A closely fought first half but a tired second half display led to a disappointing defeat.
We began well and pressed them back from the first whistle. Burke was looking lively down the right and Honeyman was running hard on the left. Flemming was looking as if he was up for it and it really took them a bit of time to get into their stride. They seemed very comfortable pushing the ball around at the back but they rarely seemed a threat. A free and fairly even few minutes and then we took the lead. A long ball found Flem and his intelligent nod forward found Bradshaw between their CB’s. He cleverly knocked it past the two of them, ran forward to be one on one with their keeper and knocked it past him into the back of the net. Their mob was instantly silenced and we were all going nuts. Slowly but surely they began to edge back into helped by a regular Cresswell mistake. He brought it out of defence and thought he was Frank Beckenbauer as he knocked it past one of their attackers. Another attacker picked it up and ran forward to our box when he was brought to ground by Leonard, who got a yellow for his trouble. Fortunately the wall did its’ job and Long saved comfortably. It continued fairly evenly and Burke was put in by Flem on the right but his shot just went wide. They came back into it and their equaliser was clearly a training ground routine. From a corner they packed our box but the kick was low to the edge of the goal area. Their man ran onto it and hit it low and hard and it went in. I wasn’t sure whether it came off one of ours or whether Long could have done better. Whatever, it was 1-1.
There we’re no subs at the break but they came back at us strongly. They pressed and pushed and it really did seem like a matter of time. Another slick corner move where the ball was played along the byline, cut back to a hapless Bradshaw who could do little to stop diverting the ball into his own net. They all went over the the assistant coach to congratulate him as it was obviously his training ground routine which had paid off. We huffed and puffed but couldn’t get much right. On the other hand they had energy to burn and a slick move down the right with an overlapping full back led to their third. He cut it back and their attacker had time to turn in the box and hammer it past Long for 1-3. It was time for fresh legs and on came Esse, Watmore and Vogi for Sav,Burke and Honeyman. We had a bit more pace in attack and tried hard to get back into it. They had time, pushed the ball around and wasted as much time as they could. We were frustrated, and it showed. A decent corner was headed in by Flem and then we really tried hard to get a third. Molly and Evans came on at the death for Leonard and Murray. We even pushed Cooper upfront but even six added minutes didn’t help and we lost narrowly.
Long made a couple of decent saves but I can’t help but think he could have done better for their first. Danny was energetic and a threat, Cresswell made on blip and Cooper also made one. Murray was solid. Sav was busy and Leonard was similar but Burke looked good one minute and then disappeared. Honeyman was busy and Flem looked good at times. Bradshaw took his goal well but would have been disappointed with the OG. Esse floated around but was outmuscled a couple of times. Watmore had his moments and Vogi was similar. Molly and Evans had little time to impact the game.
All in all it was a disappointment and really a bridge too far for some. We were undone by a clever pair of corner routines and just fatigue. Now just outside the top six we will be looking forward to some R and R before Reading next week.
We began well and pressed them back from the first whistle. Burke was looking lively down the right and Honeyman was running hard on the left. Flemming was looking as if he was up for it and it really took them a bit of time to get into their stride. They seemed very comfortable pushing the ball around at the back but they rarely seemed a threat. A free and fairly even few minutes and then we took the lead. A long ball found Flem and his intelligent nod forward found Bradshaw between their CB’s. He cleverly knocked it past the two of them, ran forward to be one on one with their keeper and knocked it past him into the back of the net. Their mob was instantly silenced and we were all going nuts. Slowly but surely they began to edge back into helped by a regular Cresswell mistake. He brought it out of defence and thought he was Frank Beckenbauer as he knocked it past one of their attackers. Another attacker picked it up and ran forward to our box when he was brought to ground by Leonard, who got a yellow for his trouble. Fortunately the wall did its’ job and Long saved comfortably. It continued fairly evenly and Burke was put in by Flem on the right but his shot just went wide. They came back into it and their equaliser was clearly a training ground routine. From a corner they packed our box but the kick was low to the edge of the goal area. Their man ran onto it and hit it low and hard and it went in. I wasn’t sure whether it came off one of ours or whether Long could have done better. Whatever, it was 1-1.
There we’re no subs at the break but they came back at us strongly. They pressed and pushed and it really did seem like a matter of time. Another slick corner move where the ball was played along the byline, cut back to a hapless Bradshaw who could do little to stop diverting the ball into his own net. They all went over the the assistant coach to congratulate him as it was obviously his training ground routine which had paid off. We huffed and puffed but couldn’t get much right. On the other hand they had energy to burn and a slick move down the right with an overlapping full back led to their third. He cut it back and their attacker had time to turn in the box and hammer it past Long for 1-3. It was time for fresh legs and on came Esse, Watmore and Vogi for Sav,Burke and Honeyman. We had a bit more pace in attack and tried hard to get back into it. They had time, pushed the ball around and wasted as much time as they could. We were frustrated, and it showed. A decent corner was headed in by Flem and then we really tried hard to get a third. Molly and Evans came on at the death for Leonard and Murray. We even pushed Cooper upfront but even six added minutes didn’t help and we lost narrowly.
Long made a couple of decent saves but I can’t help but think he could have done better for their first. Danny was energetic and a threat, Cresswell made on blip and Cooper also made one. Murray was solid. Sav was busy and Leonard was similar but Burke looked good one minute and then disappeared. Honeyman was busy and Flem looked good at times. Bradshaw took his goal well but would have been disappointed with the OG. Esse floated around but was outmuscled a couple of times. Watmore had his moments and Vogi was similar. Molly and Evans had little time to impact the game.
All in all it was a disappointment and really a bridge too far for some. We were undone by a clever pair of corner routines and just fatigue. Now just outside the top six we will be looking forward to some R and R before Reading next week.
definitely think Esse should get more game time, got skill, pace and a good head. Well done WALL 
take it on the chin and move on COYL
