Match Report

Derby Ams (1) v Southwell Amateuirs II (1)

Date: 19/09/09
Team: 2nds
Match Type: League
Venue: Home
Opposition: Southwell Amateuirs II

After what I’m told last week was in performance terms a disaster. Putting that behind us for today’s fixture would prove tough and with ourselves and the first team struggling for players things weren’t looking great. The first half seemed all one way as Southwell used the time and space they had well moving the ball down the wings and stretching the Ams back four with balls through the middle.
The back four coped well clearing the ball and restricting their strikers to efforts from distance. On the odd occasion that Derby ventured forward, Trembirth working his way down the left and Derbyshire doing likewise down the right with more success and the forwards Crosby and Bravo holding the ball up, but in the last third the final ball was missing. Southwell took the lead with 10 minutes in the half remaining, from a corner the ball coming almost to the far post for an opposing player to head home from close range 1-0.
Derby picked themselves up and minutes later Savage let fly from a good 35 yards out but the keeper was equal to his effort. The last action of the half saw the Ams unlucky not to go in level as Hosker dribbled his way into the Southwell area and found Bravo with a short pass but although his shot was on target it was straight at the keeper.
The game restarted and from the off the Derby defence found itself stretched, but as the half progressed the Ams started to play moving the ball forward. Two substitutions saw Blackburn and Clay replace Trembirth and Bravo, a slight reshuffle saw Hosker go up front with Blackburn slotting into midfield with Clay on the left. This change had the desired effect as more of the game moved into the Southwell half, with good balls being played into the front two and both flanks, with a few shots at goal into the bargain.
Derbys defence held with R.Smith and Chilton foiling many an attack and with K.Smith being vocal and when called upon saving well, full backs Yarnall and Selby were tackling well and distributing the ball down the flanks. Things started to turn as Hosker time and again broke past the Southwell back four only to be foiled when he got into the area. Hosker broke clear and dribbled his way into the box and using his right foot behind his left to get a shot off only to see it blocked and Crosby was on hand to poke the ball home from close range 1-1.
With the clock ticking away Clay picked up the ball just outside his own box and went on a run down the left being cheered all the way, beating four players to get into the area and crossed only to find nobody in the area, just Hosker who arrived late. Today Derby we looked like a team who wanted something from this game with a very pleasing second half performance from the players all round.