Ron Le Beau Challenge Trophy Round 2
Lokomotiv Londres FC 3 v Coydon Red Star 'A' 5 (AET)
Keeper Calamities Gift Red Star Victory
Loko lined up with Ismail in goal, Paul, Steve, PJ and Ivan in defence, a midfield of Terry, Dale, Morris, Dave and Peggy, and Roger up top.
The game got off to a rather slow start with both teams finding it hard to put a move together on the boggy pitch, Loko had early pressure and a Terry pull back from the bye line found Dale eight yards out who curled a yard wide.
It was shortly after that a long ball forward failed to be cleared on two occasions by the Loko defence and a looping header landed rather tamely over Ismail into the back of the net.
1-0 soon became 2-0 on the half hour mark when a hopefull 35 yard shot from their midfielder found the top of the net out of the reach of Ismail.
A shell shocked Loko team rallyed together and finally got into the game putting two or three good moves together before half-time with Roger and Peggy getting in behind but we just couldn’t get a clear chance to test the keeper
Half-Time Loko 0 v Croyden Red Star 'A' 2
The second half started a lot brighter with Loko on top and looking more dangerous in attack and more solid in defence, although after a few minutes an injury to Dale forced him into the net with PJ replacing him in midfield and Ismail taking his place at centre back. This didn’t upset things too much and about ten minutes in DAVE (pictured above) received the ball on the half way line, feigned a pass to Roger and turned inside his defender leaving him flat on his heals before keeping a cool head to slot it past the keeper into the bottom corner.
We were now firmly on the front foot and drew level shortly after when Red Star failed to clear a corner and with the ball bobbling around the box ANDY rifled it off the post into the net.
Loko’s heads were up and we should have gone on from there but another hopeful 30 yard effort from the Red star striker, almost identical to the one in the first half, regained them the lead out of nothing leaving us with a mountain to climb and only ten minutes left to do it.
Determined not to go down without a fight Loko picked themselves back up and pressed on again forcing a corner. All the big lads were sent up from the back and the gamble paid off as IVAN got his head to a perfectly placed Peggy corner to level things up at 3-3 with virtually no time left of the ninety minutes.
Loko could have won it when twice Roger went one on one with the keeper, only for the keeper to keep his team in it with two outstanding blocks.
End of 90 Minutes Loko 3 v Croyden Red Star 'A' 3
Heading into extra time Loko definitely had the upper hand, Croydon heads were down. An extra boost of energy came from the stash of Luzozade tablets which Dale had hidden away in the kit bag.
The game was by now a far more open affair, players were looking tired, the boggy conditions under foot were taking their toil. The best chance of the first period fell to PJ who had tracked into the box to pick up Peggy's low centre, at full stretch PJ steered the ball agonisingly wide of the right hand upright.
Extra Time Half Time Loko 3 v Croyden Red Star 'A' 3
The second half started in the same fashion as the first with the game stretched, but no-one was really stepping up to take control of the game.
With about 5 minutes left and with penalties looming, Croydon broke down the left and got in behind, probably for the first time all game, and their winger fired a shot across Dale which he unfortunately fumbled straight to the feet of their striker which he managed to squeeze into the bottom corner despite a last ditch effort from Steve and Dale! Ouch Loko really didn’t deserve to be down 4-3.
Dale changed the formation to 3-4-3 and pushed Steve up front for one last attempt but the final nail in the coffin came on the stroke of full time when the Croydon number 10 lobbed yet another 30 yard floater towards goal and quite astonishingly for the third time in the game the ball nestled in the top corner.
A harsh end to a battling Loko performance.
Extra Time Final Score Loko 3 v Croyden Red Star 'A' 5
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"Not the best performance we've had this season, but not the worst, unfortunately we gave them too much respect and didn't impose ourselves on the game. We gave possession away too easily when we were getting on top. To the next game..."
Team Line Up
1. Ismail
2. Paul K
3. Stefano
4. PJ
5. Steve (c)
6. Morris
7. Peggy
8. Dale
9. Roger
10. Dave
11. Terry
12. Ivan (Replaced Stefano 45th Minute)
13. Andy (Replaced Terry 40th Minute)
Goals
Dave (1)
60th Minute - Rounded two defenders and slotted past the keeper.
Andy (1)
65th Minute - Picked up the ball on the edge of the area and curled in off the post.
Ivan (1)
85th Minute - Bullet header from six yards, from a Peggy corner.
Man of the Match
Steve - A captain's performance again and didn't really put a foot wrong all game, he was vocal, put in challenge after challenge, and people need to step up to his level in order for us to regain our competitiveness.
Match Report by Steve Haley, edited by Dale Mellor.
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