A cagey match between two rival Premiership teams was edged by Bike Track Cosmos who came back from behind to secure an important 2-1 victory and effectively end Zion's hopes of regaining the title this season.
A poor start from the Zion players saw the Cosmos dominate the opening exchanges. The passing wasn't at it's normal levels of fluidity, and the movement was also lacking. Zion were somewhat fortunate not to conceed early in the match, with Bike Track missing several chances and some assured goalkeeping from Steve Winter keeping the scores level. Rare glimpses of creativity occasionally looked promising for Zion, but they found space hard to come by in the packed midfield of the Cosmos and therefore never got into any passing rhythm. Bike Track looked good in possession without creating clear-cut chances, a combination of good blocks and tight tracking and marking kept the scoresheet blank.
Zion's start to the second half looked more positive with some neat passing moves in advanced positions. The game however, then reverted to it's previous state and passing moves became sparadic and uninspiring. Bike Track threatened on several occasions with their quick counter attacks, creating a far superior amount of chances. Most of their efforts were off target, and Winter was more than equal to the others. Midway through the second half it seemed Zion might spring a smash and grab, when Tommy Powell raced through to give them the lead. Tony Dain's pass was nicely weighted into the path of Powell, who's finish was emphatic. Bike Track looked to respond quickly and were given a hand with their efforts. A misplaced pass across the face of goal left a three on one situation in the Cosmos' favour. They were efficient with the opportunity creating an unmissable tap in for their forward who leveled the scores. Bike Track built on the impotess they had created and put Zion under lots of pressure with some good attacking play. Unfortunately it seemed Zion players were hiding and the multitude of options a player in red normally has on offer was just not there. As a result passes were forced or rushed and mistakes were made. Despite this the Lions seemed to be withstanding much of the Cosmos pressure. That was until the 35th minute. A corner was played to the edge of the area where the Cosmos striker managed to create a shooting angle. Winter seemed to have the shot covered until the ball took a slight deflection off the foot of David Jones, lifting it over Winter's body and into the net. Zion looked to get back on terms but their efforts were not successful and Bike Track Cosmos could celebrate the fact that they were still in the title race with leaders The G.A. Zion however, require a series of unlikely results to get themselves back in the hunt.
Manager Tommy Powell took some time to emerge from the changing rooms at Stanley Deason. Before the press conferences you could hear the fury in his voice as he vented his anger on his mis-firing players. The smash of tea cups and the crunch of studded boots against the firm walls must have been ringing in the ears of Zion players. Powell greeted the media in a far more reserved manner as he promised the fans that performances would improve, "It's been a little dissappointing the past couple of games. There is something not quite right. We need to improve and will be working to just that in the run in to the season. The title is now a long shot, but if we concentrate on finishing the season on a positive note then we might find that we can be in a position to capitilise on any slip ups by the top two." Tony Dain felt that the result was harsh on his side, but fair, "We weren't good enough today, our passing was sloppy with far too many mistakes. Bike Track played well and we accept that our performance fully merited the defeat." Steve Winter was glad to back between the sticks after a lengthy spell in the treatment room, "It's good to be back, it's just a shame that we didn't play well today and lost. It would have been nicer to be on the winning side on my return to the side." Zion will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Rogue Traders next week.
