Match Report

Derby Ams (1) v Holbrook St. Michael Reserves (2)

Date: 18/08/07
Team: 1sts
Match Type: League
Venue: Home
Opposition: Holbrook St. Michael Reserves

With the season now in full flow, players are starting to settle in, but with a vastly changed midfield to the one that played last game, this match was always going to be a tester against a team that are always up for it.

With captain Colley still missing in action from last week's outings (lost his bottle), it was the turn of Sam Juffs to take the warm up. Now I'm not going to make a point of including warm ups in match reports, but when it consists of running backwards AND putting your knees up, it had a few players twisting, turning and at one point nearly cart wheeling (Dibsy mostly)

Without wanting to repeat myself and sound monotonous, Saturday's fixture was scrappy again with very little offering of the total football normally associated with Derby Ams teams.

Things started badly after ten minutes when a high bouncing ball came into our own box saw the keeper come out to claim with Sam marshalling the ball back, saw their number 10 (who I will come to mention later) blatantly push him into the keeper who subsequently fell onto Sam landing with both sets of studs across his midriff and for the second week running substitutions were forced upon us early on in the game due to injury, which goes to show that you don't mess with Butters cause he's well hard!!!

Midway through the first half we got our noses (haha) in front. The goal was, to say at least, out of the blue. A free kick was awarded just inside our own half, and as Ads (long ball specialist), acting as holding midfielder, saw the opposing keeper off his line with a little help of another team member who shall remain nameless (me), lumped a ball which must have flown the best part of 50 yards and bypassed a flapping keeper who could only wave at the ball as it flew over him straight into the net.

At this time I would like to congratulate Ads after last weeks highly coveted 'BONK of the match' award, he obviously took my criticism on board and produced a goal of the season contender!

After the goal we started to dominate possession pressing high and forcing errors from their defence. Chance after chance was created but no one seemed prepared to take a gamble, have a pop, drill one in, or even shoot.

For the first time this season we went in at half time leading. We all knew though, that with only a one goal cushion the second half would be tenser than an X-Factor final.

The second half began and they had obviously changed their game plan from playing football to kicking lumps out of us (probably because they didn't do anything positive in the first half at all) including not being able to jump without elbowing people in the face, but it was on Grant so we forgive them, and in the case of their number 10 'accidentally' belting players about 3 minutes after the ball had been played, but in his defence I think he was cross eyed and so may well have seen the ball still there. This sparked the most amazing comeback that you are likely to hear on a football pitch from our manager and current sweeper, Richard Swain, 'How would you like it if I accidentally shot you in the head?'(Allegedly) this was met with rapturous applause from the onlookers.

As the game progressed Holbrook were looking the more likely to score and midway through the second half they did. A loose ball that we were unable to clear bounced off about three players and fell to a Holbrook player who fired (miskicked) low into the corner. 1 - 1.

With about ten minutes left on the clock another scramble in the box saw our keeper make a fine point blank save onto the cross bar only for the ball to bounce on the bar THREE TIMES and fall at the feet of a Holbrook player who just hit and hoped and saw the ball fly past 2 defenders on the line.

From the kick off we pressed knowing that we had been the better footballing team and within about two or three minutes of the restart, James who had been a constant thorn in Holbrook's side, tore through two defenders only to be kicked to floor from behind, after the ball had been played and was through on goal only for the referee to not award a penalty because, and I quote, 'he had to think about it.' This proved to be one of the last actions of the game and certainly the most controversial.

We probably could have won this game if we had learnt that sometimes you just have to put foot through leather and clear the lines. Again we had a strong performance from substitutions, most notably Belly (Gary Bell) who came in for Sam and was solid at the back, but with a testing week ahead with two midweek games we will now have to rely on strength in depth giving our 'fringe players' their chance to shine and earn a first team placement.

BONK of the Match: Martin Dixon - Had a steady game but swung a complete air shot midway through second half, edge of box. Maybe a game of golf would have been more suited to you????

Man of the Match: James Whittaker - Without doubt the best player on the pitch. Won everything in the air and should have been awarded a penalty at the end.

Article by: Adam Blackburn