Sportsmans League Division 3
Worcester Park Rangers 4 v Lokomotiv Londres FC 2
So Close to Victory Yet So Far...
Loko started well against Worcester Park Rangers with a confidence that belied their league position, it was first against second bottom but anyone watching would have thought we were top of the league and they were second bottom.
Rangers couldn’t cope with our positive play and we took the game to them and after fifteen minutes Steve took a free kick which was picked up by DAVE, who played a one-two with Morris and was clean through on goal before chipping in a left foot shot past the oncoming keeper.
We continued to take the game to Rangers but were continually been hit on the counter attack through the midfield area. It wasn't long before Dale passed to MARC (pictured above) who dashed down the wing and his long range cross/shot went in the top corner via the post and cross bar, stunning goal and a two goal lead for the Railwaymen.
They almost got a goal back after a lot of pressure but their striker at the back post fluffed his lines and a mixture of Ismail making a good save and frantic defending got the ball clear.
About ten minutes before half time their winger got down the wing and got in a cross far too easily and a lapse in concentration by our defence let the unfittest player on the pitch, nip in and score a close range goal to pull them within one.
The rest of the half was closely contested but Loko were just about on top.
Half-Time Worcester Park Rangers 1 v Loko 2
Despite Loko being up at half time, we didn’t capitalise on this and take the game to Rangers. The manager sent the team out in the same 4-4-2 formation and asked for more of the same in the second half, and to enjoy being ahead against the league leaders, pointing out that we had scored 25% of the goals they had conceded all season in one half.
For the first twenty five minutes of the half, despite still playing a 4-4-2 formation, Loko struggled to gain ground in the opposition half as they launched various attacks at the Railwaymen to get themselves back in the contest. The defending was steady and we restricted them to only a back post header which Dale, who had gone in goal in place of Ismail, got down to push around the post.
Unfortunately, Stefanio picked up a bad knee injury and had to switch with Marc and go out on the right wing.
With little threat going forward from Loko, Rangers created a succession of chances when they curled a yard wide of the top corner, Steve miskicked a cross and Stefano deflected his clearance just past his own post and then after Dale saved a low shot they hit the underside of the bar and the ball bounced to Marc who made an excellent clearance.
There were now only twenty minutes left and with players tiring and Rangers getting closer to an equaliser, Dale brought Morris back into midfield to shore up the gaps and stop them creating more chances.
When they nearly scored from a header at the back post that had gone out of play, Dale argued with the referee after he had relied on a linesman that was twenty yards behind play, but avoided a yellow card after agreeing to get on with the game.
They equalised shortly after when a goalkick was headed back at the defence and their player was on his own on the edge of the box and his shot looked to be going wide but hit the post and bounced in.
The third followed almost immediately when they broke in numbers and the ball into the box saw two players unmarked in the middle of the penalty area and the one slotted home into the bottom corner. When someone questioned the defenders marking, Dale lost control and pointed out four of our five midfielders further up the field watching play when they put the ball into the back of the net, when they should have been tracking their midfielders back.
This resulted in Dale and Dave arguing over tactics, and Dale wrongly lost control of his emotions and had clearly had enough for the day. He should have left it until after the game but continued to be angry throughout the remainder of the game arguing with their players and questioning his decision to keep on managing.
Loko were struggling as the outburst from the manager had upset a couple of players and we were trying to get our shape back. Loko then started to play for each other despite what had happened, took the game to Rangers but after a Loko attack Rangers broke quickly and cut through the defence, and scored a fourth.
Despite being let's say emotionally challenged, Dale managed to punch a clearance away from the striker who would have had a free header eight yards out and got down full length to his left to save a drilled shot from the edge of the box. Loko could have pulled a goal back when a good move resulted in us hitting the post late in the second half as we finally mounted some pressure in the Rangers half.
Despite what took place in the last fifteen minutes and being 2-0 up but losing 4-2, in the last ten minutes we really played for each other and gave Rangers a hard game, this considering we only had eleven players and three good players had pulled out the night before. Dale left immediately after the game to calm down as he decided it was best to say nothing at all, rather than start arguments with the any members of the team.
Worcester Park Rangers 4 v Loko 2
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"First up, I let my emotions get the better of me, and this should have waited until after the game or possibly the following week. It was wrong to react as I did but these things sometimes get the better of us, especially when we are let down by players not turning up and decisions going against us. In seven years with Loko I have never known a year when things go against us so much.
In relation to the game, I thought for seventy minutes we were great but then we lost the shape completely as tiredness set in. They created a number of chances and we were not getting forward in the second half and spent the vast majority of the half with Steve camped on our 18 yard box telling me he couldn't get the players forward because the ball kept coming back, hence the change in formation to tighten up the midfield with just under twenty minutes to go.
We needed to sit in formation and make it difficult for them to break us down as we had for the game up until then, but it was all too easy to attack us in numbers and overrun us towards the end.
To win games against confident teams such as these, who are doing well in the league, we needed a ninety minute performance but as with many games this season, the game was lost in that last twenty minute spell."
Team Line Up
1. Ismail
2. Stefano
3. Ivan
4. Chris
5. Steve (c)
6. Dale
7. Marc
8. Dave
9. Mark
10. Morris
11. George
Goals
Dave (1)
20th Minute - A lovely one-two with Morris sent Dave away and he chipped the keeper.
Marc (1)
30th Minute - The ball found Marc by the sideline, he battled through a couple of challenges and hit the top corner.
Man of the Match
Ismail - He had a good first half in goal and did well with limited support protecting the back four from the Rangers onslaught in the second half. Special mention to Morris who again played well and Steve who did his usual stuff at the back.
Match Report by Chris Clarke edited by Dale Mellor.
No comments:
Post a Comment