Sportsmans League Division 3
Lokomotiv Londres FC 2 v Putney Ferrets 2
Hutton's Driven Goal Not Enough
It was a bare eleven Loko players that turned up on Halloween morning with our two main strikers, and two of last seasons top scorers, unavailable. We still had a decent team and we set up with a 4-4-2 formation and started the game as we did the week before, passing the ball around really well and camped in their half.
The first chances fell Loko's way when good build up play between Adrian and Rhyce saw a ball into James laid off to Dale who hit his shot about two inches over the top left corner, moments later Terry swung over a corner and found Dale unmarked just outside the six yard box but Dale couldn't direct it down and it also went just over the crossbar.
Vincent was winning the tackles in midfield and Loko were using the wide men well but out of nowhere and on pretty much their first attack we were behind, they attacked with numbers and put the ball into the box, we swung and failed to clear twice, it came through to the back post and they had two unmarked, one shot and Gary could only kick it straight back to them instead of finding touch and they tapped home the rebound.
Loko responded well and were level within minutes, Terry swung over a corner and the defender failed to clear, Steve was first to the loose ball and headed towards DALE who took the ball on his chest, turned and slotted home from six yards out.
Ferrets had their only other shot on target in the first half when their midfielder turned inside and hit a very good drive which Gary did equally as well turning over the crossbar. Ferrets started to get more physical, Dale had a stray hand to the face twice and was taken out from behind on another couple of occasions, then Terry was taken out extremely late and this resulted in the only booking of the game.
Loko had further chances in the first half, Terry was sent away by Dale but couldn't hit the target, Vincent nearly got through three tackles on the edge of their box but a good last ditch tackle blocked his shot and Dale almost got a drive from the edge of the box through but another good slide tackle sent it out for a corner.
The goal did come five minutes before half-time, Vincent found Dale in space in the centre circle, he knocked it forward to Rhyce who slipped a fantastic ball behind the centre back and left back, which TERRY (pictured above) ran onto and had his first shot saved but drilled a fantastic second shot into the bottom corner.
Half-Time Loko 2 v Putney Ferrets 1
With no substitutes, it was a case of keeping the shape and discipline in the second half. Unfortunately, we never really started and Ferrets stepped up their game and this resulted in more play just inside our own half.
They were knocking the ball around well and won a few corners, Loko defended these solidly and tried to get forward when we could with Rhyce providing a good outlet and he was holding the ball up with his excellent ball skills. They had a couple of goal mouth scrambles which saw Dale get in a slide tackle block and then Steve get in a block.
Ferrets continued to be physical and Terry was taken out again, from the free kick Rhyce found Dale on the edge of the box but he could only curl the ball a yard wide of the post, then Rhyce and Vincent worked the ball well and Rhyce got a shot away which was tipped around the post by the keeper at full stretch with a very good save.
Putney increased the pressure and one of their players had too much time unmarked on the back of the penalty area but he could only shoot wide and they headed another corner wide after a good defensive leap to put them off by Chris.
You could see Loko were tiring and they were enjoying the lions share of possession but in the main we restricted them to long range efforts but we failed to do the simple things like hold the ball up front and take our time to get organised, we were rushing things and surrending possession and field position on too many occassions.
Loko were unlucky not to extend their lead when Rhyce had a goal disallowed, Morris played a great ball over the defence, Rhyce beat the keeper to the ball, rounded him and slipped home only to have the goal disallowed for off-side, it was a very close decision.
Their equaliser came with ten minutes remaining and it was another sloppy goal, they had a free kick just inside our half which they floated to the back post, there was no Loko challenge on a player who had slipped his marker and he had a free header from eight yards out, Gary who had started to come but got nowhere near it, was easily lobbed and Ferrets got a relatively soft equaliser.
The last five minutes saw a midfield battle and Loko could and should have won when a Terry corner was headed back across the area by Steve and Adrian had a free header from six yards in front of goal but could only head over the crossbar.
They had a goal disallowed when a glanced header home was called offside by the referee before the ball had hit the net, and there were few complaints with the decision. The last action saw Rhyce jink into the box but instead of pulling the ball back for a tap in, he hit his shot over the bar.
The result on balance of play was probably fair as we shaded the first half then them the second, but Loko had more clear cut chances and again couldn't hit the net enough to kill the game allowing them to come back late in the second half. At least we are creating the chances!
Final Score Loko 2 v Putney Ferrets 2
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"We had some players missing this week but I thought we put up a good showing. We could and should have been further ahead by the break and missed a number of chances to build a lead. In the second half, they stepped up their game and we didn't do the basics well enough, we were sloppy in possession and the shape, which had worked so well in the first half, disappeared as players tired.
I thought we created some clear cut chances and worked the ball around well, Gary wasn't worked too hard in goal and credit goes to the back four for working hard towards the end.
I'm a little disappointed with their goals, we had chances to clear our lines for their first and failed to do so which was combined with us not picking up at the far stick, the second was slack marking again mixed with indecisive keeping, we have to stop making things easy for our opponents, in the space of two seconds from the free kick being taken the man found five yards of space eight yards out, unacceptable.
Let's look at the positives, some good football for sixty minutes, we never looked like conceding apart from a couple of scrambles in the box, and we picked up a good point."
Team
1. Gary
2. Morris
3. Stefano
4. Chris
5. Steve (c)
6. Vincent
7. Terry
8. Dale
9. James
10. Rhyce
11. Adrian
Goals
Dale (1)
25th Minute - A Terry corner was headed down by Steve, Dale chested the ball down and turned to fire home from six yards.
Terry (1)
40th Minute - Dale played the ball into Rhyce who slipped it behind the defender for Terry to chase, his first shot was blocked but he drilled the rebound into the bottom corner.
Man of the Match
Rhyce - I thought he did really well at picking up the ball and not letting go of it, they struggled to get it off him. He was composed throughout and comfortable on the ball, his through ball for Tel was a delight.
Match Report by Dale Mellor.
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