A decent first half performance but they edged it in the second half.
It was a very bright start from us with some excellent pressing from the whole team. Benik and Tom looked a handful up front, Ojo had an excellent game in the 10 role, Danny was pushing up well down the right and we truly got into their faces and got them very rattled. They never looked comfortable on the ball, offered little threat and the crowd roared us on. After 17 minutes we got our breakthrough. The former England keeper dithered about with it in his own box, Tom just got a foot in and it fell to Benik who slotted it home. The Den went nuts. It was no more than we deserved.
Billy was having a storming game in the middle and was well supported by Saville who was running and covering everywhere. They never really came into it until around 35 minutes. They had more movement forward and a couple of half decent moves and a shot from Gallagher just got them back into it. We looked comfortable. They had to change their approach and attitude in the second half and Viera couldn't wait to get them into the dressing room to tell them so.
They came out with a different mindset and realised that our weakness was down their right. We knew they would come at us and it was a case of seeing whether we could weather the storm and burn them off. Sadly, we couldn't. A good movement across the field found Olisse one on one with Malone. I did think that Molly could have intercepted the pass out to the right but he chose to jockey Olisse on the wing. He cut inside, took a touch and curled a great shot across long and into the goal off the post for 1-1. We were up against it and their tails were in the air and they continued to press. We tried really hard to be more of a threat going forward but they were holding firm. Their giant Anderson was getting a bit het up and complaining that he was being fouled. The ref was firm and was having none of it.
They pressed forward having found our achilles heel on their right and Olisse had a good shot which bounced back off the post. Saville was crocked and replaced by Dutch. Olisse then supplied a peach of a cross for their second. The CF got between Hutch and Pearce and nodded it down and into the goal for 1-2. It was time for fresh legs and on came Bennett and off went Pearce as we moved to a back four. We looked more of a threat. Bennett had a decent shot which their keeper gathered without a problem. This was make or break time and off went Benik, Tom and Ojo and on came Boateng, Burey and Smith. A good cross by Burey almost found Boateng but it just went past his left foot. We huffed and puffed but we couldn't blow their house down even with five added minutes and they just edged it.
Long looked OK and could do little to keep out their two goals. Danny was MOM with a tireless display down the right. Hutch was solid and Pearce looked OK alongside Cooper. Molly got caught out for both their goals and this would be an afternoon he would want to forget. Billy was an action man in the middle and Saville tried hard to compliment him. Ojo played with a swagger and looked good at times on the ball. Other than score the opener Benik did not look a threat and the same could be said of Tom. Bennett looked energetic and aggressive as did Dutch. Boateng hardly got a touch, Burey had some moments and showed promise and Smith put a decent chance into the keeper's arms at the death.
There was no disgrace in our performance. They just had a little bit more of an edge in class in the second half and were worthy winners. Now it is time to concentrate on the league!
It was a very bright start from us with some excellent pressing from the whole team. Benik and Tom looked a handful up front, Ojo had an excellent game in the 10 role, Danny was pushing up well down the right and we truly got into their faces and got them very rattled. They never looked comfortable on the ball, offered little threat and the crowd roared us on. After 17 minutes we got our breakthrough. The former England keeper dithered about with it in his own box, Tom just got a foot in and it fell to Benik who slotted it home. The Den went nuts. It was no more than we deserved.
Billy was having a storming game in the middle and was well supported by Saville who was running and covering everywhere. They never really came into it until around 35 minutes. They had more movement forward and a couple of half decent moves and a shot from Gallagher just got them back into it. We looked comfortable. They had to change their approach and attitude in the second half and Viera couldn't wait to get them into the dressing room to tell them so.
They came out with a different mindset and realised that our weakness was down their right. We knew they would come at us and it was a case of seeing whether we could weather the storm and burn them off. Sadly, we couldn't. A good movement across the field found Olisse one on one with Malone. I did think that Molly could have intercepted the pass out to the right but he chose to jockey Olisse on the wing. He cut inside, took a touch and curled a great shot across long and into the goal off the post for 1-1. We were up against it and their tails were in the air and they continued to press. We tried really hard to be more of a threat going forward but they were holding firm. Their giant Anderson was getting a bit het up and complaining that he was being fouled. The ref was firm and was having none of it.
They pressed forward having found our achilles heel on their right and Olisse had a good shot which bounced back off the post. Saville was crocked and replaced by Dutch. Olisse then supplied a peach of a cross for their second. The CF got between Hutch and Pearce and nodded it down and into the goal for 1-2. It was time for fresh legs and on came Bennett and off went Pearce as we moved to a back four. We looked more of a threat. Bennett had a decent shot which their keeper gathered without a problem. This was make or break time and off went Benik, Tom and Ojo and on came Boateng, Burey and Smith. A good cross by Burey almost found Boateng but it just went past his left foot. We huffed and puffed but we couldn't blow their house down even with five added minutes and they just edged it.
Long looked OK and could do little to keep out their two goals. Danny was MOM with a tireless display down the right. Hutch was solid and Pearce looked OK alongside Cooper. Molly got caught out for both their goals and this would be an afternoon he would want to forget. Billy was an action man in the middle and Saville tried hard to compliment him. Ojo played with a swagger and looked good at times on the ball. Other than score the opener Benik did not look a threat and the same could be said of Tom. Bennett looked energetic and aggressive as did Dutch. Boateng hardly got a touch, Burey had some moments and showed promise and Smith put a decent chance into the keeper's arms at the death.
There was no disgrace in our performance. They just had a little bit more of an edge in class in the second half and were worthy winners. Now it is time to concentrate on the league!