Another 3 points in the bag has put us back into title contention. All other teams have lost at least 2 matches so far so we are ahead of the pack albeit with fewer matches played.
After Friday's plea for players we ended up with a full squad for the first time this season. Please let me know a little sooner next time!
Club D were sore from being beaten by us just before Christmas and they came out fighting (literally!). They recruited a neanderthal who semed hell bent on hurting as many of our players as he could with late tackles, elbows, headbutts and an assortment of other tactics that would have been illegal even in a boxing ring. Fortunately it did not put us off our game and when we had the ball we were able to work it up the field with some good passing and running from our midfielders. The forwards had a few chances and knew that their time would come and the equally determined defence held firm against their counter attacks.
The goal, when it came, was well suited to the match so far as it came through hard work and commitment rather than flair. After a bit of a scramble in the left corner, Poppet robbed the ball from their defender and sent the ball looping into acres of space on the other side of the D. Arse committed himself 100% and just beat the defender to the ball and got enough on it to push it to Jack who, when faced with an open goal and a rapidly narrowing angle decided to finish with a flourish that made the rest of the team nervous until we heard the reassuring thud from the ball on the backboard!
Our teamwork was far from perfect however as time and again they managed to get a player unmarked in the middle of the field and fortunately for us, his decision making and accuracy of delivery was not good enough to hurt us given the time and space that he had each time. A few more lumps and bumps from the bruiser in the headband took us to half time ahead by a single goal.
The second half started much better as if the excesses of the Christmas break had finally been run off. Some great passing and running down the right saw both Shue brothers and Jack with plenty of opportunity to run at a wilting defence and we got into their D a number of times but unfortunately they were rarely converted into shots or shorts. Finally our pressure paid off and we were awarded our first (and only) short corner of the match. We hadnt practiced but it was a text book play. Good firm push out and stop and a clean strike from Blandy that took a bit of a deflection to take it through the keeper's legs for a 2-0 lead.
This should have been a sign for the flood gates to open and for Valley to unleash a torrent of shots to bury the opposition 6 or 7 nil. Unfortunately we seemed to sit back and let them into the game. They put together some good attacking moves which were just about held out through a combination of determined defending and a great debut between the sticks from Ed Earl who pulled off some great saves to keep us ahead. They were awarded about 4 or 5 shorts and unfortunately one of them snuck through. It was not enough however and Carnage were able to hold them off for the last 10 minutes to secure our fourth win on the trot.