Match Report : Lucca Bilyard
Result : Southgate 4’s 2-6 London Wayfarers 5’s
With returning captain Kabir back leading the team the 4’s had a sense of confidence going into Saturday’s midday push back. Currently sat 2nd in the table and coming off 2 back to back wins we were ready to go for the 3rd. with two tough weeks coming u playing 3rd this week and 1st the next we knew we needed the 3 points to try close the gap. Southgate started off strong moving the ball round comfortably and winning it back quickly when we lost possession. After a good first 10 a brief lapse of concentration allowed Wayfarers tricky midfielder to pick up the ball and dribble past a few Gate players and slotting the ball in for the oppo to go 1-0 up.
Once refocused, Gate began to up the tempo. Some excellent play out the back by Mike and Luke and some lovely switches by Angus allowed Joe Kelly to break down the right wing for an excellent right side carry. The Wayfarer defender could do nothing but foul the speedy right back leading to a PC. A very simple but effective routine from Alessandro injecting, stopped by Lucca and the flicked home by Lik to make it 1-1. Wayfarers then began to up their tempo, a sustained attack led to aback post tap in after a good initial save from GK Tom Fish. 2-1. From a wayfarer 16 gate set up the press with CF mitch protecting the line to goal. Unfortunately he forgot the one thing he need to stop the crash ball, his stick on the floor, so the centre back rockets the ball straight on to his foot ending Mitch’s game in the first half. A very good spell of pressure in the last 5 kept Gate in the game and a lovely crash ball in rom the right finished by Freddie Burns with a delightful self-nutmeg deflection taking the ball through the goalies legs 2-2.
A rousing half time team talk ended rather unusually as we witness the sight if Mitch leaving the dug-out on the back of Wayne Garner as he went to A&E for an x-ray. Second half began and the opposition came out strong. A ball played down the right hand channel picked up in the corner a wayfarer winger with 3 Southgate players surrounding him. In theory nowhere to go but with pressure applied but no-one making the tackle a good pass into the penalty spot slapped first time across the gaol into the left hand side corner put the home team 3-2 down. Pushing for the equaliser we pushed many players up the pitch. More short corners won but not converted. Some excellent runs from Guy Garner down the right kept the attacks alive. Some great balls across the D just missed at the back post made it agonizingly close to levelling the game. With so many committed forward we were caught on the break and a quick counter put us 4-2 down. More pressure and some lovely link ups between Lik, Freddie and Kabir down the left came close but it was put just wide. CB’s mike and Luke kept the forward drive up from the back but unfortunately almost like deja-vu another counter put us 5-2 down. The 12 remaining Southgate men fought valiantly creating a few more chances but with fitness against us and frustration building sloppy passes cost us possession and London Wayfarers with a good bit if composer sealed the win with their 6th. A very frustrating day for the men’s 4’s but we go again next week.
MoM – Joint
-Angus Burns – great distribution from the middle
– Alessandro – solid defending and attacking down the wing
Dod – Mitch Read – not protecting his feet and getting carried to the car by Wayne Garner