Match Report

League, 3^rd February 2008

Final Result – FC Brimington 7 (Home) vs. Colley Club FC 1 (Away)

Venue – Boundary Sports Ground, Jordanthorpe Parkway, Sheffield.

Managers View

The weather was cold today dry with a strong wind to contend with, the ground was soft underneath without being too saturated with water. FC Brimington wanted to put the disappointment of being knocked out the cup behind us and more importantly learn something from that defeat. Who dares wins is our motto until the end of this season. Team formation today 4-3-3

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

Match day reporters – Tom Simpson

Photographers – James Towers, Sam Taylor

First Half

The game kicked off at 11am. We spoke before the game about playing at a high tempo stretching the opposition in the first half then sustaining the levels in the 2^nd half, the training has been intense and long in duration some 2.5 hours per week as well as 5 a side games for half of the players in the week. FCB set off like a runaway train imposing their game on Colley Club, the chances soon started to be fashioned out only 5mins in Ben Leversidge at leftback got forward as much as he could and linking up with Gartlan and  drove a shot from 19 yards out from the Colley goal but their keeper saved.

Hirons got his head onto a corner by Collier at the far post it looked a certain goal but somehow the Colley keeper got across and got his hand to it. Leverssidge again overlapping down the wing Gartlan laid the ball into his path and Leversidge struck a peach of a ball only to see the shot just go over the bar. Soon after Kealey makes a run from the middle with Christie and picks up a pinpoint pass from Crossland and enters the Colley box with Christie on his right and with a Colley defender gaining on him he struck the ball with his weaker left foot and it went straight to the keeper.

Colley first real assault in our half led to the first goal of the game, an error from Dave Simpson when he misjudges a ball led to the Colley striker pouncing on the loose ball with Newton quick, Recognizing the danger he raced off his line to smother the shot but the rebound fell kindly to another Colley player who side foots in 0-1 Colley Club.

Shocked by the goal totally against the run of play FCB steps up its game and starts to pressure Colley Club and soon siege them in their own half. A through ball down the wing by Brooke finds Kealey who delivers a low cross that is met by Christie who tries to side foot in but the Colley keeper somehow stops the shot with his body. Soon after Kealey again races down the right wing and again delivers a low cross but this time Christies finds the net by striking the ball through the Colley keepers legs 1-1 FCB. 

Buoyed by this FCB put pressure straight on after the restart and on Christie held off the challenge of two Colley defenders on the edge of the Colley box and plays Gartlan in who tees up and strikes some 16yds out with his right foot and scores 2-1 view it here.

More sustained pressure kept FCB camped in the colley club half searching for the 3^rd goal, Christie is put through on goal some 25yds out but is cynically brought down, Collier takes the subsequent freekick but his strike goes past the post. In the 43^rd Gartlan receives the ball down the left from Crossland and runs into the box Gartlan strikes across the oncoming keeper but the ball looks like its going wide Christie comes flying in on the far post and puts the ball into the back of the net Colley appeal for offside and the referee deliberates and gives offside but do not know who was offside it was not Gartlan and Christie came from behind play goal not given.

A scramble in the Colley box led to Christies 2^nd disallowed goal a shot by Kealey is parried by the Colley keeper and Gartlan strikes again and the ball hits a colley defender it rebounds to Christie who stabs the ball home Colley appeal for offside against Christie but the final touch came off the Colley defender before Christie scored so it was a goal but the ref ruled it out again view it here.

Half time

At half time we said at the interval that with us kicking against the wind we should keep the ball on the floor and increase the tempo.

Second Half

2^nd half

we started as we left off controlling possession for the first few minutes but we struggled, we had to endure a few minutes under pressure as Colley Club kept launching the ball into our half with an aerial assault last seen in a world war 2 bombing raid. We dealt with it diligently and soon FCB won a corner, Collier delivers into the box Crossland flicks on and Brooke heads out and Gartlan brings down and volleys from the edge of the Colley 18yd box Goaaal 3-1 FCB view it here.

Immediately after the restart Christie is put through by Brooke on the right Christie runs into the Colley box being hounded by a Colley defender he dispatches an Exocet missile of a strike that hits the near post then the far post comes across the line and comes out Christie is unlucky not to have scored. FCB win a free-kick for a foul on Cosgrove some 30yds out Collier delivers into the box towards Christie who is held back by Colley defender the referee awards a penalty. Kealey our usual penalty taker offers Gartlan the spot-kick to acquire his hat trick Gartlan strikes the ball hard and low the keeper guesses right but the strike is too good. 4-1 FCB view it here.

4 minutes later Cosgrove breaks up a Colley club attack on the left deep in our own half, Colley club are throwing caution to the wind but Cosgrove sees the pass to release Gartlan and plays it down the line in behind the right back, Gartlan accelerates past the defender into the box with Christie bracing in on the right Gartlan drives the ball into the back of the net goaaal 5-1 FCB.

At this point we make some substitutions before the restart Crossland and Brooke come off and Tom Simpson and Andrew Bath come on, Bath in the middle and Simpson at right back. FCB are still sustaining a high tempo and Colley Club cannot quite live with it. A pass from collier in the air from his own half finds Christie who came short near the half way line, Christie flicks on with his head and loops the ball over the Colley centre half who is right behind him the ball lands perfectly to Bath some 35 yds out with the Colley keeper racing out off his line Bath lobs the ball over the keeper some 25yds out goaaal 6-1 FCB.

This was Baths first goal since October 2007, and boy he enjoyed that. FCB makes another substitution and Collier comes off and Towers comes on in midfield. Tom Simpson nearly has a chance to score when he races up the line from right back he just require the right pass from Christie but there was too much weight on the pass and the keeper gathers. Tom Simpson plays the ball into the channel and the Colley keeper comes off his line early to evert Gartlan getting there first but instead of putting the ball out he tries to play it pass the oncoming Gartlan who takes the ball off him and crosses immediately to the oncoming Christie who taps in goaaal 7-1 FCB.

Christie puts Kealey through on a 1v1 with Colley keeper Kealey seems to have an age to decide what to do but he strikes it straight at the Colley Club keeper who saves. FCB see out the game with no more goals. 

Full Time FCB 7 Colley Club 1

Full time

Summary

We played well in really cold and windy conditions we must take each game and treat with the same determination as we did today. A great debut by Gareth Cosgrove today, Gartlan and Christie the dynamic duo batman & robin are back, Kealey was everywhere, Simon and the back line played very well. Collier, Crossland. Bath and Towers all did exceptionally well in the middle. Phil Hirons last game for the foreseeable future ended on a high. Special mention to Flo, Bridgewater, Wragg who did not get a game today. Its difficult with a big squad and all players have to be patient as the season has proven previously with injuries holidays etc your chance may be around the corner. Thanks to all supporters and the Brickmakers Arms for the post match food. 

Who dares loose!

Cliff Thomas