Sportsmans League Division 3
Lokomotiv Londres FC 1 v Worcester Park Rangers 4
Good Effort Despite Let Down's Again
The team should have had thirteen players and we even had the luxury of naming three players on standby, but yet again we had two players not turn up and not even let us know so that we had no time to ask any of the standby players to come along.
The gaffer was planning an attacking 4-3-3 formation but the lack of personal for this system now meant reverting to the usual 4-4-2 with Dale now having to go in goal, a back four of Marc, Ivan, Paul and Stefano. Roger and Ed were centre midfield with Diego and Morris on the flanks, with Joe and Artjom up front.
The team started relatively well, we weren't able to get forward much because the opposition were playing the ball around well, but we were solid at the back and other than a couple of long range efforts they didn't really look like breaking the back line.
Unfortunately, only fifteen minutes in Joe started to run for a ball over the top but pulled up with a muscle problem around his hip area and he was now struggling to get around the pitch so he dropped into midfield to provide us with an extra body as he wasn't able to move around up front.
They took the lead about twenty minutes in and it was a goal that could have so easily have been avoided, they worked the ball through midfield but a good challenge saw Morris pick up the ball on the right side of the penalty box, he had plenty of time to clear his lines but dwelt on the ball, was robbed of possession and the ball across the area was hit home at the back post.
Loko kept competing and just about stayed in the game as they hit a few shots wide and didn't really test Dale in goal again during the half. The railwaymen had a couple of forays into their penalty area but didn't create to much and failed to get shots away.
Half-Time Loko 0 v Worcester Park Rangers 1
The talk at half-time was all positive, we re-organised and went back to 4-4-2, with the same back four, Roger and Morris in the centre of midfield, Ed and Artjom on the wings with Diego and Joe up front. Everyone was up for the second half.
Loko started the second half much better than the first and spent the first ten minutes pressurising higher up the pitch and we managed to get the ball in the box on a few occasions but failed to get on the end of anything.
Fifteen minutes into the second half and a break away by Rangers saw men attack the box and a ball into the area was tucked into the bottom corner quite sweetly by their unmarked player and the hill back became a mountain. The third followed shortly after when one of their players got past Paul and Stefano by the corner flag too easily and laid it into the striker at the near post who miskicked it through Dale's attempted block.
Stefano's knee was hurting so he went in goal for Dale after 75 minutes, and a bit of reshuffling followed allowing Dale to play alongside Roger in midfield. Ivan was playing well now at left back and Marc started putting the tackles in in central defence.
Ed and Diego started to get some joy in the opposition half and Dale almost immediately made an impact when he dribbled past a couple of challenges in the area and tried to pull the ball back for Joe but he was crowded out by the defenders.
Loko eventually pulled a goal back when Ed was fouled by the left touchline 35 yards from goal, Roger swung in a ball to the back post, DALE ran in unmarked and called for the ball, Ivan kindly ducked and the gaffer drilled a header into the roof of the net.
Almost immediately, another Roger free kick from just inside Rangers half also found Dale at the back post tussling with his marker but this time he could only head into the side netting under pressure. Loko kept going and Artjom beat his marker well down the right, ran into the box but tried to pass when he could have shot and the chance was lost.
With Loko pushing men forward, another breakaway completed the scoring when they played a ball over the top, the striker looked way offside but the referee who had given little our way during the game said play on, he ran through but they hit the crossbar and we had chances to clear but didn't take them and one of their players jinked into the box and had an easy shot into the bottom corner to complete the scoring.
Final Score Loko 1 v Worcester Park Rangers 4
Manager Dale Mellor's comments:
"It is getting to a point where players need to really consider whether they want to play Sunday morning football. We have a lot of players playing 1 in 3 games, others who don't respond to emails and recently a spate of players saying yes then not turning up.
It is making our life hell trying to put a team out on the pitch each week, and even harder to put out one that is going to be competitive. We will only start winning games when we can get the same team out every game, as we have to get used to each other and get an understanding out on the pitch.
In regards to this morning, I thought everyone worked really hard and put in a good shift despite players playing out of position and with no subs. If Joe hadn't have got injured so early on I think we would have had more options up front and wouldn't have been penned back so much. We had a new defence and new players but performed admirably. Well done."
Team Line Up
1. Dale
2. Marc
3. Stefano (c)
4. Ivan
5. Paul
6. Eudimar
7. Morris [Y]
8. Roger
9. Artjom
10. Joe
11. Diego
Goal
Dale (1)
80th Minute - Roger swung a great free kick to the back post and Dale arrived unmarked and drilled a header into the top of the net.
Man of the Match
Roger - It was his first game for quite a while but it showed us what we were missing. Plenty of hard work, communication and organisation. Well played. Special mention to Ivan and Paul who both did really well as our new centre back partnership on very little notice.
Match Report by Dale Mellor.
No comments:
Post a Comment