Sportsmans League Division 3
Parklife 'B' 1 v Lokomotiv Londres FC 4
Kavanagh Lands Double Knockout
It was a cold September morning that greeted the team at Raynes Park Playing Fields for our second league game of the season and Loko were hoping to kick start their league campaign. There was a strong squad of thirteen players and the manager had some decisions to make after a strong showing the week before.
The start was mixed for Loko, we looked alright going forward but were struggling to organise ourselves in the middle of the park and gave them too much space through midfield. They were playing the ball around quite well without ever really penetrating the back line.
The Railwaymen took the lead after twenty minutes and it started with Aaron, he took the ball down the left and laid it into George, he crossed the ball and the defender tried to head clear but it skimmed towards the back side of the area where Dale had gambled and took a first time shot which was mis-hit across the area eight yards out and JAMES (pictured above) stuck out a leg and diverted the ball home for a one-nil lead.
More pressing by Londres almost saw a third goal when Aaron put in a long throw and Steve rose highest and headed goalwards but the ball rebounded off the post and within seconds a good counter-attack from Parklife resulted in them pulling a goal back. They broke at pace and got into the box, Dale put in three blocks and challenges but the ball fell loose to their player who ran across the edge of the area and curled a very good shot past a diving Gary into the bottom corner to reduced the deficit.
This spurred Loko into life and when we finally started playing we could have killed the game off before half-time, Dale played the ball into Roger and went for the return which arrived nicely for him to play a first time ball through the defence to find the perfect run from George who waited too long to get his shot away and the defender got the block away.
Then Dale managed to slip another ball through moments later and Adrian was one on one but the keeper made a good save and deflected the ball for a corner. From the corner the ball went through to Roger at the back post but he couldn't get enough power on the shot and the keeper somehow scrambled the ball off the line to deny a very good Loko chance.
Loko finally got their rewards when Aaron attempted a cross from the left which deflected up high to the back post and JAMES outjumped the defender and the keeper to nod home from six yards out. It was just rewards for a solid if not spectacular half. Towards the end, Parklife got a favourable bounce in the area and their midfielder hooked the ball wide and this served as a warning for the second half.
Half-Time Parklife 'B' 1 v Loko 3
Dale was upset with certain individuals not taking responsibilty for their own mistakes and made his feelings known at half-time that the performance was effective, if not outstanding. Terry replaced Adrian on the right wing and Morris came into midfield replacing Stefano with Vincent to right back.
It was a better start to the second half and the defence continued to stay strong under a small bout of pressure after half-time, Steve was his usual commanding self and Ivan was solid in his challenges alongside him, Vincent and Aaron gave us good outlets at full back and Gary didn't have too much to do in the second half but he grew stronger as the game went on and commanded his area well.
If anyone was going to score it looked like being Loko who created a few chances again in the second half, Morris played Roger away down the left and if he had looked up Terry was alone in the middle but he choose to go alone and the keeper made an easy save on the angle. Dale then played Roger away down the middle, this time he rounded the keeper and drilled a low shot which robounded back off the post for the second time in the game.
Loko eventually added a fourth after sixty five minutes but the keeper won't have been happy, as AARON took a free kick from twenty five yards out and the keeper came to collect but let the ball slip through his fingers and across the line to complete the scoring.
Morris was moved to right back with Vincent coming central, as the former was unable to hold his position and kept leaving massive gaps down the middle. The opposition had a couple of long range free kicks and efforts at goal but none of them were on target and it was Loko who nearly added a fifth when Dale closed down the defender and got in down the left and tried to pull the ball back to Roger but he played the ball too far behind him and the chance was lost.
Terry also chased down a lost cause, kept the ball in and put in a delightful cross towards the back post but the defender just managed to deflect the ball away from an umarked Roger and he saved a certain goal.
The whistle blew on a decent performance and our season is finally up and running. The team did the usual warm down but some people thought they were above this and sat there whilst the rest of the players took part.
Loko are a team and the manager expects every player to warm down from now on without exception. If players are able to complete ninety minutes, they can do the warm down and the manager doesn't want to hear excuses.
It was a good win to take the Railwaymen into a two week break with the teams next fixture taking place at 10am on the 10th October against London Rangers in the Bert Gaby Challenge Cup.
Final Score Parklife 'B' 1 v Loko 4
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"A very mixed performance today, we went through spells where we played the ball around and created some good chances, but at times we panicked and gave the ball away when we should have been slowing the game down and controlling proceedings.
I've notice a number of players recently blaming others when they do things wrong and this has to stop, start acting like men and take responsibility for your own actions, people need to stop arguing with me and others when we point out areas you can improve during a game, it is for your benefit and will help the team.
It would help if players start listening to instructions because at times certain players are doing the same things time and time again when they have been told not to, if this continues I'll make changes to the squad, so i'm looking for an improvement in peoples attitudes in the coming games, you have been warned.
On the plus side we are creating lots of chances and could have had a lot more goals if our finishing had been better. Let's practise our shooting and at some stage we will hammer someone off the park if we keep playing like we have been this season. Only one defeat and we should have had something out of that one as well."
Team Line Up
1. Gary
2. Stefano
3. Aaron
4. Ivan
5. Steve (c)
6. Vincent
7. Adrian
8. Dale
9. James
10. Roger
11. George
12. Terry (Replaced Adrian 45th Minute)
13. Morris (Replaced Stefano 45th Minute)
Goals
James (2)
20th Minute - The ball went down the left and George crossed to the back post, Dale mis-hit a shot across the area and James poked home.
40th Minute - Aaron had a cross deflected off the defender and James rose highest at the far post to head home.
Own Goal (1)
30th Minute - Adrian got down the right and curled a ball in behind the defence, it cleared back to him and he did the same again and the defender beat Roger to the ball but deflected past his own keeper.
Aaron (1)
65th Minute - Aaron curled a free kick into the box and the keeper couldn't grab it and let it slip through into his own net.
Man of the Match
Vincent - What can I say about 'tights boy' this season, he is putting everyone else to shame with his brilliant work rate, passing ability and pretty much everything else. Another performance that everyone else should be aspiring to reach. Special mention for George who had his best game for us yet and James who has come back into the team after a couple of years and has fitted back in brilliantly.
Match Report by Dale Mellor.
No comments:
Post a Comment