Sunday, February 27, 2011

Match Report: Loko v FC Lonsdale

Sunday 27th February 2011
Friendly

Lokomotiv Londres FC 3 v FC Lonsdale 2

Loko Win Game of Two Halves

The railwaymen managed to get out a full fourteen players by giving debuts to four players.  They all came in and did well and means our squad list raises to a healthy twenty players.  The pitches at Wimbledon Common Extensions were the worst we had played on all season with the only grass out on the wings.


The team lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Ismail in goal, a back four of Marc, Steve, Ivan and Stefano, with Terry and Aaron on the wings and Dale and Diego in the centre of midfield.  James (picured above) and debutant Daniel started up front with three debutants Eudimar, Francis and Greg on the bench.

It was yet again the typical slow Loko start and for the first fifteen minutes we were not in the game, they started the brighter and pushed us back.  With rolling subs Dale made changes regularly throughout the match and this contributed to our shaky first half.

They had a number of attacks in and around the box but failed to really test Ismail in goal, they had a few shots go wide and those that were on target were easily saved.  A ball in from their right winger saw the ball bobble around the area and a clearance was deflected off Marc back above our own crossbar.

After around twenty minutes in Loko finally started stringing some passes together and Dale, James and Diego had some shots from long range that failed to test the keeper.  Then the railwaymen created the chance of the match when James fed Diego, who did likewise for Dale, who attacked the box and fed in Francis, who was one on one with the keeper but failed to get his shot away and the defender got in a last ditch challenge.

Lonsdale came again and were getting the decisions from the referee, who was the same anti Loko ref we had had against Kew Antigua 'C' in Battersea Park.  They won a corner and swung the ball into the six yard box, Steve failed to follow the opposition centre back and he had a free header from inside the six yard box that allowed them to take the lead.

Moments later, the home side thought the equaliser had arrived when after a few crosses into the box, the ball found James on the right side of the penalty area and he floated the ball onto the penalty spot where Francis beat the keeper to the ball and hit the net, the referee again gave the away team the benefit of the doubt and disallowed the goal for a very close offside decision.

Then another great chance came and went when Eudimar slipped a ball into the box, Dale chased and the keeper closed and the former slid and tried to chip the keeper only to see the ball rebound off the keepers chest and land safely at the feet of a defender.

The second arrived, again from a set-piece, as a free kick was floated into the box and their player was again unmarked to flick the ball past Ismail and gave them a two goal lead, which could have been very different.

Half-Time Loko 0 v FC Lonsdale 2

The gaffer decided to change the formation in the second half and sent the team out in a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders protecting the back four and effectively four pressing their back four.  Dale went in goal, the back four was Marc, Steve, Ismail and Stefano, with Eudimar and Diego defensive midfield, Aaron just in front flanked by Terry and James with Francis up top.

The changes worked almost immediately and the railwaymen pressed them back from the start, with Terry finding plenty of space on the right and his marauding runs down the right almost resulted in an immediate result when his ball across the area was stepped over by Eudimar and Steve took a touch but could only skew the ball wide.

Lonsdale were being pressed back but did make the occasional foray into the Loko area and they almost took a three goal lead when their player had a great chance from seven yards out after a penalty area scramble, but Steve put in a great block and Dale came out and parried the rebound wide with his right foot.

Greg had come on five minutes into the half and impressed immediately, he had a great touch for a tall lad and played the lone striker role superbly throughout the second half.  Within ten minutes the game became a contest when Diego was fouled thirty yards out, Terry floated in the free kick and GREG flicked the header backwards into the top corner for a great finish.

Loko continued to press and Aaron, Diego and Eudimar gave them no time on the ball in the centre, and with the two defensive midfielders sitting much deeper they found plenty of time on the ball to work the passes through Greg and into Terry and James on the wings.

The home team deservedly equalised when Diego, Eudimar and Aaron combined in midfield, TERRY made a superb run in off the touchline and was played through one on one and coolly beat the keeper into the bottom corner despite hopeful protests from Lonsdale for offside, which the referee this time waved away.

Almost immediately Loko should have taken the lead when Terry skinned his man down the flank and played a ball back into the area, Aaron controlled first time but could only chip the ball softly into the keepers hands, despite being unmarked six yards out.  Then from a corner Francis headed over when Steve shouted and was attacking the header from a much better position.

The winning goal was worthy of any match on any pitch, when TERRY was fed the ball by Eudimar and he cut inside the defender and hit a thirty five yard arrow into the top corner from the right hand side of the pitch.

Lonsdale created one more chance before the whistle went, when their player latched onto a ball over the top and beat the offside trap, Dale came out and closed the angle and forced the striker to take an early strike which went wide of the post.

The sypnopsis of the game as a whole was that despite creating some good chances it was a poor first half, but was followed by a superb second, which bodes well for the weeks to come.

Final Score Loko 3 v FC Lonsdale 2

Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"It was the usual few changes once again from the week before and another four players making their debuts for the club.  This resulted in a shaky first half where we didn't really get going and despite still creating quite a few chances and having a goal disallowed, we conceded two simple goals and were chasing the game.

The change of formation at half-team worked really well and my two defensive midfielders began to run the game.  Greg made an instant impact and looked composed on the ball and Eudimar had a fantastic debut.  Well done to Francis and Daniel on debut also, who fitted in well and gave composed performances.

Our second half response was a joy to watch and we now need to take this confidence into our league games over the next few weeks and start climbing the table."

Team Line Up
1. Ismail
2. Marc
3. Stefano
4. Ivan
5. Steve (c)
6. Dale
7. Terry
8. Diego
9. James
10. Daniel
11. Aaron
12. Eudimar (Various Substitutions)
13. Francis (Various Substitutions)
14. Greg (Various Substitutions)

Goals
Greg (1)
55th Minute - Terry floated in a free kick and Greg flicked the ball backwards into the top corner.
Terry (2)
70th Minute - Some nice interplay on the edge of the box saw Tel run clear and slot past the keeper.
80th Minute - Terry gather the ball on the right touchline, cut inside and unleased a 35 yard screamer into the top corner.

Man of the Match
Eudimar - He came into the team and put in a very accomplished performance, he controlled midfield in the second half and protected the back four brilliantly.  Special mention to Diego and Greg who both played extremely well in the second half.

Match Report by Dale Mellor.

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