Match Report
Match Report - 07 Feb 2016, Clapham Rovers Clapham Rovers lost to Lixus
Rovers!
Somehow we’ve lost 4 matches on the spin. It certainly hasn’t been for a lack of effort though. This Sunday sees us take on Cool Oak Rangers in a very winnable game but also a potential banana skin. We always find these tricky opponents and it we drop the effort levels we’ve shown post Christmas, we’re likely to get beaten again. Let’s not let that happen. Let’s leave it all out there and enjoy that winning feeling once again.
Rovers 1 – 3 Lixus
As Tom Kellaway slammed a beautiful volley into the far corner of the net with 25 minutes to go, I never even considered we wouldn’t take a least a point from the game. At that point were level at 1-1, somewhat weathered the storm of matching Lixus in midfield and were beginning to consistently threaten the Lixus backline. Sadly it wasn’t to be.
It was blowing an absolute bleddy gale when we kicked off at King’s House. Considering the rain from the previous couple of days, the pitch was in pretty good nick though. We lined up in a 4-5-1 with a plan to stifle the their midfield and make the most of the return of Patrick up top when we had the chance to break.
It was almost a fairytale start for the Sondico poster boy when he was put through on goal with Lixus calling for offside, 1 on 1 vs the keeper. With the returning Tanned Howard free to his left, Patrick went for goal and could only find the side netting.
Lixus were knocking it around quite nicely and were using the wind to good effect with some raking cross field balls in behind Moley. In general though we were getting some joy in behind their back four when we had the chance. Smudger struck a shot wide from a tight angle with the keeper to beat and we forced a series of corners.
Sadly, from one of those corners, Patrick, took an absolute aerial hammering from a combination of keeper and defenders. Dazed and confused he wandered around the pitch after a long medical break before quite rightly he took himself off.
Shortly afterwards Lixus took the lead. Breaking from midfield, the Lixus central midfielder played a slide rule ball which split the central defence of Horse and Bunman. Pybus pulled off a great save to slow their striker but he maintained position, shook off Moley before shovelling it in. We were unlucky to be behind but we couldn’t deny the quality of the through ball.
Tom Elliot came on for his debut in place of the departing Shaun and almost made a instant huge impact. Once again at close quarters in the box, the ball was pinging around and it came to Smudger who played a lovely pace to Tom to side foot it into the open net. Sadly he couldn’t quite ram it in as the ball bobbled on the turf. We went in at half time feeling a bit hard done by to behind following the decent chances we’d spurned.
The second half saw us continue our battling performance but gradually be more of a consistent threat. This paid dividends when Tom scored his screamer. Sadly we just couldn’t hold Lixus as they scored 2 in quick succession. I had made the change from 451 to 442 (TH going off for J5B) to try and capitalise on our ascendancy but sadly it led to us struggling to contain Lixus breaking from midfield. My bad. I pi55ed that up.
They went 2-1 up when a long ball in behind me was cut across the box to be smashed in. They then went 3-1 with a breakaway goal. The final whistle was really tough to take and a harsh scoreline for the record books.
MOM. I’ve not mentioned him in the match report but Bunman was an absolute rock at Centre Back. He also filled in to plug the midfield gaps following the change to 442.
10 Teams Games
Played Games
Won Games
Drawn Games
Lost Goals
For Goals
Against Goal
Difference Points
Club Lixus
12 10 1 1 54 21 +33 31
London St George
10 7 1 2 31 15 +16 22
Chelsea Town
8 6 1 1 29 10 +19 19
Invictus
10 5 1 4 30 17 +13 16
Clapham Rovers
9 5 0 4 28 21 +7 15
Real Northern 'A'
10 4 2 4 22 25 -3 14
Kings United
8 3 4 1 19 17 +2 13
London Titans
13 2 1 10 12 48 -36 7
Cool Oak Rangers
12 2 0 10 16 47 -31 6
Accrington Stanley Bowles
10 1 1 8 11 31 -20 4
Senior Amateur Division Fixtures Sunday 14th February
Accrington Stanley Bowles v Kings United
Riverside Lands W4 2SX
Clapham Rovers v Cool Oak Rangers
King's House W4 2RZ
Club Lixus v London St George
King's House W4 2RZ
Invictus v Chelsea Town
Wimbledon Common Extension SW15 4SS
Real Northern 'A' v London Titans
Riverside Lands W4 2SX
Senior Amateur Division Results Sunday 7th February
3 1 Club Lixus v Clapham Rovers
King's House W4 2RZ
0 6 Cool Oak Rangers v Chelsea Town
Riverside Lands W4 2SX
3 5 London St George v Real Northern 'A'
King's House W4 2RZ
Lixus 3 - 1 Clapham Rovers Clapham Rovers ()