ATHLETIC
BACK DOWN TO EARTH WITH A BUMP!
Fixture:
Heyford Athletic V's Wootton St. George
Venue:
Heyford
Competition:
Pre-Season Friendly
Result:
2:2 (Half Time 1:1)
Heyford
Goal Scorers: Currier (2 pens)
Line
Up:
|
1.
|
James
Stirling (C) |
|
2.
|
Adam
Midson |
|
3.
|
Paul
Curley |
|
4.
|
Joe
Gartland |
|
5.
|
Paul
Farmer |
|
6.
|
Thomas
Whittaker |
|
7.
|
Ryan
Grant |
|
8.
|
Nick
Moore |
|
9.
|
Paul
Currier |
|
10.
|
Ben
Richards |
|
11.
|
James
Hemphill |
|
SUBS
|
|
|
|
Nathan
Lacey |
|
|
Tom
Butcher |
Match
Report (Courtesy of Nick 'Stan' Inwood)
With
our usual roaming reporter Mick Butcher still on his 'Summer
break' and with the website due live this week, I have decided
to produce our first match report of the season, although perhaps
in hindsight I should have done one 2 weeks ago after we'd buried
Chenecks 5-1.
Tonight's
visit of Division 1 side Wootton St.George should have been
a stroll in the park compared to our previous game or at least
that's what I think a few of our lads thought.
With
a number of players absent this evening for one reason or another
we went into the game slightly thin on numbers although this
shouldn't be used as an excuse to cover up a disappointing performance
- that said the game was only a friendly and like we said following
the Chenecks game it is what happens on and after September
6th that really counts.
We
started this evenings game with a 4-4-2 formation, with Mossy
as usual between the sticks and lining up in front of him were
Middo, Joe 'the Monk' Gartland, Farms and Curley. The midfield
was made up of Whitty, Mooro, Granty and Hemphill with 1st team
debutant, 15 year old Ben Richards partnering Blobby in attack.
This left Butch on the bench although he was joined just before
the interval by Lacey.
Heyford
started the game very slowly and it was Wootton who looked like
the Premier Division side as they got the ball down and attacked
with pace, causing problems at will for the home defence.
It
was no surprise that on 10 minutes Wootton took the lead when
some good flowing football left Middo with a two on one situation
and he was helpless as the striker nipped in and poked the ball
past the stranded Mossy.
You
would have thought this would have been the wake up call that
Heyford needed, sadly it wasn't as it took a wonderful full
length save from Mossy to tip the ball onto the post and the
intervention of Leggers flag on 2 occasions where the ball ended
up in the net to keep the score to only 1-0.
As
the game wore on Heyford gradually started to settle although
were still playing far too many long balls up to the helpless
Currier and Richards, much to the annoyance of the management.
The
one time we did get the ball down and play a bit of football
our play was rewarded as a nice through ball from Granty sent
us through on goal with the despairing tackle of the defender
deemed a foul (correctly) and a penalty was dually awarded.
Up stepped Currier and his powerful left footed shot found the
corner despite the keeper getting 2 hands on the ball.
This
prompted Heyford's first change of the night with Tom Butcher
coming on for his first pre-season action in place of Middo
at right back.
The
half drew to a close with no further incident of note and the
sides went in level, which was somewhat fortunate on the home
teams part.
HALF
TIME: Heyford Athletic 1 V's Wootton St.George 1
With
Lacey arriving just before half time, he was introduced at the
interval in place of Farmer and within a couple of minutes of
the restart he was in the action as his long throws seem to
cause some panic in the visitors box.
For
the first 10 minutes or so Heyford asserted some pressure on
the visitors defence although they easily held out and started
to reassert themselves as an attacking force in the game. Much
like parts of the 1st half the game became slightly scrappy
with plenty of crunching tackles flying in, in midfield, although
it still has to be said the best football being played was still
coming from the visitors as Heyford struggled to string more
than 2 passes together.
Only
a number of last ditch tackles prevented Wootton from retaking
the lead although we did come close to snatching the lead after
Ben Richards had charged down the keepers clearance following
a back pass.
With
15 minutes remaining Wootton took a deserved lead, as a cross
come shot was fumbled by Mossy at full stretch straight into
the path of the on rushing striker who couldn't miss when presented
with an open goal 3 yards out.
With
5 minutes remaining a second penalty of the night was conceded
by the visitors, this one for handball, up stepped Currier to
confidently dispatch his second of the night as this time the
keeper went the wrong way.
This
was the last real action of the night and the final whistle
soon followed.
FULL
TIME: Heyford Athletic 2 V's Wootton St.George 2
Match
Summary:
Following
the great result and performance against Chenecks 2 weeks ago,
tonight was perhaps the best thing that could have happened,
overall the performance as a team was below par and perhaps
we had a reality check they we are not world beaters and no
matter who you are playing you need to earn the right to play
football.
Still
as I said earlier tonight's game was a friendly, with no points
at stake so lets try to take what positives there were from
the game and put our performance right when we travel to Blisworth
a week on Saturday (23rd September), who incidentally will be
no mugs as they've already drawn with UCL side Rushden &
Higham, as well as beating our Comb rivals Milton.
Man of the Match: No Award
