A really solid and aggressive performance and a draw courtesy of the softest penalty you would ever see!
They made the better start but we were onto them from the first whistle. They knocked the ball around at the back and looked arrogant and assured but had little threat. We took a little time to get into our stride but we looked good despite having less of the ball. Watmore looked lively on the left and was well supported by Joe and Honeyman was looking similar on the right with good support from Leonard. Flem looked up for it in the middle and had some good moments when he was pulling the strings. By contrast they looked powder puff and as hard as they tried they really could not get into it. Sav looked aggressive in the middle and Oba was running his nuts off up front and causing them some grief. With all that pressure something had to give and that was the case. A glorious through ball from Leonard caught them out as his pass split the CB partnership. One of them made a vain attempt to cut out the pass but it went through to Watmore who took it in his stride, knocked it forward 10 yards and calmly placed it to the keeper’s left and into the goal for 1-0. It was no more than we deserved. They thought their superior brand of building from the back would pay dividends but we had other ideas. Another glorious ball over their back four found Oba bearing down on goal but his toe poked finish was stopped by their keeper. Then they looked really ragged. Their approach play looked good for three or four passes but the fifth pass went behind their attacker and off for a throw to us or was over hit and sailed into the stand. Flem did make a solid burst forward a despite being brought back by their last man he didn’t get a red and the free kick that followed went into the wall.In fact, they went a whole 45 minutes without one shot on goal and we went in for the break with our noses in front.
NH must have been very pleased with our first half but it was clear that they would come at us In the second half. Sure enough they brought on their two better bench warmers Johnson and Fellows and they started to look a bit more of a threat. Leonard and Joe both had to keep their wits about them to keep their two wide men out. Leonard was doing the better job and Joe was doing fine until he tackled their bloke on the very corner of the box. It looked no more than a solid challenge but their Fellows went down as if he had been shot by a sniper and the ref pointed to the spot. It was soft. Their Swift hit it to Shark’s right but he couldn’t keep it out. A little later they cluttered Flem in their box but the ref just waived it away. They made copious subs including their CB who was crocked. None of them worked and we tried very hard to get the winner. Longman came on for Honeyman which gave us fresh legs and shortly after Danny came on for Joe. Near the death BNC and Casper came on for Billy and Watmore but we held on comfortably despite five added minutes.
Shark had little to do apart from picking the ball out of the net after their dubious penalty. Leonard was very solid and focussed and edged it close to being the MOM. Tango and Cooper were solid and Joe blotted his copybook by conceding the soft penalty. Billy and Sav were everywhere and the latter got the club vote for MOM. Honeyman was solid and Watmore had a better game and took his goal well. Flem had lots of good moments and ran until he dropped. The same could be said for Oba who fell in a heap at the final whistle and was blowing hard.
All in all it was a solid and feisty performance from the whole team and I would have taken a point at the first whistle. They looked nothing special and on that showing they would struggle in the PL. Upwards and onwards to Rovrum!
They made the better start but we were onto them from the first whistle. They knocked the ball around at the back and looked arrogant and assured but had little threat. We took a little time to get into our stride but we looked good despite having less of the ball. Watmore looked lively on the left and was well supported by Joe and Honeyman was looking similar on the right with good support from Leonard. Flem looked up for it in the middle and had some good moments when he was pulling the strings. By contrast they looked powder puff and as hard as they tried they really could not get into it. Sav looked aggressive in the middle and Oba was running his nuts off up front and causing them some grief. With all that pressure something had to give and that was the case. A glorious through ball from Leonard caught them out as his pass split the CB partnership. One of them made a vain attempt to cut out the pass but it went through to Watmore who took it in his stride, knocked it forward 10 yards and calmly placed it to the keeper’s left and into the goal for 1-0. It was no more than we deserved. They thought their superior brand of building from the back would pay dividends but we had other ideas. Another glorious ball over their back four found Oba bearing down on goal but his toe poked finish was stopped by their keeper. Then they looked really ragged. Their approach play looked good for three or four passes but the fifth pass went behind their attacker and off for a throw to us or was over hit and sailed into the stand. Flem did make a solid burst forward a despite being brought back by their last man he didn’t get a red and the free kick that followed went into the wall.In fact, they went a whole 45 minutes without one shot on goal and we went in for the break with our noses in front.
NH must have been very pleased with our first half but it was clear that they would come at us In the second half. Sure enough they brought on their two better bench warmers Johnson and Fellows and they started to look a bit more of a threat. Leonard and Joe both had to keep their wits about them to keep their two wide men out. Leonard was doing the better job and Joe was doing fine until he tackled their bloke on the very corner of the box. It looked no more than a solid challenge but their Fellows went down as if he had been shot by a sniper and the ref pointed to the spot. It was soft. Their Swift hit it to Shark’s right but he couldn’t keep it out. A little later they cluttered Flem in their box but the ref just waived it away. They made copious subs including their CB who was crocked. None of them worked and we tried very hard to get the winner. Longman came on for Honeyman which gave us fresh legs and shortly after Danny came on for Joe. Near the death BNC and Casper came on for Billy and Watmore but we held on comfortably despite five added minutes.
Shark had little to do apart from picking the ball out of the net after their dubious penalty. Leonard was very solid and focussed and edged it close to being the MOM. Tango and Cooper were solid and Joe blotted his copybook by conceding the soft penalty. Billy and Sav were everywhere and the latter got the club vote for MOM. Honeyman was solid and Watmore had a better game and took his goal well. Flem had lots of good moments and ran until he dropped. The same could be said for Oba who fell in a heap at the final whistle and was blowing hard.
All in all it was a solid and feisty performance from the whole team and I would have taken a point at the first whistle. They looked nothing special and on that showing they would struggle in the PL. Upwards and onwards to Rovrum!
