Sportsmans League Division 3
Lokomotiv Londres FC 3 v London Rangers 2
Three Points For Christmas
It was great to see Lokomotiv with a full squad of 14 players for this last game of 2010, with a first December game for a couple of years. We had a lot of regulars back and had new addition Diego among the substitutes.
Loko started brightly and there appeared to be a spring in the step of everyone, and we were up for it from the first whistle. A few hard tackles from both teams showed the commitment was there to push for the three points, but neither team were expecting the start that the Railwaymen made.
Ten minutes in Loko took the lead, the ball was worked through midfield and found TERRY (pictured above) on the wing, he tried to curl a cross into the box but overhit it, luckily for the home side, into the top corner.
London Rangers responded well and stepped up the pace, they had a long range effort that Dale palmed away to his left and around the post, then another long range effort was tipped onto the crossbar and cleared, but Loko settled and then counter punched brilliantly. Ismail and Chris were working well as a partnership and Ismail was also in the right place at the right time to cut out numerous forays forward by the opposition.
Ivan, George and Rhyce linked well out on the left and the latter chipped a ball over the defender for ROGER to chase, and chase he did, putting the defender under pressure and forcing a failed clearance which allowed Loko's hitman to poke the ball past the keeper.
Rangers came again and from a Loko corner, broke quickly and managed to send their striker through one on one, Dale closed the angle and stood his ground and dived to his right to parry the ball away.
Moments later and the Railwaymen were in dreamland, Dave jinked his way into the box, the ball deflected loose and fell kindly for JAMES who controlled the ball superbly and sidefooted into the bottom corner for a 3-0 lead.
The game then became quite end to end, Rhyce had a couple of long range shots easily saved and they hit the top of the crossbar with a long range effort that went out for a goalkick.
Rangers were being given a lot of decisions by the referee and they were not been given evenly for both teams, as Rangers had three or four free kicks on the edge of the area, but Loko were denied a very good penalty shout when Dave was shoved from behind and then booked for his protests.
Half-Time Loko 3 v London Rangers 0
The team talk centred on keeping our composure and retaining possession as we had let these leads slip in the past, and two changes were made with Morris replacing George and Italian Diego making his debut in place of James, and playing in the hole behind Roger.
The team started well in the second half and Diego look good on the ball in the early moments of the half, he almost sent Roger away but overhit his pass and was comfortably finding his teammates with nice simple passes. Morris also got stuck in and Loko were holding their own with Ismail controlling things at the back.
The referee continued to favour the away team and gave them a string of strange free kicks all throughout our half, while failing to give Roger, Diego and Terry any protection when they were taken out from behind and then told to play on.
It was from one of these free kicks that Rangers pulled one back, and it should not have stood as one of their players backed into Dale as he came for the cross and because of the infringement couldn't get a clear punch on the ball and it hit the back post and went in. Yet again the referee brought out a yellow card for Dale's protestations to confound the man in blacks mistake further.
Loko continued to create chances and their keeper had to turn a drive from Rhyce over the bar, divert a shot around the post from Roger who had beaten his man on the outside and take a diving catch up towards the top corner from a good Diego long range effort. Stefano came on for Ivan.
Rangers were gifted an easy chance when Loko failed to clear, despite numerous chances, and the striker hit a left foot shot which hit the crossbar and went over for the third time in the game.
They then pulled another goal back when another failed clearance found their player in our half, who chipped into the striker and he was able to turn Stefano and drill a ball across the area, which Dale got down and blocked but the loose ball fell kindly for the striker to tap home from six yards.
Roger got in on the angle again but the defender put in a block, and then good work between Terry, Diego and Rhyce saw the latter with time and space in the box but he couldn't quite find some composure to put the game to bed by firing a yard wide when unmarked. At the back Marc was having a very good game and covered the backline really well to stop them creating certain chances.
Yet another free kick from the referee, who by this point had played five minutes after saying two minutes to go, allowed one final ball into the box, which they flicked on and hit the outside of the post for a goalkick, and there came the final whistle for a shaky but priceless three points before the Christmas break.
Final Score Loko 3 v London Rangers 2
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"For 45 minutes it was the perfect performance, then we did our usual panicking in the last 20 minutes and nearly threw the game away, it was a testament to you all that you dug in and ground out the win, when in the past we would have conceded another.
I thought the back four put in one of performances of the year when we have struggled in the past without our captain, it was composed, organised and solid so well played the five of you during the game.
We had a strong midfield and forward line too and it showed, only downside is we need to play a team game and use our heads when we are winning and show a little more discipline to hold the shape and retain possession.
Have a very merry christmas and a fantastic new year, and we'll all take steps forward in the new year to make it a successful one."
Team Line Up
1. Dale [Y]
2. Marc
3. Ivan
4. Chris
5. Ismail
6. Dave [Y]
7. Terry
8. Rhyce
9. James
10. Roger (c)
11. George
12. Morris (Replaced George 45th Minute) [Y]
13. Diego (Replaced James 45th Minute)
14. Stefano (Replaced Ivan 55th Minute)
Goals
Terry (1)
10th Minute - He got the ball out wide, put in a cross which lobbed the keeper and went straight in.
Roger (1)
15th Minute - Rhyce chipped a ball over the top, Roger chased down the defender who failed to clear and he poked the ball home.
James (1)
20th Minute - The ball fell loose in the penalty area, after good work by Dave, and James sidefooted into the bottom corner.
Man of the Match
Ismail - It was his first game in seven months after a bad knee injury, he had no fitness, and he played a full 90 minutes. It was a superb controlled performance, always in the right place at the right time, and it was great to have his positivity back in the team. Very well deserved man of the match.
Match Report by Dale Mellor.
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