This game was always going to be a bit of a Pay back time for Chadwick especially after they fought back so well in the Cup Quarter final 3 weeks ago.
We had some positive news with Dean coming back and Charlie stepping in goal but we also lost Stacey Wes and Lettsy and so we had to set the team up differently. putting Joe into Right Mid and and bringing Tom into Midfield.
Jason won the toss and we opted to play against the slope first half and boy did it tell, No excuses we were poor first half and once they scored the first they could smell blood.
We huffed and puffed not really creating anything meaningful allowed them to play and never really got into our game.
I said before kick off lets take the game to Chadwick, Yes they had made changes and there were at least 5 players we didnt recognise from our last encounter. (oddly enough their first team didnt have a game) hmm anyway we have to beast what's in front of us. So we managed to nick a goal back just before half time which settled us a bit and we went into Half time 4-1 down.
Now at half time I told the lads not to go out on a whimper and to fight this half get an early goal back and we are in the game again.
Let's be honest we have set a standard now that I have not yet seen us dip below we dug a reult out here 3 weeks ago with a number of players missing and there was no reason we could not do the same.
I mean we have a good aquad plenty of good individual players and in our first season we have exceeded my wildest expectations already with a cup final place in the bag.
So we went out second half and were much improved. I made an early change and bought Stevie into Midfield and although Tom was doing well breaking play up we lacked any creativity going forward Steveie came in and did tha for me and played a lovely ball out to the left for Sam to deliver a great ball into Ash who got between two defenders and buried it. 4-2 game on.
After that we pressured well they threatened a couple of times all of which Charlie dealt with comfortably and handled the ball extremely well I thought on a very greasy wet surface but he did us proud.
Our third goal came from the ever industrious Matty Chinn, What an engine that lad has up and down the line over lapping Sam making last ditch tackles and i dont care if it was a cross he hit this shot from full 25 yards out and over the keeper into the top corner a great goal. The beleif came back then in spades and we piled the pressure on. This really was a game of two halves and then the controversey.
It came from our attack the play broke down and a ball was played up from Chadwicks defence up between Gav and Dean. The striker was in an offside position and went toward the ball, Dave flagged however the striker stopped realising he was off side and the ref did not react. In fact I am not even sure he realised Dave was flagging and a lad broke from Midfield picked the ball up and squared it and the lad finnished it well 5-3.
we of course did ourselves no favours and committed the cardinal sin of appealing and stopping play. However we were robbed and It did piss me off but hey ho we move on.
So there it is our first defeat and it does not sit well to be hinest I like winning the team likes winning, who doesnt but we have to learn. We have to understand we have a squad all players are important without the squad th three players who are regulaly there would have caused us nightmares and we may have been really battered with say only 10 men etc.
That is why when other players get there chance in the team they have to take it, They have to make it difficult for me and Dave to select, For example Steveie has been excellent all season but has started the last three games on the bench. Matty Haycock is pushing for a place and Dan Brown has not featured in a couple of games but will do over the coming weeks.
So there you have it boys the famous saying "it is not how you start the campaign taht is important it is how you finnish it" we are still in touching distance of Chadwick awith a game in hand. We are away to Midland Rangers next week and I wantthe rot stopping before it can start a win there will take us into the Xmas break nicely and we can look back on a very successful First half of the season campaign.
Its up to us now boys lets take heart from the second half performance and go into next week with renewed confidence. Let's train well on Friday and focus on moving the ball quickly and creating space for each other, and when we meet Chadwick again at our gaff we will have our revenge . Well done yesterday lads unfortunately it was a first half to forget but a second half of promise.
