A much improved performance, an exciting game and a hard fought win.
We started slowly and they were definitely quicker out of the blocks. They targeted our right side where BNC was making his debut and had a couple of decent moves down that side. They did get a decent ball into our box and it was a little bit of panic stations but we cleared it. It took us a good ten or twelve minutes before we got into our stride and then we started to look good. Sav and Billy were all action in the middle and we looked so much better with two up front. Both strikers worked very hard. A worrying injury to Hutch in their box following a corner and he clearly tweaked his shoulder. He recovered OK and we started to look a threat. A poor ball out of their defence was intercepted by Rab and he fed Tom inside the box but he dallied too long and lost possession. We continued to press and Leonard made some good runs out of defence down the right. He fed BNC well and he made a couple of good runs and crosses which sadly came to nothing. They were looking less of a threat so we continued to press them back hard. A long throw from Leonard went past Hutch but Flem headed it on and it fell to Rab. Cool as a cucumber he stroked it wide of the keeper and into the bottom right hand corner of the net for 1-0. The Den went nuts. They struggled to get back into it and we all breathed a sigh of relief when the ref blew for half time and we were one up.
Their gaffer was clearly not happy about their performance and made four subs at the break. They were definitely going for it and they moved the ball quickly and got into some threatening positions. The Bob Marley lookalike who was a Preston last season was their playmaker. Their portugese seven was busting a gut to get on the ball and he looked a threat. Their giant Wesley got his head to most things and they were relentless in pouring forward. It was time for fresh legs so off came Rab and BNC and on came Emakhu and Vogi. They pressed and pressed and we were clinging on. A great last ditch tackle from Cooper stopped their attacker and a crunching tackle from Leonard saw their 7 almost crying on the turf…and it wasn’t even a foul. In added time Shark made a great save and they hit a post but we bottled it up with Joe Tom and Flem going off and Wes Murray and Evans coming on. It was definitely squeaky bum time but we held on despite the thunder, lightning and torrential rain. And even a rainbow came out at the final whistle so it was definitely our day. Rockin all over the World rang out loud and proud.
Shark looked assured and made a great save at the death. BNC had some moments and looked good. Hutch and Cooper were solid as a rock but MOM goes to Leonard who turned defence into attack with some great driving runs and some real crunching tackles. Billy and Sav ran their nuts off, Flem had some moments too and his first half free kick did every thing but beat the keeper. Rab looked a quality striker with a great goal and Tom was a thorn in their side all game with relentless running. Emakhu made a couple of great runs but BFG looked aggressive and strong but had little threat..Wes, Murray and Evans had good cameos for a few minutes at the death.
So a clean sheet, three points and much improved performance. We can play better but we stopped the rot, got the crowd back onside and deserved to win.
Hard as I looked I could not find Peckham Lion at the Windsor so that meeting will have to wait for another time. I am signing off my Just Backs until Swansea at the end of next month as I am away on the other side of the world I hope that I might get to see a game or two. Who knows?
We started slowly and they were definitely quicker out of the blocks. They targeted our right side where BNC was making his debut and had a couple of decent moves down that side. They did get a decent ball into our box and it was a little bit of panic stations but we cleared it. It took us a good ten or twelve minutes before we got into our stride and then we started to look good. Sav and Billy were all action in the middle and we looked so much better with two up front. Both strikers worked very hard. A worrying injury to Hutch in their box following a corner and he clearly tweaked his shoulder. He recovered OK and we started to look a threat. A poor ball out of their defence was intercepted by Rab and he fed Tom inside the box but he dallied too long and lost possession. We continued to press and Leonard made some good runs out of defence down the right. He fed BNC well and he made a couple of good runs and crosses which sadly came to nothing. They were looking less of a threat so we continued to press them back hard. A long throw from Leonard went past Hutch but Flem headed it on and it fell to Rab. Cool as a cucumber he stroked it wide of the keeper and into the bottom right hand corner of the net for 1-0. The Den went nuts. They struggled to get back into it and we all breathed a sigh of relief when the ref blew for half time and we were one up.
Their gaffer was clearly not happy about their performance and made four subs at the break. They were definitely going for it and they moved the ball quickly and got into some threatening positions. The Bob Marley lookalike who was a Preston last season was their playmaker. Their portugese seven was busting a gut to get on the ball and he looked a threat. Their giant Wesley got his head to most things and they were relentless in pouring forward. It was time for fresh legs so off came Rab and BNC and on came Emakhu and Vogi. They pressed and pressed and we were clinging on. A great last ditch tackle from Cooper stopped their attacker and a crunching tackle from Leonard saw their 7 almost crying on the turf…and it wasn’t even a foul. In added time Shark made a great save and they hit a post but we bottled it up with Joe Tom and Flem going off and Wes Murray and Evans coming on. It was definitely squeaky bum time but we held on despite the thunder, lightning and torrential rain. And even a rainbow came out at the final whistle so it was definitely our day. Rockin all over the World rang out loud and proud.
Shark looked assured and made a great save at the death. BNC had some moments and looked good. Hutch and Cooper were solid as a rock but MOM goes to Leonard who turned defence into attack with some great driving runs and some real crunching tackles. Billy and Sav ran their nuts off, Flem had some moments too and his first half free kick did every thing but beat the keeper. Rab looked a quality striker with a great goal and Tom was a thorn in their side all game with relentless running. Emakhu made a couple of great runs but BFG looked aggressive and strong but had little threat..Wes, Murray and Evans had good cameos for a few minutes at the death.
So a clean sheet, three points and much improved performance. We can play better but we stopped the rot, got the crowd back onside and deserved to win.
Hard as I looked I could not find Peckham Lion at the Windsor so that meeting will have to wait for another time. I am signing off my Just Backs until Swansea at the end of next month as I am away on the other side of the world I hope that I might get to see a game or two. Who knows?
