>LATEST MATCH REPORT: MENS 4TH XI
By James Stock
Mens 4ths VS Epsom: 3-3
Siberry leads Wanderers fight back to snatch a point
Natural born striker is the weekly banter from Shane. But this week he and fellow defender Charlie, showed the strikers how to do it with 3 second half goals to help Wanderers come back from a two goal deficit at half time and remain unbeaten three games into the season. The match was notable for Wanderers attackers' inability to score, for a slip by Richard to gift Epsom a goal, a green card for Conall and for Stokky twice being unable to stop the ball whilst in good positions.
Wanderers went into the match top of the league and with a 100% record following their 10-man victory over Walton & Weybridge the previous week whilst Epsom mad yet to register a point having lost their first two games by a goal. Their preparation for this game was disrupted though by the late withdrawal of Bladesy. Despite this, the Captain stuck to the usual 4-4-2 formation, keeping the 3-5-2 alternative as plan B.
Following a pre-match team talk where Charlie encouraged the team to get off to a fast start in the first 10 minutes, Wanderers started slowly, losing 50-50 challenges and generally looked a yard off the pace. Epsom started well and looked well organised and with number 40 orchestrating from the centre of midfield, they moved the ball round in good triangles but without looking particularly dangerous. The only times they looked like they could pose a threat was when they managed to get the ball through to Peter Crouch up front, a player with some serious pace and who, when in possession, made the Wanderers defence look a little vulnerable, although his final ball was usually wasted.
On the few occasions when Wanderers did have some possession in the first 20 minutes, they didn't click into their passing game and instead gave the ball away cheaply. The first goal came midway through the first period off Epsom's second short corner, the first having been a straight shot that was blocked by a defender's stick. The ball was returned to the injector from the top of the D and he put the ball over the line, although the keeper managed to get something on it.
Wanderers started to step it up a little and had 2 or 3 opportunities from short corners to equalise. The slip right was always on, but the usually successful one-two back to the P spot was not converted.
Then came the second Epsom goal. The ball was at the back with Richard in a seemingly comfortable situation. One slip later though, and the ball was with Epsom who had a 3 on 1 with the Keeper with Richard and the rest of the Wanderers defence only able to watch on. The first player drew the keeper and passed to the second who put it into the empty net - perhaps Wanderers should have taken note of this finish.
There were several more chances for Wanderers where strikers ended up homing in on the Epsom keeper, but each time seemed to try to go straight through him, making it relatively easy for him to save. Clearly, they hadn't learnt from Epsom's second finish. There was also a good chance for Junior after good running from the forwards had created space for him at the top of the D, only for him to put the ball wide of the target.
A two goal lead was hardly a fair reflection of the first half, but Wanderers knew they could step up a gear and would need to in order to get back into the game.
Wanderers started the second half in better fashion, pushing the defence up so they were not playing so deep which also meant that the team was not so stretched.
A little of an over eager challenge saw Conall get the game's only card, although it did mark the start of some tetchiness coming into the game from both sides.
After another couple of short corners where the slip right had been played back into Ed, only for his feet to get in the way, Wanderers decided to swap the routine at their next short corner, with Stokky slipping right to Charlie who hit a fierce shot on target. It hit an Epsom player on the shin and bounced up. Charlie needed no further invitation and slammed the ball into the goal.
Wanderers then made a quick break from the back with Tim and Conall involved. The ball came to Stokky on the right who took it to the bye line and pulled it back for the oncoming Matt Squires whose shot went narrowly wide.
Another ball came through a crowd to Stokky on the right side of the D close to goal, only for his lack of match practice to show as he failed to control the ball and watched it roll over the bye line harmlessly.
Then finally the second goal came for Wanderers with Shane making a rare visit to the opponents D to slot confidently home (a deliberately vague description of the goal as I can't remember the build up to it!).
Just as Wanderers had thoughts of going on to score a third, a lifted hit from the 16 gave Epsom a free hit. The ball was hit into the D and with a deft touch was deflected high in the right corner of the goal, seeming to come off John's chest. Later when asked why he hadn't lifted his 'big glove' to save it, he remarked that the glove I question is very heavy!
Time was ticking away and there was an edginess to the game. Epsom were unhappy at the award of a short corner after a challenge from behind on Conall who had managed to get the ball to Dan, only for Dan to put it wide, whilst Matt stoked it up a little more by trying to kick the ball back to the where he thought a free hit should have been.
Wanderers kept pressing but once again a moment of poor control by Stokky wasted a good position. A good ball in by Junior found him unmarked on the right of the D, with the last defender unable to reach it. Once again though, the ball bounced off is stick and harmlessly away.
The game looked to be slipping away from Wanderers grasp. With 2 minutes left, one final attack saw Shane again make his way up the pitch, to cries from his captain to get back which he sensibly ignored. The ball came to him at the top of the D and he unleashed a powerful shot to the Keeper's left..
So it finished as a 3-3 draw. Although they came back from 2-0 and 3-2 down, Wanderers will see this as 2 points dropped. They created a lot of chances without playing to their usual standards. As Bally noted later, we will play better than this against better teams and lose.
So, Tuesday night training will be shooting practice for the forwards with Shane showing them how to do it, stopping practice for Stokky and a trip to get some new hockey trainers for Richard.
Scorers: Stirling 50 Goals 20, 25, 62
Siberry 54, 68
Green cards:
Maccoille 48
Attendance: 3
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