Match Report - 1st XI v The Warren

Match Report: The Warren 1-1 Old Stationers

We came into our third league game of the season high on confidence after recording maximum points in our first two fixtures. This week we had the task of travelling down to Beckenham in the search of three more points against a decent The Warren side. As the train boys arrived and were getting changed we received a heart-breaking message from the car boys that they were stuck in bad traffic and we were going to have to start without them.

With 9 men and not even a ball to warm up with, it’s fair to say our pre-match preparation was not ideal. We spoke about being solid in our starting 4-3-1 formation, to frustrate the opposition until our late arriving players could make the numbers even. We managed to hold onto 0-0 until Elsey and David turned up and brought us to a full compliment. Unfortunately, soon after, Phillips hammy gave way and Brad came on giving us just the bare 11 for the next 70 mins or so.

It was a struggle to assert our passing football having been in the mindset of frustrating the oppo in the early stages. It took us a while to click, but once we did we scored a goal of real quality. Some intricate passing around the box got Seany in behind down the right. He stood up a lovely ball into the box and Elsey leaped like a salmon to plant a header into the bottom corner. The rest of the first half was very tight with nothing really to mention apart from an awful tackle on Brad, which on another day could have seen the oppo reduced to 10.

We have struggled this season so far with getting going again after half time. Unfortunately, it happened again and we allowed ourselves to get under heavy pressure in the opening stages of the second half. The pressure eventually told and Jacko was left helpless in goal after a fine finish into the bottom corner from just inside the area. The rest of the half was like a game of chess, with both sides cancelling each other out and a few bookings dished out by the no nonsense ref. That was until the last 5 minutes when the game became unbelievably end to end with both teams searching for a winner. We missed a host of chances, that with a touch more composure should have been taken. Something for us to work on.

Ended 1-1 full time. The feeling after the game was one of frustration as we knew we could have been better, but in the grand scheme of things a point at The Warren could be one we look back on at the end of the season as a good point.

Highlight of the match was Power calling all the Warren fans melts and them responding with a ‘Look at the belly on him’ shout. Classic.

Weirside away next week, a ground where we performed very well in a double header last season. #COYS

MOTM: Ronan – solid on his return to the side