Match Report: Red Star United v Loko

Sunday 8th November 2009
Sportsmans League Division 3

Red Star United 4 v Lokomotiv Londres FC 1

Slow Start Sets The Tone Once More!

Loko turned up on time again which was good to see and we were out on the pitch in plenty of time for kick off. The team lined up with Ismail in goal, a back four of Paul K, Steve, Ivan and Stefano. Dale and Morris were both defensive midfield with PJ just in front, Peggy and Terry took the wings with Roger up front in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Dave, Thomas and Marc started on the bench.

It was a decent first five minutes where we pressed the ball and created the first chance when Peggy floated a free kick into the box and Steve got there ahead of his marker but could only head over the bar.

It took another five minutes before Red Star took the lead, with a low shot at goal which was blocked by Steve, the ball popped up into the air and their striker outjumped Ivan in the six yard box and headed the ball over Ismail in goal, it was a very sloppy goal to concede.

Loko then started to force the play but were jumping in all over the pitch and were being left behind and the defence found themselves under more and more pressure. It was against the run of play when PJ played the ball through to ROGER (pictured right) who ran through on goal, rounded the keeper but was forced wide, he turned composed himself and curled the ball past two defenders on the line via the keepers palm into the bottom corner and that was goal number eight of the season for the Rogster.

Shortly after and the heading curse struck again, a floated ball to the back post saw their smaller player outjump both Stefano and Ivan, who never left the floor, and head home again from inside the penalty area, we need to learn to jump for the ball because if we wait for it to fall we will lose the header everytime and they got two of the easiest goals imaginable this morning.

Within minutes it was 3-1 and to call it comical doesn't come close, an easy chip into the box from the edge of the area saw Ismail shout 'keepers' then not come, the defence stop and two of their players got goalside and one of them sidefooted home from six yards out. It was the third gift of the half and even though they had had a lot of possession in and around the box, Ismail had hardly been tested but three gifts saw us well behind.

Morris who until this point hadn't been the presence he had in earlier games, got stuck in and made some good challenges and tried to get the team going, it almost worked when Roger got in but the keeper saved and Terry did his man on the touchline, it was crying out for a pullback but Tel only found the keepers arms, it should have been better. Peggy and Dale were putting challenges in all over the park but the formation hadn't really worked and the gaffer had some thinking to do.

Half-Time Red Star United 3 v Loko 1

Dale replaced Ivan and Morris with Dave and Thomas, telling them both to play attacking midfield with Dale in behind and PJ dropped into the back four alongside Steve, so the formation was now a 4-1-4-1. It was a strong team talk by the boss who wasn't happy with the commitment and continual lack of discipline by the team, we needed to stop jumping in as this allowed them to ride the tackle and pull other players out of position in order to cover, and we needed to follow those men back when they played one two's and carried on their run.

The change worked with Dave and Thomas getting stuck in with any through balls, being picked off by Dale behind. Loko started to press and enjoyed a lot of territory in the second half in the Red Star final third. We finally started to compose ourselves and after neat interplay between Dave, Dale and Peggy the ball found its way to Roger who turned his man and made the keeper make a full stretch take away to his left.

Red Star got a little rattled and made numerous fouls and continually complained to the referee about everything, it was a bit too much as they were a decent team and should have got on with things. As time went on and Loko pressed forward we were always susceptable to the counter attack but a stretched defence managed well with a few last ditch tackles.

Loko should have been back in the game when Roger got in behind the defence to the left hand side of the box, turned back inside and floated a lovely ball to the back post, where Terry and Thomas were waiting. Terry was stretching that little to far and headed over an open goal when if Thomas had called he could have chested in from two yards out, it was a lack of communication that meant the chance disappeared.

Marc had replaced Paul K on the hour and played really well when he came on, putting in some great tackles and minutes after Terry's miss he played a ball into the edge of the box which came back to him and he put a pinpoint ball into Roger down the centre who was one on one with the keeper, he drilled it and the keeper was nowhere near it but it cannoned off the crossbar behind for a goal kick.

Unfortunately Thomas was playing to high up the field and Dale and Dave were having to cope with being outnumbered in the centre, then the typical thing happened after Loko had had two chances to set up a grand stand finish, a goal against the run of play saw a shot by their striker which was going wide, hit both Marc and Stefano and send Ismail the wrong way. It summed up our second half, better battling, shape and possession but we were not clinical in front of goal and unlucky when it mattered.

After the fourth goal went in they had a lot of possession in and around our box as confidence drained and hit a few shots wide of goal. It was disappointing to lose the second half when Ismail hadn't had to make a save bar the unlucky deflected goal.

We were second best on the day but if we had been more clinical with our very good chances and had not given away three sloppy goals in the first half it could have been a lot closer. The deflected shot just rubbed it in.

Final Score Red Star United 4 v Loko 1

Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"There are only so many times we can start a match in this fashion before it sinks in that we need to be on the ball from the very first whistle. People were drifting and not playing the positions I asked them to, Morris in the first half was too high, PJ was playing more as an attacker and should have been sat in front of us. In the second half it started well, but again Thomas drifted too far forward and didn't provide the support both myself and Dave needed in midfield. We have to listen to instructions.

Despite this I thought the commitment was better in the second half and I was pleased with our possession and the territory we enjoyed in their half should have yeilded more results, we got into good positions in and around the box but lacked that final ball. As always communication should have been better, especially between Ismail and the back four and if Thomas and Terry had communicated it should have been a much more respectable scoreline.

It's the cup next week so lets go into this with some confidence and play the whole way through like we did in the second half, where we might not have enjoyed the best of the possession but we had the clearer chances, as opposed to shots from the edge of the box that was all they managed. Heads up and lets START strongly next week."

Team Line Up
1. Ismail
2. Paul K
3. Stefano
4. Ivan
5. Steve (c)
6. Morris
7. Peggy
8. Dale
9. Roger
10. PJ
11. Terry
12. Dave (Replaced Ivan 45th Minute)
13. Thomas (Replaced Morris 45th Minute)
14. Marc (Replaced Paul K 60th Minute)

Goal
Roger (1)
20th Minute - Roger got goal side of the defence, was pushed wide but turned and shot wide of the keeper who got a hand on the ball but it trickled past two defenders on the line into the bottom corner.

Man of the Match
Steve (pictured right) - Captain's performance at the back, made numerous fantastic last ditch tackles and blocks and showed he was up for the fight. Honourable mention to Peggy for his excellent workrate and Dave for his willingness to get involved in the battle when he came on.

Match Report by Dale Mellor.