Match Report : Brian Cade

Result : WIN 3-2 vs Spencer

With a whiff of Spring in the air the Titans arrived, albeit in dribs and drabs at the luxurious surroundings of the Bank of England Sports centre.

Spencer were sitting 2nd place in the league and soon after push back it became evident the reason for their lofty position. The oppo midfield quickly got a hold of the game and controlled both possession and territory. With their midfielders and attackers all playing high positions, it was backs against the walls for the opening 10 minutes. However, the Titans defensive lines and shape were well marshalled under the tutelage of Biffy and managed to thwart much of the oppos thrusts.

These opening minutes proved insightful too as the oppo showed their hand. Titans responded with an on the fly change of tactics seeing Pedz start shelling balls high to our grateful forward line thus exposing the gaps left behind Spencer’s high press. One such a ball found the wand of our very own v-drag wizard in residence Jatin who’s snappy noodlings left oppo dizzy. We created chance after chance and the breakthrough finally came when Jatin was able to steal the ball off their defender and attacked the base line only to find Pedz up top to slot the ball home. 1-0

With Titans 1 up we started to tick, the pendulum swings of the metronomic Wiz providing the necessary rhythm in midfield. SImple passing is the name of the game and these give and go tactics saw Titans once more pressure the Spencer D. This time in the form of the teutonic terror Joerghen who carved up a couple of defenders only to be forced wide. Opportunity squandered? Not on your Nelly! With composure and patience he pirouetted his way back into position to funnel the ball under the keeper’s body. 2:0

A Titans half time team talk is an enigmatic thing. The usual wize voices pipe up with inspirational cool headed utterings. The Parakeets in the adjacent overhanging trees chirp approvingly of Biffys closing statement “Next goal is crucial – we must score it” So onto the pitch go the valiant Titans and concede within 5 mins. 😝

Matters are made worse, Spencer, encouraged and emboldened, soon find themselves on level terms. All I hear from the middle of the pitch is the banshee wailing of our despairing goalkeeper Justin as he berates the lack of defensive cover. I feel my comrades’ pain. It doesn’t seem fair.

Titans respond by building from the back. We make some fine flanking runs into enemy territory, Randall and Ali down the left and Brian on the right, pressure builds, chances fall to Big Hands another to Jat and Joergen. Then against the run of play an oppo foray into our D sees another goal conceded. WTF! Hold on though, for reasons unknown to me, it gets chalked off. We breathe again.

So Titans get back to work, we rebuild, however we are tiring. Recognising this Duncan demands more backtracking and more cover from his midfielders, we try and respond but when you are chasing the W something has to give. The gamble pays off, Titans are awarded a shortie. A discussion ensues and sees Pedz take up top D, the injection comes in, it is stopped on a sixpence and with animalistic muscularity the flick is spent rocketing (more like looped) into the backboard with the sun blinded keeper left flailing. They all count!

Titans see it out for a worthy 3:2 Win.

There was a final tale to tell on this momentous and eventful day and it came in the form of the two match officials. Resplendent in matching green livery and Duke Nukem shades. All that I can say as to their performance was that they were very very good and very very fair. No seriously they were, straight up!