Report

So here we are to continue with our good start to the season on a bright fresh late October day.

Team selection today was easy, mainly due to the fact that 6 of the squad were unavailable for various reasons. We were helped by 2 of the reserve players joining us but at the last minute one of those was not available due to illness. So, not much chance to vary things if the game is not going as required.

The shortage of players meant that players were required to play in unfamiliar positions, Jonesy at right back, Aaron at left back, Joe Skillman in goal (although not strange to him, he hasn’t played there for a few years), Lewis in holding midfield and we were also helped by the late inclusion of Steve Baker at centre half.

The opposition had had a reasonable start to the season having lost just one game so a potentially tough game.

Game started and we were on the offensive straight away. We were moving the ball well and a shot from Mickey, from a Joe Wills pass, and another from Mickey from an excellent cross field pass from Jonesy in the first 5 minutes was to set the tone for the 1^st half and in fact the game.

We were continuing to dominate play but without an end result then on 13 minutes came the 1^st goal of the game but to the opposition, the ball was won and they pressed down the right wing the ball being crossed low into the penalty box and their no. 9 came and met the ball and side footed it into the goal.... GOAL 1-0 to Wilderpark.  The goal was against the run of play, were we were about to rue not taking our chances.

After 20 minutes it was obvious that we needed to convert  one of the chances we were creating and I mentioned to Jack Tebbut that it looked like one of those days when not matter what you did you were not going to score.

We were creating chance after chance but balls into the six yard box were not being converted into goals.

Wilderpark although competing for the ball were not making any real headway in the game and we still had the upper hand without the end result.

The half time whistle blew and we were still 1-0 down.

I decided  to change the team around with Steve Baker moving into a more attacking midfield role and Lewis dropping back to centre half with Craig playing the holding role.

The second half started as the 1^st had finished with us pushing forward.

A thru ball from Danny (46mins) found Mickey who shot from 20yds just past the post.

On 48 mins an Aaron free kick was to get thru to Steve Baker who headed wide.

Then on 52 mins a great ball from Jonesy found Mickey whose header didn’t get the goal our play deserved.

We continued to press and on 67mins Danny went on a run with the end result being Joe Willis shooting at the goalie. Then on 70mins a crossed field ball from Danny reached Mickey but again no end result.

After 75 mins I decided to go 4-4-2 so Lee Williams was replaced by Dan D’Rosario with Steve Baker pushing up, Aaron and Danny moving to wide right and left respectively with Craig and Mickey thru the middle.

This change gave us a more attacking option and we continued to press with Joe Willis missing the chance to put us level on 81 mins.

Now, today was the day when anyone could have gone in goal based on the number of shots the opposition had at our goal, in fact Joe Skillman could have donned his smoking jacket, read the Times newspaper and sipped a small brandy based on the times he was bothered in the game. In fact with 85 mins gone he had had only one shot in the whole of the 2^nd half. Still, as things go ‘’If it ain’t your day, it ain’t your day’’ when on 89mins Wilderpark managed to get forward and a shot from fully 25yds flew over Joe’s head and into the roof of the net. It was that sort of day.

Full time whistle went Wilderpark won 2-0.

The only negatives from the game were the fact that we didn’t score from the many chances that we created and the bookings for Mickey and Lewis.

Overall, I thought we played well, all the players playing ‘out of position’ didn’t look  ‘out of position’, well done..... and on another day, with a little bit of luck we would have won comfortably.

So, Man of the Match..... difficult... defensively we were sound, midfield we were competing although at times we still stood and watched the 2^nd ball... attacking, lots of chances but none converted. Good performances all round but on the day for his good work in the 1^st half as the holding midfielder and then for his usual stability at the back, he just edged it from Danny, Mickey and Jonesy....vote goes to Lewis Turner.