Sportsmans League Division 3
Invictus 0 v Lokomotiv Londres FC 4
Disciplined Play Gains Rewards
Everyone turned up on time, barring another no-show from one of our players who has now been suspended for two games. It was was great to see everyone changed and warming up twenty minutes before kick off.
It appears that Dale has found his calling and went in goal, a back four of Paul K, Ivan, Ismail and new player Stefano. Five in midfield, with another new player Morris playing defensive midfield with Dave and Thomas just in front, with Terry on the left wing and Peggy on the right. Roger went up front by himself to lead the line.The game started scrappy and Loko kept their shape from the off, put tackles in left, right and centre and made it difficult for the Invictus to play the ball through us. Dave had an early shot which went well wide and Peggy and Terry kept getting wide looking for the ball.
Loko took the lead when Roger was slipped in behind the defender by Dave to shouts of offside, ran through on goal and drilled in a low shot that rebounded off the keeper into Thomas's path and he powered the rebound into the open goal.
Invictus responded well and forced a period of sustained pressure, the back four with an average age of around 40 were coping well and Stefano inparticular fitted in superbly and kept putting in the tackles and held the shape well.
Invictus finally had a chance of note when their forward cut inside two challenges on the left hand side of the box and went one on one with Dale, hitting a low shot towards the keepers bottom left hand corner, but Dale dived quickly to his left and parried the ball out for a corner with a strong left hand. Then from the resultant corner their player leaped highest and header the ball down towards the bottom left corner of the goal only for Paul to clear the ball off the line.
It was against the run of play that Loko got their second, Terry won the ball out wide and knocked it into Roger on the left wing, getting taken out completely by their player in the process, the referee played a good advantage and Roger ran his man and went one on one on the angle and hit the top right corner which gave the railwaymen a bit of breathing space.
Pretty much straight after Loko extended their lead, when new boy Morris won a fifty-fifty in midfield and knocked the ball to Dave who played in Roger down the left and he produced an identical finish to his second.
Invictus to their credit, kept coming and had a few high balls into the box that were being won by Ivan and Ismail, as they had all half and they hit a few shots over the bar which Dale had covered. Everyone had battled well and if you win the battle the football will take care of itself.
Half-Time Invictus 0 v Loko 3
The half time speech from Dale was to keep the disciplined shape and marking and to keep communicating, and to ensure we keep it tight for the first fifteen minutes after the break and give them no reason to get their hopes up.
The second half was a very scrappy affair with both teams running out of steam as the half progressed, Loko sat back for most of the half and continued to play to Dale's tactics. We were very solid all throughout the park and they were having to go wide more and more as there was no way through the centre.
Invictus managed to create their first decent chance of the half when they got in behind Paul one on one from the angle but Dale got down well and blocked the ball with his body and Ismail (pictured above) was once again on hand to clear the rebound. Another player skipped across our box past three players and hit a shot that Dale got down to parry and Ivan cleared the resultant loose ball. They also had a few shots wide or over the bar which were not much threat.
Peggy and Thomas were doing well when we counter attacked and Roger was running the channels as they slipped balls in behind towards the corners, resulting in Roger winning numerous throw ins and corners around their penalty area. From two of those corners, Ivan was a fraction short of winning a header six yards out only to have it taken off his forehead at the last minute.
The killer goal came when Dave and Roger both tackled and won the ball in midfield, the loose ball found Thomas who held it well and spotted Roger's turn and run through a gap in the defence and slipped him the ball. Roger held off the challenge of the defender, and rounded the keeper to the left and calmly placed the ball home for a brilliant hat-trick.
Invictus continued attacking and had a couple of free-kicks just outside the box that were easy for Dale and they had another one on one from the angle that Dale again got down and blocked with his legs, the ball rebounding against the striker and out for a goal kick.
The referee blew his whistle and Loko had won the game through great shape, discipline and a willingness to match the opposition ball for ball 110%.
Final Score Invictus 0 v Loko 4
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"A great performance from every one of the eleven players who turned up, we were disciplined, held our shape and put in our tackles and we fully deserved the three points against very good opposition, who will be there or thereabouts in our league.
The two new lads were great and settled in quickly and we had Tel and Peggy back after missing last week. A couple of players are back next week so things are looking up.
Well done everyone."
Team Line Up
1. Dale
2. Paul K (c)
3. Stefano
4. Ismail
5. Ivan
6. Morris
7. Peggy
8. Dave
9. Roger
10. Thomas
11. Terry
Goals
Thomas (1)
20th Minute - Roger broke the offside trap, drilled a low shot the keeper could only parry into the path of Thomas.
Roger (3)
30th Minute - Ran through from the left hand wing and hit the top right corner.
35th Minute - Identical goal to the first, from the left wing and hit the top right corner.
75th Minute - Roger turned the last defender, rounded the keeper and scored.
Man of the Match
Dale and Roger (Joint) - Being manager I cannot give it myself, and my choice would have been Roger for deadly finishing, but Ivan said I must nominate myself jointly for my saves in goal so his wishes have been followed. To be fair everyone was in with a shout this week and could have got the vote, well done all.
Match Report by Dale Mellor.
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