This one deserves a report, for memento's sake, the absent players, and the other club members. As we have been billed more every neutral as the best footballing side in the league we have fell down against the lesser teams and put the better ones to the test.
Well none, statistically come better than unbeaten Fleetdown Utd, who we were the only team to take any points from them before last week.
The reserves have been in fine form since the return of Shaun Wilkin as well as the re-alignment of Adam Gonzalez and Sam Head and the settled place of Martin Giltinane, this is dovetailed with the support, as well as pressure on the forward position and increased reliability in attendance from Sam Friskey and Lewis Wright, i.e G.Wright has been able to call on at his whim his most desired eleven in 2012 and it has shown.
The year started with Fleet Leisure home victory in which we billed 6 goals with Martin bagging a hat-trick and us setting the tone for 2012, followed up by a professional 3-0 toppling of Orpington away to take us into the Lydd Town quarter final competing for places and high on confidence, winning that away increased spirits further, and with news that Fleetdown dropped another two points on the very same day we believed the tides of luck and fortune began to turn our way.
This set up the 28th January as a do or die game, win it, and we can edge closer and increase pressure on the front-runners and become within touching distance should they slip up. Lose, and we become an also-ran and place our hopes on a speculative semi-final match.
With three unavailable from the starting eleven from Lydd, and still no Nick Hallam or Harry Barber, it was a tough gig for the gaffer but Fizz and Elliott had been knocking on the door of a start for 2 weeks and got the nod to cover Sam Head and Sam Friskey respectively, Jason Mabbs got the call up to play between the lines in place of Robbie who was deputising for Lewis out wide.
The starting line-up:
Reiss
Shaun Fizz Adam Connor
Jordan Elliott (c)
Jolley Mabbsy Robbie
Martin
Subs:
Joe Catchesides, Danny McClintock, Jamie Hearn.
It is unlikely Fleetdown would have expected Tudor Sports to believe in themselves as much as was palpable on Saturday. They probably thought even with the odd defeat in the future, they are too far ahead, and the Blues having lost cheaply, there's an inconsistency in our play, they'd steam roll us.
This was not the case, the scene was set, we have set our targets for a 100% record for 2012, with 3 wins behind us we were in good form and team camaraderie was at its peak. The pitch was not the best but dimension wise there was enough to get the opposition stretched and turned.
We started very well, not as effective in the previous weeks, but we felt our way into the game comforatably and adapted pretty quickly to their direct game. It was clear how they were so efficient on a Saturday, a core of 5, 2 huge CBs, 1 large CM, 2 big forwards up top. This team could play when given the chance, and bully when not. Some of the young teams in the league would have lost their games within the hour.
As usual with so much possession our creative players cutting frustrated figures as the end product of a goal seemed to elude us in the first 20, Robbie Linstead getting behind in the first moments for a strike to rattle the side netting, with Jordan Hay's volley smashing the woodwork and subsequent TWO rebound strikes from Robbie and Mabbs getting blocked heroically. We pressed and we pressed it was clear Jason Mabbs was not needed in the midfield with Jordan and Elliott, he was extremely effective closer to Martin , and had the chance to roll in Elliott, a third man runner around the penalty spot but ended up overshooting his touch and making the wrond decision, a slight seed of doubt was growing the longer the half wore on with the ref making some strange calls against us and some scares from speculative long-balls.
The forwards were cute in getting in the refs ear and the half hung in the balance, the strikers were clearly very smart, they quickly established the Reiss was heavy-set and carrying a bit of weight, quite where that comes into it I do not know but when they weren't moaning they were calling him fat. Needless to say none of them scored. Or even looked like they would.
It pains me personally to say that two isolated mistakes could have cost us the chance to hound Fleetdownin the league to the end, but pleases me no end to say all is well and that we bounced back.
Their centre half and skipper was used as an aerial threat, naturally, where possible and although he lacked true technical ability he was a threat. An innocuosly positioned throw in was awarded in the Tudor third, and he was sent up, Shaun on toes, Elliott aiming to win the ball. The throw was launched in and the skippers collided, and the ball skipping off both their heads found itself in the near post corner with Reiss helpless to stop it. It was a real kick in the teeth as possession wise we had the upper hand and carved out some nice opportunities. This was punishment for not playing at full throttle and making them worry about us, Jolley was isolated and Connor slightly more cagey than normal. 1-0 down . Early enough in the game to rectify, nobody panicked, it was a pleasure to see our confidence.
Tudor reacted excellently with some nice passages and a patient reaction, however on a routine pass back to Reiss, Elliott had assumed he would be passing to the full back Shaun and had made a movement to show for the ball from Wilkin straight away, in doing so, when Reiss opted to go back in side and clear it the ball landed at Elliotts marker, 30 yards out, he tracked and challenged but the shot was hit early with Reiss way out of position we saw a poor effort go in pretty much the centre of the goal. The worst had happened, undeservedly 2-0 down against a ruthlessly rigid side, who have only conceded 3 goals in a game once this season.
The half time came quickly after and criticism was constructive and motivational from the management, heaping hope on our belief that the way we play is enough to beat any side.
We came out, steely and resolute, it was clear some players had taken it upon themselves that they were not going down without a fight, balls started falling for us more, ref's decisions etc were going the pressing visitors way and we extracted every morsel of positivity from any unforced error by the home side and set up camp in their half. This is not arrogance, this is a fact.
Billy Jolley went searching for the ball, Jordan Hay realised he had the beating of his marker defensively and began making his man worry about his running, his passing, his tackling not the other way round. It only took a marginally successful overlap from Shaun to encourage more from Connor who was an excellent outlet all game. Jordan began stretching his opponents by using the full backs whilst Elliott stayed central. Together there was an aerial safety net , Fleetdown, clearly used to winning their aerial battles were losing, and what we didn't win, Fizz and Adam read well and swept up, sweeping up any hope a long ball would normally have.
The possession was so plentiful it is difficult to pick out moments that we carved them open, here or there, it is fair to say it was a bombardment of half chances and near misses from 45-60 mins.
A, what began feeling like routine, team move found Mabbsy wriggle away from his marker back to goal, turn to face, feint, drop the shoulder and hold the ball long enough for his new strike partner to peel off into a semblance of space , perfectly weighted to take easily, Jason popped it to Giltinane who was left of the goal and at the edge of the 18 yard area, did his trademark draw the markers and opened his body up to put away a fine finish at an excellent time.
Rallying cries from all over the pitch, hearing only the Blues, signified we were on top and they knew it.
Around 65 mins, having been absent from training and matches for 2 weeks Elliott Wright (c) was substituted, and assured centre back Danny McClintock was brought on.
We continued to press, Fizz now in centre midfield showed some excellent gamesmanship in drawing fouls and winding the opposition up. And the introduction of Danny added another positive voice who had been a spectator and witness of the positive attributes of the game.
McClintock an assured passer found himself using the full backs when he could, and this was the opposite of how Fleetdown liked to be played. We stretched them and stretched them, and both Mabbs and Giltinane were wise to it, gaps being left in midfield were exploited by both forwards in tandem, one staying one going, drawing CBs out of position, laying off and using Fizz or Jordan to get the remaining defenders turned, by the time Fleetdown could react all three creative midfielders, Jolley Mabbs and Linstead would be in swift support of Martin.
Everybody could feel the game turning, it was clear lady luck looked on us, as Jason Mabbs found himself in a pocket of space, shimmied to the left, feinting to shoot, doing it again, gaining further yards, and swinging a left foot at it 20 yards out, the ball flew off his foot heading far left corner, it appeared to move and die in the ear fooling the excellent keeper who had overshot his leap and saw the ball amble underneath him. It was by a long distance Mabbs' worst effort on goal of the game and it found itself as the equaliser. 60 odd minutes in.
Impact substitutions were required to heap pressure on a folding opposition. Joe Catchesides had to wait longer than Jamie Hearn, who was brought on for Robbie at left midfield at around 70 minutes. Joe coming on for the last 10 to add a different dimension to Jason.
Jamie worked hard off the ball and was rewarded for his patience, sliding Martin in cutely round the corner on two occasions, and it was his cross-field pass that overshot the box from deep to find Shaun Wilkin on the overlap, who needed no invitation to shoot , drilling it low hard and fiercely, miraculously it was blocked by a defender on the line, the block however was not effective enough as defense. The ball span off his shin, taking all pace off it, with everyone's eyes on the sublime drill, and now all eyes on the ball, it was a race to this ricochet, a race Martin won by smashing the ball home late on to seal the victory.
For the last few minutes , Joe Catchesides offered running in the channels to hold on to the ball and Jordan marshalled the centre superbly. Jamie gave great protection to a tiring Connor, and Jolley did the same the other side. We compacted up, and ensured the ball was kept preciously and in the right areas.
This was an assured performance lacking in nothing but more goals. It was mature, patient, inspiring, and in itself proof we can beat anybody, the negatives in conceding were mistakes, mismatches and bad luck, but we made our own through hard-teamwork and a cohesion that roots from the social connection we all share.
Superb to play in. Superb to watch, Saturday's game was an example of how football should be played, disciplined strategy, disciplined towards opposition, disciplined behaviour and with a massive smile on our faces.
Bring on Orpington
