First things first, the selection process was thrown into crisis made when Stefan Moore and Fizz Rogan who were included in the 15-man squad for the Kent Junior Cup game were called up to the first team, and the reserves were dealt a further blow by injuries to Sammy Maloney, Harry Barber and the absence of Paul Votier.
Lanes End, an opposition residing in a division above Tudor Sports Reserves, hail from Dartford, Waller Park, and were as up for it as the visiting blue army.
The Gaffer G.Wright set up with a 4-4-1-1, with Friskey and Hallam resuming their partnership after promising signs last week of some cohesion, with Elliott Wright returning to midfield, being ordered as a secondary striker as well as captaining the team for the first time this season. In Billy Jolley the blues had natural width and Jordan Hay offering both excellent support to midfielders inside as well adding to forward play out wide too.
The back line was selected with a tried and trusted approach as well as bringing Alex for his first competitive start for the 2s at left back, the entire back line being 6 foot-plus offers excellent reassurance in tough away fixtures.
The visitors started the better team, a team that with the first half-a-dozen touches banished all memories of that bitter taste of defeat of last week and looked to pop the ball around whilst making some very dangerous runs, this was a team attempting to atone for last weeks application and give the gaffer a great 50th Birthday present.
Jordan was offered a free-role out wide, a begrudging winger, who showed his maturity beyond his years by giving one of his most effective performances so far by committing the defender when he could as well as offering sound protection to Alex the debutant.
Not surprisingly the Blues carved some good opportunities, the pattern was emerging that if Nick and Sam could get a foothold on the ball, in spite of the dodgy surface, if they could move the ball wide quick enough in this small pitch Sam Cormack would not be so isolated and Elliott and Sam would be targets for Jordan and Billy, a few half-chances came and went in the first 15 including an excellent Billy Jolley header from a Friskey corner.
With all of Tudor's endeavour they were caught out by a risk taken by the centre midfielder for Lanes End, who hadn't had a sniff of the ball up until that point, the ball fell kindly to him after a Tudor clearance and a speculative lob saw Reiss clamber back to his goal only quick enough to see the ball loop in over his head.
One Nil Down, but no-heads-down, Tudor were dominating and this suckerpunch only galvanised our approach and increased our efficiency, individuals became more aware of their duty to the team, and raised their game 10%, this was perfectly epitomised by Billy Jolley, a player renowned for mercurial talent, who dips in and out of games at his whim, but the Jolley that turned up this week, was more precious with the ball and possessed a steely determination that saw him use excellent vision to cut in from the left, barely in the opposition half, roll the ball delicately out of his feet and fizz a cross-field pass that teased the full-back to committing out of the back line to clear, only for the balls pace to carry it beyond him and land squarely in Jordan Hay's path, testament to Jordan's growing confidence out wide and instinct to attack. Jordan did not need a second invitation to eat the yards up, taking the ball to short of the byline and thrash the ball, low, hard and across goal. A lively Sam Cormack dragged his marker around all game and this was why, he took him near post only to dummy for the on-rushing, unmarked Sam Friskey to finish the excellent team move.
1-1 was the least Tudor deserved. The blues were playing against a team who were now learning that Tudor were not a team to be taken lightly and subsequently raised their game, half-time came around shortly after the goal Tudor were very much on top but at 1-1 it was all to play for.
The team talk was simply an order for more of the same, a more prudent and less cavalier approach was needed but the Blues needed to channel their energy into clever runs and ensure Cormack wasn't run ragged.
Although it appeared that the Blues' central midfielders seemed constantly in possession it was rarely without pressure from the opposition and anything gained from an forward pass had been earned and worked for, Nick, Sam and Elliott will all agree that every ball was contended for fiercely on the centre of the pitch, and half of the effort was trying to keep the ball on the floor, the pitch was hard and offered the most horrid of bounces.
Lanes End continued to pressurise, trying to keep the ball in the air with at least 7 players well over 6 foot, this was clearly their game plan, if that was the case, Tudor were Lanes End antithesis....quick, hard-working, proficient and intelligent moving the ball from wing to wing in just two or three passes consistently caught their defence off guard, and if it were not for a questionale linesman then Sam Cormack would be celebrating his hat-trick.
Tudor showed that they were up for the battle, and experience began to set in, even with the younger players, the knowledge of Stansfeld's 120minute stalemate and the feeling of disappointment still resonating, the Blues would not be content with a draw. The gaffer's hands tied with two substitutes to use, the game being so tight, he had to keep them fresh in case extra-time crept in.
In a frenetic period, the visitors bombarded the home team's goal with set-pieces, long throw, as well as carved chances, and the hard work paid off, when a solid Jordan Hay met a Connor McInally, by a darting run near post, helping the ball onwards to back-post over the 'Keeper, looping over the 'Keeper called for his defender to set it off to him, but the super sub got it all wrong, and put too much on it and put it in the back of the net.
2-1, it was an own goal, and if it was not for the excellent effort put it by all, this may have marred the performance.
Tudor had a quick internal reshuffle with Elliott Wright swapping with Nick Hallam to offer additional aerial support to the back line as Lanes End had predictably added to their forward line in a reaction to the late goal, the Blues comfortably held on, the euphoric feeling of winning again set in with every single Tudor player coming off with a smile on their face.
Frustratingly yet very positively Lanes End have been one of the better oppositions played this year, who could have won this game on another day, the Blues did not have this their own way, and as mentioned any slick team moves were achieved by pinpoint perfect weight of passing and movement, as the pitch's condition and size did not encourage any extra touches and running with the ball was out of the question.
All of the players knew they were in a game, whilst not overly physical, Lanes End were no mugs and were not willing to lie down and respect the better team, making the win a lot more sweet.
G.Wright has been particularly generous in his ratings this week and has awarded Alex Alton his MOM, and although others were given the same rating, in the context of the importance of the game and nature of his introduction there will not be any complaints!
A quick mention to the referee, who was not only very fair and calm throughout but he also squared up to a little div fella on the line, who called him a Turkish C**t, but then very quickly lost his asshole when the ref stuck it on him. Excellent stuff.
