A crisis hit Inhalers team took to the field with only 4 four players, due to the late withdrawls of Joe Plass and Adam Ransom with sickness and injury, coupled with the continued absence of new signing Loz Lawrence. Fortunatley Arhcdeacons negotiation skills meant two new players from a team that had just played were prepared to wear the hallowed inhalers colours.
This at least meant a full team could be fielded against league leaders Kezwaldos.
Ventolin started brightly and from their first attack Dan D beat his man before playing archdeacon through on goal, where upon Archdeacon cooly fired home.
This seemed to shock Kezwaldos into action, their football becoming more purposeful with the number nine a constant danger. What followed was 5 minutes of clinical football from Kezwaldos, playing the ball around and then playing clear, three times they crashed the ball past the faultless BArton in the Inhalers goal. Finishing of the highest order indeed. Ventolin somehow managed to get themselves back into the game and were unlucky when dain played in Archdeacon who saw his shot well saved and Ben who saw his well struck effort tipped around the post. Dain and Archdeacon both had a chance to score when dain cut inside the last defender but couldnt steer the ball past the keeper, in the scramble that followed archdeacon nearly prodded home before kezwaldos finally cleared thier lines. As the half was drawing to a close, Kezwaldos scored their fourth of the game, after more good link up play saw the number 9 finish with precision from a tight angle to complete his hatrick..
The second half started much like the first. Ventolin passing the ball around well, without finding a way through. the first chance of the half fell to Ben who fired a first time shot after a ball from archdeacon, only to see the keeper parry the ball to safety. Kezwaldos then sprang forward at pace testing the inhalers defence to its fullest, with Barton making a number if fine saves and blocks.
It was the Inhalers who scored next, a fine strike from Ben making the score 4-2. Surging forward in search of a fourth goal, Dain made a great interception before fire aimlessly from distance when a swuare ball to Ben could have set him free.Archdeacon also went close after more good work from Dain. Kezwaldos made the score 5-2 with another clinical finish by the number 9. As the game entered the last five minutes both teams continued to attack. Kezwaldos though added 3 more to their score after another fine finish and what can only be described as two of the scrappiest goals seen all evening. The game finished on a high with DAin scoring a superb goal after good interplay with Archdeacon, nothing less than was deserved from a performance full of heart by all.
After the game the inalers changing room was defiantly postive and convinced relegation is far from a certainty with 9 points still to play for.
Manager Tony Dain was happy with how the team performed bearing in mind its temporary line up. We played a really good side, scored three could have had six and now having played with two new players i thought we did pretty well.
BArton was left marvelling at the power and accuracy of the Kezwaldos shooting - his hands and back still throbbing to prove it!
