Match Report

League, 9^th December 2007

Final Result – SUJB FC 4 (Home) vs. FC Brimington 3 (Away)

Venue – Whirlow playing fields, Dore, Sheffield.

Managers View

The weather was cold today dry with little wind to contend with the ground was soft underneath and saturated with water after the heavy rainfall the previous day the going was heavy. We were short of players due to injuries, a suspension and non attendance due to the Ricky Hatton fight. The biggest blow was not having a goalkeeper which was to prove our Achilles heel today. Team formation today 4-3-3

The starting line for today's match was as follows:  

Match day reporters – Tom Simpson

Photographer – Simon Newton

First Half

The game kicked off at 11.10am. FCB spoke about protecting the keeper who is one of our strikers as Simon Newton was suspended for this game and Andy Bridgewater was injured with a torn ligament in his back so could not start the game Chris Kealey volunteered to keep goal. We spoke about restricting corners and keeping a tight defence to help the keeper. FCB soon start to dictate the pace and possession and Christie puts a neat flick to Fadiga who enters the box but his touch is heavy and the SUJB keeper acquires the ball. 5 mins in a great ball from Collier finds Crossland in space in the 6yd box Crossland controls and rounds the oncoming keeper with the goal wide open Crossland goes to slot home only for the ball to bobble up has he is just about to strike and he miss-hits and the shoots wide as the ball hits him in the ankle area. 15 mins Collier again delivers a great ball into Christie who plays Crossland in but his shot is over the bar. Blades first real effort on FCB goal is wide of the mark from distance. Blades obviously decided to test our stand in keeper from the onset but FCB had up to this point kept them out.

20 mins in against the run of play blades 2^nd such assault on our goal was a cheeky lob from 25yds out the blades player recognizing FCB keeper off his line and the fact that he wasn’t the tallest or a proper keeper took the chance which led to a goal 1-0 SUJB. After half an hour  a ball from Christie releases Fadiga who accelerates into the box followed by a blades defender who challenges from the back but its is the oncoming keeper who fouls Fadiga and a penalty is awarded view it here. Andy Crossland who has assumed penalty duties coolly slots home 1-1 fcb view it here.

FCB are now asserting the pressure once again after 40 mins Leversidge makes an overlap run down the wing and receives the ball from bathy but his cross is straight at the keeper. Great play by FCB with Crossland and Collier passing out the SUJB defence allowing Christie to receive the ball in the box un-marked he turns and runs towards the goal the SUJB keeper comes out and Christie shoots across the keeper who some how gets his finger to the shot and just pushes it past the post for a corner. Collier then takes the corner and delivers to the far post finding towers who chests the ball into the net goal 1-2 FCB view it here.

At half time we spoke about the threat from SUJB which we identified has long range shots and corners . the defence was doing a good job in restricting sujb any space in behind so the real threat was from the above two points.

Second Half

2^nd half commences FCB starts the brighter immediately putting SUJB under pressure resulting in a free-kick some 30 yds out, Collier delivers the kick and finds Crossland who turns and plays bathy in who SUJB appealed for offside but the referee seen the SUJB right-back playing him on and bathy with time took the shot first time and hits it over the bar a great opportunity missed. 50 mins in FCB breaks up an attack and Brooke whose first game for the club today was excellent thus far shrugged off a challenge and plays a through ball to perfection to Fadiga who skips passed the right back and rounds the out coming keeper to score his first goal for the club 1-3 FCB view it here.

55 mins Christie  receives the ball in an offensive area some 25yds out and plays a pass through to Fadiga who makes the run through the middle of two SUJB defenders but Fadiga saw the challenge of the 3^rd SUJB defender from the corner of his eye and lost concentration momentarily thus reducing the power and accuracy of the strike as he tried to jump the tackle and strike the ball in one movement thus allowing the keeper to save the under powered strike had he continued without this in mind he most definitely would have been took down in the box. 65 mins Leversidge goes on the overlap run from a pass from Collier and he takes it into the box and shoots the SUJB keeper saves and it goes for a corner. The subsequent corner is saved and the blades break on us forcing a corner at the other end, the corner is taken and is cleared by bathy but only to the oncoming blades midfielder who strikes the ball from 20yds out hard and low into the corner Kealey goes down and gets a hand to it but fails to push it past the post and the ball ends up in the back of the net 2-3 FCB.

The blades are buoyed by this and start to believe they can get back into the game this led to a knife edge finish has the blades realize that any accurate strike on goal would possibly result in a goal. FCB should have shut up shop to give more protection to the stand in keeper but they did not heed the warning. 70 mins Christie has the opportunity to put the game beyond reproach with a net busting strike but some how the blades keeper again gets a hand to it and puts behind for a corner. A mistake by Brooke who looses the ball in the middle with a misplaced pass allows the blades midfielder once again to run at the back line and draw a tackle from Simpson but shoots from 23 yds out and it flies into the top right corner 3-3 SUJB.

80 mins Fadiga is substituted for Lawrence Wragg. 85 mins with time running out FCB push for the winner yet again forcing SUJB back FCB win a corner and Collier and Brooke take a short corner they play a one two but they make a mess of it and the pass eludes Collier from Brooke and SUJB breaks on FCB the attack is foiled by Leversidge who puts the ball out for a corner, the subsequent corner by SUJB saw the winner as the unmarked SUJB player at the back post heads home 4-3 SUJB. With only 3 minutes left it proved to be the winner .

Summary

Today was a heartbreak defeat as we did so well with no keeper to command the lead we should have heeded the warnings at half time and maybe should have gone 4-5-1 when we went 3-1 up early in the 2^nd half. We are all learning managers and players alike. Its our first season together and we will suffer defeats but how we react after a defeat is key. Flo Fadiga gave us his best performance yet which earns him man of the match today. Elliott Christie missed Gartlan today with an subdued performance from the prolific striker, A special mention to the defence although we conceded 4 goals today 3 were long range efforts which the midfield should have closed down,  they kept them at bay and did not allow them to get behind in normal play, well done. Today’s disappointment could have been avoided if players communicate injuries early to us so we can do something about it instead of on the day. Also the attendance today was disappointing as the Ricky Hatton fight seems to have took precedence. Training is a must as the county cup game is next up, “ stand together” and we will achieve our aims.

Cliff Thomas