AA4 Match Report v Lions FC 9/5/10

Week 5 of the season and the Bondi Vet made some comments during the week that sent a shudder down my spine…”We are top of the table” he shouted to anyone that would listen.  The shiver was due to the fact that this time last year, we were also top of the table after 4 games having collected 10 points from the first 12.  We all know where last season ended up!

Regardless, we headed into this game on the back of 3 wins and 2 consecutive clean sheets.  Confidence was high despite the news that Tiger Tyrone has decided to abandon the team mid-season!  We started the game brightly and could have taken an early lead after an excellent cross from the left saw Bryn “The Phantom” leap, unchallenged, only for the ball to come off his “50p shaped head” and go out harmlessly for a goal kick.

Almost immediately, the Lions struck with a well worked corner.  The ball was floated in to the far post where an unmarked player smashed the ball into the net.  1-0 down.  A great break down the right from Roonaldo and an excellent ball into the box saw The Phantom once again unmarked inside the 6-yard box.  Unable to miss from such short range, the opposition keeper made not 1 but 2 excellent saves, firstly from The Phantom’s turn and shoot and then Bilbo Baggin’s follow up shot.  It looked like it might not be our day this early on.

Late in the first half saw 3 handballs in the box in the space of 5 seconds…2 from Lions players and 1 from Barnstoneworth.  None of these seen by the ref…definitely not our day!

The 2nd half was once again a tight affair with Jack The Ripper having the best of the early chances only for the opposition keeper to make another excellent save.  A long punt from the keeper saw the ball bounce over not one but both of our centre backs into the path of an opposition striker.  2-0!

Not long after it was 3-0 after a static Barnstoneworth defence let the opposition once again walk through us to score.

I think it was at this point that we woke up!
Excellent work by Brin down the right saw a perfect cross delivered to Bilbo for the ball to go sailing over the bar.

A late consolation goal was finally scored with The Ripper rounding the keeper and slotting home.

Final score 3-1 and Barnstoneworth brought back down to earth with a bump.

Take heart from the result.  We were not played off the park and with a little more steel in defence and more luck up front, we would have won this game.  Roll on next week

Man of the Match:  Jack the Ripper.
Runner up:  Lions FC’s keeper!!