The first game of the second round put the Mighty Reds up against Marist Casuals. Historically these are close, high scoring encounters. Reds started with a brave Peter Kinnerley in goal, a back 3 consisting of Jamie Wilsher, Mark Allan and Brad Muirhead with Scott Allan playing in front on them. Geoff Smith and Kane Thomas filled the midfield, with Regan Leslie and tarf Pohio wide. Darko Mostarac was in front of them, with Brad Townsend againt playing as striker. Reds took a long time to get going, with Casuals immediatley piling on the pressure. They have 3 players who are their main threats. However Reds either didnt listen to Captain Thomas pre-match or they figured they were good enough to ignore the game plan. For the first 20 minutes Reds couldnt string together 3 passes. Good defence, scrambling at times, managed to see off the onslaught before Reds then started to play. Brad Townsend went for, struggling with a hamstring injury and was replace by James Yates. This saw Pohio pushed up front. Against the run of play Reds were 2 nil up. The first goal coming from an enthusiastic Yates. Smith won the ball and made a nice run, shaping to shot. He spotted (actually, was told) to look to Yates who had pulled his man wide and opened a gap for Smith to slip a wonderful ball through. Yates slotted it home with his left. Mostarac then smashed one passed the Casuals keeper after nice play down the left. There were several more chances that an excellent Casuals keeper kept out.
Halft time was 2 nil. Marty Haywood made a return to Reds colours after a season or 2 away. The talk was to keep the ball and pass it around. Move the bigger Casuals defence around and create space. This was definitley the case in the second half. Reds dominated the second stanza, and but for some great acrobatic goalkeeping could have had another 3 or 4. Reds bombarded the Casuals goal with shot after shot. But, and there is always a but with the team in red, 2 goals against the run of play saw the game tied at 2 all. The first goal came from x in the game, with Haywood being ruled to have brought down a Casuals played, despite X. What followed was unsportsman-like . While keeper Kinnerley was politely enquiring why the foul was given, he was chipped from the free kick. The second goal came from a missed header giving a direct run on to goal, nothing Kinnerley could do here either.
Overall, a draw was probably a fair result. In this reporter opinion it was the worst display seen since a games against Hammers a few seasons back. Also it appears that our game this week v Collegiate 2nds has been postponed. keep an eye on Central Football on this though.
MOM
3- Jamie Wilsher
2- Tarf Pohio
1- James Yates
Mentioned in Despatches
Scott Allan, Mark Allan, Richard Pole, Brad Muirhead, Mike Hogan, Geoff Smith, Tony Clark, Mart Haywood, Kane Thomas
