MATCH REPORT - SELKENT LEAGUE (Autumn): Petts Wood Eagles v JR Spartans - 18th Nov 12 (Away)
This Sunday we travelled to the hidden ground of Petts Wood FC. After finding the ground and eventually the pitch, we kicked off. The boys started well as neither side really had an oppurtunity on goal with Kaci, Jack and Ugo continuing to break up the play from Petts Wood in the midfield. After 9 minutes we fell behind as we failed to clear the ball out of our own penalty area and their striker scored as the lose ball fell to his feet. Petts Wood started to put pressure on our defensive pair of George and Finlay who worked hard in response. With 14 minutes played we unfortunately gave the ball away on the edge of the box and the Petts Wood striker hit a shot from just in side the box which went into the top right hand corner of Ben's goal (It was a good strike and I think any keeper would have struggled to have stopped it). Despite the scoreline the boys didn't give up and with William chasing down every oppurtunity and us winning several corners we couldn't get that much deserved first goal of the game. Ben made a fantastic save when Petts Wood caught us on the break and charged straight through the middle. Ben came out of goal to smother the ball, only for the striker to poke the ball wide.With 18 mins gone Callum & Taran join the action for William and Ugo. Just after the subsitutions we gained a corner, Jack fired the ball into the goal area and the ball was deflected in by a Petts Wood player. With 21 minutes gone Shemar is brought on for George in defence. As the first half draws to a close Petts Wood get a third goal after we lose possession following a short goal kick. After another break away from Petts Wood, Finlay saves a goal by clearing a shot off the goal line (Well done Fin). Lovell is then brought on to the left midfield position for Kaci.
Half Time Score: Petts Wood Eagles - 3, Junior Reds Spartans - 1
In the second half we started really lively and had most of the pressure. Taran was put through by a great pass from Jack, Taran raced up the right wing and put a smashing cross into the box which found Callum whose effort forced their keeper to make a great save. We maintained the pressure on Petts Wood goal and following a throw in Lovell passed the ball to Callum on the right who saw his fierce shot strike the post. Our opponents did get the odd attack on goal by catching us out with long balls, but with Shemar tracking their striker and Lovell helping out from the midfield they succeed in forcing the Petts Wood effort being blasted over our goal. Again we had another attack on goal with a searching run by Callum who put the ball to Lovell only for his shot to go just wide. We are then awared a penalty for hand ball. Jack steps up to take it but their keeper just gets his body on it (the power of the shot almost took the ball into the goal). George is then brought on for Finlay in defence. Ben then pulls off another great save from a shot which resulted from us not clearing the ball from our penalty area. With JR Spartans pushing forward Petts Wood catch us on the break with 2 palyers on 2. From the resulting shot they get their forth goal. William and Ugo are then brought back into the action for William and Taran to try to get us back into the game.
Full Time Score: Petts Wood Eagles - 4, Junior Reds Spartans - 1
Managers Comments : Again we conceded two goals very close to each other in the first half ,as we did last week, which meant we had an up hill struggle quite early on. We appeared to have no luck this week with hitting the post and having a penalty saved. We need to get our finishing going again and work on our positional play from goal kicks. However we played some really attractive football with some good passing particularly out to the wings and some great crossing of the ball into the penalty box.
Captain - Ben
Man of the Match - George