Match Report
League, 16th March 2008
Final Result – FC Brimington 2 (Home) vs. Civil Service FC 3 (Away)
Venue – Boundary Sports Ground, Jordanthorpe Parkway, Jordanthorpe, Sheffield.
Managers View
This match whilst not a title decider would give one of the teams an advantage in the run in, Civil service are the best team we have played so far in this division. We expect the game to be tighter as we do not think civil will give us the room to play our passing game. The conditions are against us today the heavy rain the night before has put paid to our normal game. We have to gain control but be cautious on set plays as Civil shown us last time we met that they are good at dead ball situations. Civil will want revenge for the defeat 3 weeks earlier so we are aware of this. Team formation today 4-3-3
The starting line for today's match was as follows:
B. Leversidge
E. Christie
T. Brooke
M. Collier
D. Simpson
M. Gartlan
C. Kealey
G. Cosgrove
A. Bath
P. Hirons
Florent Fadiga (Midfield)
James Towers (Defender)
Sam Taylor (Striker)
Match day reporter – James Towers
Photographer – Tom Simpson & Sam Taylor
First Half
The conditions were cold and wet with the pitch boggy. The game was dominated by FC Brimington in the first 5 minutes with the best chances falling to Bath and Kealey then a long ball from Civil Service some from their own half found their striker in the box some 7yds out being marked by FCB defender Cosgrove the Civil striker spun and shot and scored 1-0 Civil Service after 6 mins.
Civil now buoyed by this continue to press. Soon afterwards another chance by civil is dealt with by FCB, we then have a chance by Kealey who shoots just past the post. Then a break by Civil on the left is not dealt with as FCB defender Leversidge tries to see the ball out of play but it comes off him for a corner. The corner is taken and a great run across our defenders leads to another Civil goal headed in 2-0 after just 14 mins into the game.
FCB find this hard to take the surface and conditions suited Civil more who set their stall out to pack the midfield with 5 players and stop us running and passing efficiently this did have a profound effect coupled with the mud bath of a pitch which seemed to cut up quickly. Bit by bit FCB started to get some momentum and a lot of possession not too many clear cut chances with bath having the best on 23 minutes for FCB. But a free-kick some 40yds out taken by Hirons of FCB on the 40th minute is delivered into the box towards Christie who runs to head the ball but misses, this distracted the Service keeper who misses it also and it goes in 2-1 civil service view it here. With this goal FCB push hard and have service on the ropes and on the stroke of half time a run into the box by Kealey is not picked up and Kealey slots home to equalize 2-2 FCB on 45 mins view it here.
Half time 2-2
Second Half
FCB do not start with the verve they normally do and the game is even at this point with efforts both ends then the goal that gave Service the ascendancy comes. Another corner is won by Service after we failed to clear for a throw in, a great delivery and poor marking lead to the Service player running across the line to head home identically to the 2nd goal 3-2 Service. Defensively today FCB was poor, we regain the ascendancy and dominated the possession with Service looking for the counter attack. A Kealey chance went past the post and Hirons chance after an FCB corner should have equalized but he shot wide. Bath blazed over the bar.And with time running out with 5 mins left the chance came when some great play on the left by Gartlan who ran into the box and took aim some 10yds out the Service keeper and a Service defender both came out to block the shot the keeper saves and falls over and the defender falls over as well on to his own keeper but the ball falls to Fadiga the FCB sub some 4yds out Fadiga shoots for goal and the defender raised his upper part off the floor and stops the ball going over the line with his hand a definite goal denied by this action. The referee is positioned perfectly and views the incident but decides it was not intentional and does not give a penalty.
The fact that it was a certain goal had this action intentional or not had not took place should have had a bearing on awarding the penalty by the official. The action by the Civil defender prevented the equalizer due to his raised hand on the goal line. In my opinion to assess intentional or not intentional one has to take stock of the area on the pitch where the incident took place and the scoreline at the time and which team would of benefited from such an action. No penalty was given by the referee and the game finished 3-2 Civil Service. Whilst we did not play well enough and made to many errors to win it outright we did deserve a point for our dominance in possession.
Final score 1-2 FCB.
View the post match interview here
Summary
Credit has to go to Civil Service for how they set their stall out with packing the midfield. We have to learn from the two headed goals from corners. We showed great endeavor and determination to get back into the game before half time which is very encouraging. Matt Collier epitomized this and was awarded man of the match. Chance was few for the dynamic duo Gartlan & Christie. Defensively we have to improve after that performance. Two corners and a route one ball undone us.
Had we won today we would have been top for the first time this season! Lady luck and an unusual decision left us in the shadows today but its not over yet! Lets get on with it and show again what we can do in the last 6 games I am proud of what we have done so far in our first season together and I know with our hard preseason schedule with additional coaching from A licence coach Pete Cooper our 2nd year will be far different. So chin up everyone all to play for in the last 6 games. We shall never surrender .
Who dares loose!
Cliff Thomas