Match Report

League, 30^th September 2007

Final Result – FC Brimington 3 (Away) vs. Colley Club 3 (Home)

Venue – Sheffield Civil Service Club, Sheffield

Manager’s View

Today was a football game played by two teams committed to winning but honouring the sport in the way it should be portrayed.

The language was very good from both teams and there was no interference from the bench or fans to the players and official. This was a stark difference to our last match which we will never forget but should gain wisdom from.

Team formation today 4-4-2

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

Match Day Reporters – Bev Bridgewater, Melissa Mattock, Chloe Empson

First Half

The match kicked off slightly early at 10.57a.m., FC Brimington in their all black kit and Colley club in light blue shirts and navy shorts and socks. The conditions were good with a light to moderate wind and slightly overcast. The pitch surface was greasy and underneath was soft.

2 minutes in and FCB immediately got into their passing rhythm. Matt Collier passed the ball from the centre finding Florent Fadiga on the left wing who played it into Elliott Christie. Christie in turn saw Mike Gartlan in a space and played a precision ball, splitting there defence and leading Gartlan into a 1-on-1 with Colley's keeper. With the keeper holding his position, Gartlan approached the 6yd area and scuffed his shot wide of the goal.

After 4 minutes, another early assault on Colley’s goal saw Christie collects a pass from Gartlan and is forced wide but shoots and the ball hits the post and goes out of play.

After 5 minutes, we regained possession and Chris Kealey played the ball to Kieran Maloney on the right wing that travelled down towards 18yd box. The ball was delivered across towards the far post, which Fadiga met, unmarked at the far post but headed straight at the keeper.

After 6 minutes we regained possession with some nice intricate play from Andrew Bath who deceived two defenders and entered the 18yd box still being chased by them. Bathy was forced wider than he wanted, struck the ball, but was denied a near certain goal by the crossbar.

7 minutes in, and a brief attack by Colley led to an easy save by Bridgewater, who up to this point was grooming his nails!

2 minutes later and Christie once again held off a challenge from a Colley defender and shot but the keeper gathered with two hands.

After 9 minutes there was a free-kick awarded to FCB for a foul on Christie. Collier took the kick and delivered it into the box but nothing came of it. A minute later, Gartlan had another chance to put FCB in front when a cross by Christie found him 8yds out. Gartlan struck the ball straight at the keeper, which he saved and deflected into the air but towards Fadiga who performed an overhead kick which went over the bar.

Colley foraged into our half after 13 minutes but we cleared up field to Fadiga on the left who attempted to deceive the defender with his close control but was pick pocketed by their defender where the ball was played quickly down the wing to their striker. Their striker ran across Tom Simpson and went for goal. With Bridgewater racing out off his line the striker picked his spot and drilled the ball into the far corner of the net.

1-0 Colley Club – FCB

Colley then found new impetus having been under pressure for most of the game up to this point.

20 minutes in, Colley mounted another attack but the shot was blocked by Ben Thomas. FCB had been somewhat angry with themselves up to this point having conceded against the run of play. A minute later, Gartlan was through again put was judged offside.

After 26 minutes, Colley’s attack led to a good save by Bridgewater. A goal kick got the ball to Kieran who played the ball down the line to Christie who ran into the channel. Christie deceived a Colley defender and played the ball across the 6yd box with pace to Gartlan running in through the middle. Gartlan then scored.

1-1 Coley Club – FCB

29 minutes in, Kealey made a run from the right back centrally through Colley's team and shot from 18yds out which was put wide.

After 40 minutes, Gartlan went through from a ball off Bathy to strike it, but was denied a 2^nd goal by the post.

3 minutes before the break, Colley’s attack led to a strike on our goal from 19yds out but the shot was wide of the mark. 

Half time

Second Half

Game resumes 11.46

A substitution at half time led to Fadiga coming off and Nathan Gordon coming on. Formation was changed to 4-3-3 with Gordon, Gartlan, Christie up front; Kieran, Bath, Collier in the centre; and the back line was the same.

In the first minute after the break, Gordon got through and struck at goal but shot wide. We won a corner which Collier took and delivered into the box. Bathy received and shot but went wide.

49 minutes in, Bathy delivered a cross into the box which Gartlan received and attempted to score but misses. During the next 12 minutes we were subjected to the longest period of offence by Colley where FCB had to endure 6 corners with some brave defending which kept Colley at bay.

After 52 minutes, Christie had another shot on Colley’s goal and yet again missed. I can’t help feeling that with all these attempts on Colley’s goal and only one to show for it, it may not be our day.

On minute later Gordon’s 2nd attempt on the Colley goal lead to the ball struck way over the bar.

After 54 minutes, Colley broke on us on the left they delivered a good ball into the box where Matt Collier was deemed to have unfairly eased Colley’s striker off the ball. The referee awarded a penalty to Colley which Steve Whitworth scored from

2-1 Colley Club – FCB

After 63 minutes Bathy put Christie through on the left of goal who drove into the box but was pulled down by the defender. The referee awarded a penalty to FCB. Simpson debated the kick with Bathy who took it but hit a poor shot straight to their keeper who saved.

65 minute in and there were handbags from Bath and one of Colley’s players and the referee deals with the situation effectively.

After 67 minutes, Gartlan was injured with a kick to his ankle but continued after treatment. Searching for an equalizer, Simpson came forward after we won a corner he received the ball from a clearance by Colley 22yds out and struck the ball with venom. Had it been on target he would have scored as their keeper did not even move.

After 70 minutes Bath received a yellow card due to shirt pulling.

With time running out, we won a free kick which in the 75^th minute Collier chipped over their defence where Bath read it well to come in from the edge of the right wing and score.

2-2 Colley Club – FCB

After the 81^st minute, a goal kick by Colley led to a route one goal where Connor misread the flight of the ball and the striker gets in on the blind side and side foots in.

3-2 Colley Club – FCB

1 minute later we played the ball from kick off to Simpson on the left who delivered a ball over the top of Colley’s defence and the keeper attempted to go for the ball but Christie got his feet their first and lobbed the keeper to score.

3-3 Colley Club – FCB

After 92 minutes, buoyant from equalizing again we regained possession from kickoff. Gordon played Gartlan in on the left who deceived the defender into thinking he was going for goal but in fact squared a pass across the 18yd box to Christie. Unmarked, and 9yds out Christie, who could have been a hero unfortunately lashed his shot across the face of the goal.

Full time

Summary

The performance was better and we only lacked clinical finishing. The first 20 minutes of the game was our best period so we have made some improvements since the two back to back defeats.

Injury list: Ben Leversidge, Phil Hirons, Neil Hall, Sean Gardner, Simon Newton, Sam Taylor

Holiday: Dave Simpson who came back from Rhodes at 9am today and came to support the team.

Lawrence Wragg who was called away due to a death in the family. Our thoughts are with you.

Thanks to Ben Leversidge for coming to watch today yet again. When we are back to full strength then we can achieve much more. We must train harder and find the rhythm required as in preseason.

Match day photos to be put on the gallery pages.

Cliff Thomas