RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att: 574
SUTTON UNITED – 1 [Bolt]
HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS – 2 [Lee. Parker]
Match reporter: Chalmers
The last game before Xmas. Tis’ the season to be jolly and all that crap.
The geezer who came up with that one can’t have been a U’s fan. There’s been hardly anything jolly about watching ‘em this season
One or two decent performances, but the majority have been unenjoyable even when we’ve claimed all 3 points. Maybe we were spoilt last season (Eh? You been on the sherry Chalmers?? -Taz), even though we were virtually relegated by late Feb/early March, last season was quality. Still, we carry on paying to watch expecting a bit of entertainment, get none, freeze our arses off, moan about why we do it and that we’re not going to again, then into the pub and arrange how to get to the next match in the middle of smeg nowhere. (Nice link into todays oppo!)
Anyway, Heybridge at home. One place above us in the table. The sort of game we’d expect to take the points, using our supposed footy skills to outwith their Essex style. (IE. Big & ‘Orrible). Oh arse.
I didn’t make it to the Basingstoke game, but it was the same 15 that turned out there. Our visitors started strongly and hit the bar early on. Their frontman Kris Lee being a constant pain in the arse. Natrually, Bolt is our main creator. A throw in hits him on the back of the head and whilst everyone stands around chuckling, he picks up the loose ball and sends a wicked left foot shot just past the far post. Another good moment sees Bolt whip in a cross that is a fraction too high for Boothe.
Some of our build up play is good, with one ball being knocked out to Harford who’s shot is again just past the post. Soon after a Dave Harlow throw is overhead kicked by Boothe onto the underside of the bar and away. It ain’t all one way as Hammonds loses the ball between his feet and is dispossessed by a Heybridge forward who then wastes the chance. Sears then combines with Bolt, whose brilliant turn and cross is blazed over by Boothe in a very good position.
Our defence are meanwhile all over the shop. A through ball between Hammonds & Horner finds Kriss Lee. Neither player makes a tackle and the visiting striker knocks the ball over Howells & into the net as Gareth tries to narrow the angle. 1-0.
Harford tries a shot from the kick off. It fails. Very mid nineties! Lee continues causing havoc for the Swifts, only Hammonds denies him a clear shot but the rebound is pushed round the post for a corner by Howells. The visiting ‘keeper, Banks struggled all afternoon with crosses and it’s from a cross we get our equaliser. Brooker swings the bal in from the right, Banks fumbles and Bolt blasts it into the net thru a crowded penalty area. 1-1!!! Now this is the point where we should have taken control of the game. We at least had the chances to. Thompson comes on for Sears and makes a nuisance of himself. It’s odd to see us actually using a striker up front! What with Boothe now actually a centreback and Bolt more a winger than forward. Horner goes close with a header at the back post from a Bolt free-kick.
Lee continues to run our defence ragged, rounding Howells one time, but is shot is a bit of a daisy cutter and Gareth scrambles back to save. Nko puts Bolt thru on the left and his cross is only just held by Banks with Thompson lurking. Then the inevitable happened. All our missed chances prove vital and a cross from the right finds Parker unmarked to loop a header over a stranded Howells. 2-1. From then on, we just seemed to fold up, threatening the Heybridge goal little before the end. So another game of missed chances and a dodgy back four. Still, we were off down the boozer to get pissed and talk about the Carshalton game. Better win that one!! And was forgotten til the next time we do it all!
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Mid Table New Year!
TEAM : Howells, Brooker, Horner, Hammonds, Palmer, Bolt, Harlow, Harford, Boothe, Sears, Ekoku SUBS : Panter, Baker, Thompson