LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PASS THE BALL

Subs

• Mcloughlin for M.Barber

• Peter Ryan for Stokes

• Foster for Cardall

Not bad, not bad at all. I liked the attitude shown in this game.  It was make or break for the rest of the season.  The top 3 teams have opened up a big gap on the rest of us.  We are sitting in 4th and although we have played less games but I made it clear to the lads that this game and the one next week would decide the rest of our season.  Two wins and we can stay with the top pack.  Any slip ups and we would be fighting out 4th place with the rest of them.

This is why I was most pleased as the lads actually looked like they wanted to test themselves against the best, rather than going for the easy life of mid-table mediocrity.

We made a few changes to the team.  Jim came back in for the injured Graham and Matt B replaced Dylan on the right.  Our home record has been a real mixture.  We have played our best football at home but our record isn’t great after league defeats by Knowle Eagles, Lakeside and Coleshill.  This game and next weeks against Austin (again at home) would give us chance to put that right.

Knowle Robins are a decent side.  We have had good games against them over the years.  They have already had impressive wins this season so it was never going to be easy.  In football you tend to get teams you do well against as well as bogey teams who you can never beat.  We always tend to perform against the Robins and this performance was even better than the one on the opening day when we beat them 2-0.

The game itself had a fairly quiet start.  We had our fair share of the ball but our passing was letting us down.  We were giving possession away too easily.  We began to get some joy up the left wing with Dayle carrying on from where he had left off before being forced off against Bromsgrove.

The game was still tight half way through the 1st half but this is when we started to click.  Our passing became a lot sharper and we were having success up both wings.  Alex and Mark took control of the midfield and we started to pin the Robins back.  Eventually a succession of corners led to us getting a penalty.  The ball landed at Ryan’s feet.  He danced past two defenders with quick feet before being chopped down for an obvious penalty.  Mark stepped up and coolly put us ahead.

We went from strength to strength as the confidence grew.  Jim and Henners, who were both very good in this game, began to get forward and get on the ball more in attacking areas.  They both have the knack off picking out a good pass.  Neither of them give the ball away very often and that is crucial when playing in those positions.

Before half time we got the 2nd goal that we had deserved.  Mike Halloran stabbed the ball into the corner for his 12th of the season.  Half time 2-0.

The 2nd half was really impressive.  Steveo was confident and assured in goal.  Scotty and Mikey dominated the defence.  Mark and Al had really got a grip of the midfield and Dayle was running rings around just about everybody who got in his way.

Henry (again) got on the score sheet.  Not with a trademark header but with a brilliantly timed run into the box that Frank Lampard would have been proud of.  It was a good goal but Henners is still doing press ups on Thursday night as he was way out of position when he got the goal. 3-0.

We sent on the substitutes and its great to see all of them contribute.  Including two of them getting on the score sheet.  Dylan was lively from the minute he went on and scored the goal of the game with a well timed run and crunching finish into the far corner.  I think it was Alex who played the pass out to him.

The 5th goal was probably the most anybody has ever deserved a goal.  Peter Ryan was making his debut for us today.  He has been training with us for what seems like an eternity and he has improved so much as a player in that time that we had no choice but to ask him to sign for us.  It’s a great example that with hard work anybody can force their way into the team.  Peter went on for the last 15 minutes and it was he who scrambled in the 5th with a typical poachers goal after Dayle was again unlucky not to score.  Dayle won’t forgive me if I don’t mention his thumping shot at the bar.  We had a lot of good performers out there today.  Dayle deservedly won man of the match.  Scott was outstanding.  Mark again bossed the midfield and I thought this was Jim’s best performance of the season.  Well done to all.

I asked for 6 points to finish off the year with.  3 down and 3 to go.  If we can take this form into the Austin game on Sunday we have a great chance at catching up with the top 3.  Without doubt, when we play well, that it where we belong.

Steve