross and beat the retreating man on the line as the home side wrapped up the victory 6-4 with the last kick of the game
All in all naturally disappointed to lose the first game and can't help thinking if we dug in better at the end of the first half we would have got something out of the game against a much improved Wolverley side from last season it has to be said
Man of the match was close between Winny & Ashton with Ashton just getting the nod for his 2 goals and an assist as well as his all action display in midfield
Next up it gets no easier as we take on early league leaders and arguably title favorites Oceans FC
Mozza 7 Clarkey 7 Gilo 7 CJ 7 Taylor 7 Ryan 7 Azza 7 Baker 6 Ashton 8* Winny 8 Lewis 7
Subs Trigger 7 Chinner 7
