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| This was a new venue for us, and a game we expected to win. The welcome was friendly but the pitch was small, bumpy, high up and exposed. The ground was very heavy and the air temperature was minus lots, so it was never going to make for a classic game. We all shivered as the ref made his appearance immaculate in short sleeves! We took control straight away with a crossbar strike by Chris Newbury, and after 4 mins Chris Newble put us ahead. The play was all in the Dallington half for ten minutes, till Tom Ryan was called into action to halt an attack. Play progressed with a good move by Chris Newbury allowing Ben Spring’s left foot to strike home from the edge of the area. Following this Greg placed a good through ball for Ross McCarter to make it 3. Chris Newbury tried for the net again, but amazingly the ball struck the post and rolled along the line before being cleared. Goal 4 came from Chris Newble and the half finished 4 –0. Could have been more but for several offsides, goalmouth scrambles and an excellent Dallington keeper. In contrast Jamie Hards had not even touched the ball yet. In the second half we stayed in control with numerous attempts, some Giggs-like misses and some good saves by their keeper. It was the 43rd minute when Jamie got his first touch, then in the 44th minute Dallington were awarded a free kick deep in our half after a handball, this was initially cleared then with Jamie and three Dallington players on the goal line the ball was knocked back in and put into the net by the waiting strikers. The linesman was flagging for offside but the referee allowed the goal. Mike Ide scored our 5th goal and could have repeated it later, missing a sitter. The conditions were just not right for trying to walk the ball into the goal, so Chris Newbury showed how to do it with a powerful shot from further out, beating the keeper for No 6. Ben tried the longer passes and Mike was unlucky not to collect and finish one of these. Unrelenting pressure kept play in their half and Chris Newbury scored again. With 5 mins left Martin and Chris Newbury swapped roles giving Martin a turn in midfield and he capitalised on this scoring our 8th goal with a nice tap in following good work from Mike Ide. Jamie Hards was awarded man of the match by the mums on the sideline, because he stood watching for 60 minutes in freezing conditions. Sum up. We were the better playing team, but the conditions were not good for football nor for using our shape and tactics, none the less we came away with three well deserved points. Match report by Dave Spring |
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