Match Report: Loko v Valtaro Wasteels 'B'

Sunday 6th March 2011
Sportmans League Division 3

Lokomotiv Londres FC 1 v Valtaro Wasteels 'B' 3

Lack of Discipline Proves Costly

A cold spring morning greeted the players at Raynes Park with the team missing our two main strikers from the cup match two weeks before.  We had a full fourteen and played the same 4-2-3-1 formation that finished the previous match.

The team was Catalin in goal, back four of Marc, Steve, Chris and Stefano with Dale and Eudimar defensive midfield.  Terry, Aaron and James were pushing forward from midfield with Greg up top by himself.  Diego, George and Daniel were on the bench.

It was a slow start from Loko and the team were second to most challenges and failed to find any fluency in their passing early on, the team were pressed backwards but Valtaro were only able to get some long range shots on target early on, which were easily dealt with by Catalin.

The opposition should have took the lead when the ball was floated to the back post, Stefano was ball watching and his man pulled away and headed back across goal, the ball was then chipped back in from the other side and their player missed a free header from two yards.

Loko struggled to get forward and too often the front four were guilty of giving the ball away needlessly when in space and the ball kept coming back at the defensive midfielders and defence.  Loko had a few forays into their half and around the box but a couple of long range shots wide were all we had to show for things.

Loko 0 v Valtaro Wasteels 'B' 0

The team talk was that the shape would work if we played it correctly, Diego came on for Stefano and George replaced James.  The gaffer tried to rally the players but the mood of the squad was rather subdued.

Loko started the second half of the match superbly and spent twenty minutes pinning them back in their half, with the formation now working as we went four on four at the back.  Dale won numerous headers and tackles in and around their penalty area and Loko almost got lucky on a couple of occasions with goal mouth scrambles but the ball just wouldn't fall kindly.

Steve had the back four working well and they put paid to any breaks from Wasteels, and Loko almost scored again when a Diego cross was headed a yard past his own post for a corner by the defender at the near post.  Then from a Terry free kick, Dale chased it down and slid in front of the keeper but couldn't make contact with the ball which was always a yard too far ahead.

Daniel replaced Marc and moments later totally against the run of play in the second half, Valtaro were ahead when Diego failed to pick up his midfield runner, who got goalside and slipped in the striker to score an easy goal and give them the lead.

Unfortunately for Loko, heads dropped and the team were devoid of leaders to get everyone going again, Steve and Dale tried but too many people had almost given up and they now started to attack at will.  The second came from a debatable penalty decision as Chris was penalised for holding from a corner kick, the opposition admitted after it was not a penalty, and the player sent Catalin the wrong way.

The formation was changed to 4-4-2, with Daniel going up front and Dale dropping into centre back but the midfield were not now tracking back and they had men over on Dale and Steve time and again.

The third was a four on two break and the numbers told when Dale challenged in the box the ball bounced to their player, who their own players said was offside after the game, and he had an easy time finishing into the bottom corner.

Loko scored a consolation when George got down the left, played the ball into GREG who turned on the edge of the box and hit an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net from the edge of the area.

Valtaro tried timewasting towards the end and players from both sides lost their discipline and tackles and words were exchanged and the referee blew his whistle early to stop anything further developing.  The referee had not had a great game and the Railwaymen were on the worst end of his decisions yet again.

Final Score Loko 1 v Valtaro Wasteels 'B' 3

Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"I'll be honest, I'm very disappointed with some players attitudes.  It's hard enough managing 14 players to begin with but when many of your decisions are being questioned continually, it is a pain in the arse.  If I played everyone where they wanted to each week I'd have eight attacking players and sod all defenders.

The team comes first and some people need to realise that.  This team have some fantastic players who will play wherever they are asked without grumbles and I can't thank them enough.

The match itself was disappointing apart from the twenty minute spell after the break when we showed some desire, but once the goal went in the lack of fight and spirit was evident and we needed some big personalities which we just did not have.

Let's keep going and try to play with a smile on our faces, no matter where we are asked to play."

Team Line Up
1. Catalin
2. Marc
3. Stefano
4. Chris
5. Steve (c) [Y]
6. Dale
7. Terry
8. Eudimar
9. Aaron
10. Greg
11. James
12. Diego (Replaced Stefano 45th Minute)
13. George (Replaced James 45th Minute)
14. Daniel (Replaced Marc 55th Minute)

Goal
Greg (1)
80th Minute - The ball fell loose on the edge of the box and he drilled it over the keeper and in off the underside of the bar.

Man of the Match
Steve - A captain's performance at the back when too many others were having an off day.  He was solid and put in tackle after tackle.  He was one of only a few that kept trying to the end.

Match Report by Dale Mellor.