MATCH REPORTS

Games played on: Sat 2nd Jan 2010
1stXI v
Won Score: Home
Scorers:
Report:
2ndXI v
Won Score: Home
Scorers:
Report:
3rdXI v
Won Score: Home
Scorers:
Report:
4thXI v
Won Score: Home
Scorers:
Report:
5thXI v Old Parkonians 8th XI
Lost Score: 2-6 SAL Cup Away
Scorers: Plinston, Nwosu Mike
Report: A game of two halves then. First half 1-1. We played good football right across the park. Pressurised the oppo, didn't give them space. Kept our composure. Created three or four one on ones with the keeper where good chances were not taken. Finally made a deserved breakthrough from a corner kick with Nick P putting the ball in the roof of the net from the six yard line. Would have finished the half in front, were it not for one of those bizarre moments when our keeper cleared only for the ball to bounce off a player, and over our heads to bobble into the goal.

Second half, we started brightly enough. Fashioning a couple of chances, before we got caught out and conceded a goal; outnumbered at the back post when a cross came over. Then conceded another that was again an outnumbered at the back situation.

We got back into things for a few minutes. Nick P about to double his season's tally with a second goal, only for Mike N to take the ball off his toe on the six yard line and blast in. (Don't care how the goals get scored, as long as they get scored). But then we got caught out again. At 4-2 with 20mins to go the oppo were in command and played us on the break with pacy freshly substituted players. In general for the second half our players ran out of energy, and injuries caused problems; both John Murphy and Tommy Attrill playing the last 15 limping, and Lee Hunt struggling with a back injury. Most disappointing thing though is that we lost our team shape and cohesion. Too many big gaps opened in the middle of the park with midfielders not tracking back. Stamina and fitness problems contributed to our breakdown (hint: some of the lads in their twenties need to lay off the pies, and do more mid-week training work!); and substitutions would have definitely given us a lift, but we were only a bare 11.

Taking the positives from the game though: The Parks Captain did say afterwards that the match didn't feel like a 6-2 type game from their point of view. I think we put in an excellent first half performance, and we should look forward to the league fixture later in the season when a chance for revenge beckons.