Match Report
Match Report - 28 Sep 2014, Clapham Rovers Clapham Rovers lost to Real Northern 'A'
Rovers!
Rovers 1 -4 Real Northern.
Big thanks to Bunny for taking the team.
Let's get back to winning ways on Sunday!
They’re always pretty tough games against Real Northern A and Sunday was no exception. Ultimately we didn’t deserve to come away with a result from the game, but neither was 4-1 a fair reflection of the difference between the two teams.
Without too many clear cut opportunities being created by either side in the first half I believed that Rovers were shading it. Carswell and G looked assured at the back snuffing out any progressive balls played forwards. The team as a whole were winning the 50:50 challenges and moving the ball around with better poise than our opponents. Northern as a result were kept largely at bay and were restricted to nothing more than speculative long range efforts.
We probed going forwards, but struggled to find the killer final cross or pass to threaten the goal, which was tended by a bloke that looked like a circus weightlifter. Our most threatening play came from diagonals played by G into the path of David who was a willing runner in the RWF position. On one such occasion late on in the half Dave got in behind the defence and was clear through on goal only to be felled when rounding the keeper. A penalty was rightly awarded and Dan stepped up to smash it home, sending the keeper the wrong way in the process.
The wind was in our sails and we were finishing the half strongly. Talk at half time was “same again” and to make sure that we didn’t let our levels drop.
We started the second half sloppily however, gifting away possession and inviting pressure. And the scores were soon level when poor organisation at a corner led to me positioned in no man’s land with my front to goal. Swiping at the ball with my left peg the ball looped off my shin and went spiralling across goal into the far corner. It was one of those slow motion moments when everyone knew what was about to happen but could do nothing to prevent it. There was even enough time for me to utter an audible “Oh no!” between the ball leaving my flailing limb and nestling in the net.
A second oggie gave them the lead shortly after. My view of this goal was restricted but a player found space in the box and got a shot away anddeflected past Godders by Gin who was trying to make the block. Gin you’ve got G to thank for that one, who reliably informed me that the initial shot was heading off-target!
Although we got into a few decent wide areas in the second half and fired in some testing low crosses; a combination of good defending and sqwandered opportunities led to their keeper being untested. In the hot weather conditions I tired as the half progressed and looking around some of the rest of us seemed to be flagging also. Northern had gone up a gear, pushing full backs forward and were able to knock it about with the more space that we afforded them. In contrast our passing looked tired and when I underhit another pass in midfield it set off a sequence of events that led to their third goal. Trying to make amends I mis-timed my tackle leading to a free-kick on the edge to the box. Poorly assembled wall or not the ball was tonked into the top corner and although Godders was tending that side of the net there was little he could have done to stop it.
Two smart stops from Godders prevented the scoreline from widening further until their no.10 who spanked home their free-kick and had already clipped the bar from a previous effort, smashed in another long ranger off the inside of the post in the closing stages to make the final score 4-1
Our backs are against the wall heading into the second leg, but we beat them last season 2-0 so a three goal turnaround isn’t against the realms of possibility.
MoM: G. Having conceded 4 this seems an odd choice, but G was u naccountable for any of the goals. Superb defensively and instigated many of our forward moves with raking balls downfield that drew comparisons to none other than David Beckham from one clearly short-sighted opposition player.
PLEASE FIND THE UPDATED ROVERS FF FOOTBALL POINTS BELOW.
Rovers FF points 280914.xlsx
Real Northern 'A' 4 - 1 Clapham Rovers Clapham Rovers ()