Gaffer's notes
Forthcoming fixtures : that's it, it's over
Sunday May 2nd :
Will write up the last three games of the season by mid May, with complete
stats for the season.
Sunday April 18th 2004 - 'can't buy a goal' :
Paul G said after saturdays game that 'we can't seem to buy a goal' at the
moment, which is about the size of it. Last wednesday, despite fielding three
good strikers in Josh, Graham and Pazzy, and bombarding their goal in the
second half, we couldn't equalise CS Filos' early goal. We've slaughtered
Filos twice this season for one point.
On saturday we lost to the Post Office in one turned into a ill tempered game.
We paid the price for slack defending early on and went in 3-1 down at half
time. We moved Paul back to the sweeper role that had promised much early
this season. In the second half we looked more solid and had all of the ball
but only Lloyds wonder goal to show for it. In the final minute Josh couldn't
turn the ball in after Barks shot had been fumbled. All we can do now is keep
playing and hope for better finishing or more luck.
Saturday April 10th 2004 - beat Fairfield Park Rangers 5-0 :
Crucefix and Cross prominent in Easter clash on top of green hill..
With Matt (Crucefix), Pete (Cross) and James (Greaney) back from college for
Easter, we had a strong squad. Paul G was also back for his first game for
several months. So despite being without several regulars we had we went with
14 players.
The final score of 5-0 in no way flattered us, but when after an hour the score was still 0-0 I had to block out the thought that this might be one of those games when we never score, and then the opposition nick one and steal the game. That would have been unbearable. We should have been comfortably in the lead at half time, but a combination of indifferent finishing and bad luck kept the score at 0-0. When finally Millsy put us in the lead, their spirit noticeably waned and the floodgates opened. Pazzy, who had been stuck in traffic so missed the start of the game, came on and scored one soon after Millsy opener, and we were able to relax. Millsy, confidence boosted by his goal, scored his second after a solo run and James and Phil added late goals as the Fairfield defence disappeared. Chuffed for both of them to get their fist goals of the season, Phil his first for the club.
The win should boost morale before the final run-in. We have a strong squad of players around so I'm hoping for a few decent results.
Tuesday March 16th 2004 - lost 3-0 to WESCO
This is our season rolled up into one game. A close game in which we had more shots on goal
than the opposition but which we still lose. They scored with three quality goals that we
far better than anything else in the game, whilst we squandered our best opportunities,
and were afforded no luck by the fickle mistress that is football.
It was 0-0 at half time, we were just starting to make chances and were about to play down the slope in the second half. We should have gone onto win it. Somehow we lacked a bit of passion. The game ended with the rather bizarre situation of their entire side arguing amongst themselves. God knows what they are like when they are losing. They duly to scored the third goal..
Good things: two new players, both of whome look like half sensible players. One, a French colleagues of Neil's, is very tidy. He has been playing for Westbury in the Screwfix, so how long he will play for us in Division 3 of the Bath league, only time will tell. Losing to WESCO won't help our cause.
Tuesday March 16th 2004 - drew 2-2 with CS Filos
...how we failed to win this game I will never know: but that is the story
of our season. We've droppped points in games we should have won, and we've yet to
get anything out of games where we've been up against it.
On Saturday we had probably 80% of possession and most of the chances, but somehow
we couldn't break through. They had Jamie Vowles playing up front, who, in between times standing around doing nothing, scored one of their goals and won the free-kick that led to the other.
Chris and Neil scored our goals with good finishes, but generally, and especially in the first half when the wind was at our backs, our finishing was wayward. Then late in the game we were hitting post and underside of crossbar or Filos keeper was sticking out a leg and soemhow saving.
It was a great effort by the lads, and we stuck at it until the final minute. Our overall play was fine. But in the final third, the moment of poetry or panache - or just sheer agressive will to score - didn't quite materialise.
A couple of weeks now without a competivie game, until we start the usual frenzied last month of the season.
Monday March 9th 2004 - pitch ruins game: drew 1-1 with WESCO
We finally had another game this weekend, but after the long wait it was a little
bit disappointing. We put a good team out and I was expecting a decent game
of football against WESCO, who I remember playing neat passing football last season.
They are also a nice bunch of lads who just get on with
the game.
In the end the pitch - very small and very cut up - made decent football
very hard.
I felt we had slightly better of the game overall,
although there were few clear chances at either end.
They missed a penalty midway through the second half. I was made up for Sam
that he saved it. He is getting better with every game and on saturday he was talking
and coming off his line and taking crosses.
It was a shame that he didn't end up with a clean sheet.
Millsy scored our goal, his first from open play for us in two seasons.
He played well in centre midfield: he's getting better all the time too.
I've been struggling with my knee so was on the bench. I came on for fifteen
minutes and promptly stood on the ball when in acres of space. I ran around like
a headless chicken , wodnering why I bothered coming on, my touch was so bad.
Monday March 1st 2004 - no games for two weeks
We haven't played now since the Odd Down defeat. On Feb 21st we had no game;
last Saturday we were due to play Bath post Office at Odd Down. Arrangements
for the game during the week had gone smoothly.
The first team had no game so we were going to borrow a couple of their players.
Andrew Spiller was going to turn out for us: I was looking forward to having
Andrew play for us again. In the corresponding game last season he was outstanding.
Of course last week's snow and cold put paid to Saturday's game. The game
was called off on Saturday morning. Twenty years ago we would have played,
no problem, but these days the pitches have to be billiard-table perfect before
you can play on them.
I sometimes wonder whether the Bath league isn't more interested in maintaining
nice grass than playing football matches.
I've had the fixtures through for March: only two games, which means we will
have 7 games to fulfill in April. That make sense.
Monday February 16th 2004 - Nick's last game: lost 3-0 to Odd Down
Nicks last game for the club today (probably) as he is moving up to Nottingham. He has been a stalwart for the last 3 seasons. It was fitting that his last game should be against Odd Down, for whom he turns out on sundays.
This was the first game this season that we haven't managed to score. To be honest, we didn't make many decent chances. Pazzy craved out two or three opportunities for himself, and I remember Nick having a couple of shots, but other than that there wasn't much.
We played OK but once we'd conceded a couple of soft goals it was always going to be
too hard. We weren't helped by having no regualr centre halves, Liam and Paul G being late absentees. Millsy played the sweeper role (very well), along side first Barks, and later myself. We had to play Josh at right back and probably missed his guile up front.
Odd Down are one of the more aggressive sides around, I think it is fair to say.
Their striker, who is an old and wily operator (and annoyingly good with it) is brilliant at fouling and not being noticed (though sometimes you wonder how he gets away with it). I especially enjoyed the way he pushed Millsy into touch and won himself a corner. Great skill.
They also employ a nice turn of phase: late in the game I heard their centre half shout "pick up the wanker..", referring, I believe, to Pazzy, although he, in typically shrugged-shouldered mode, did not seem to notice. Presumably the other Odd Down players knew who their centre half and leader was referring too.
Monday February 9th 2004 - heroic defence: Aces Res 1 Crown & Anchor 2 (aet)
Because the first team were short we lost a couple of players - Millsy and Nick - just before kick off so went into the game with a bare eleven. The eleven who were still going two hours later deserve credit for their determination to stay in this game.
We took an early lead when Josh's tenacity was rewarded.
The Crown equalised shortly before half time.
I felt then that we had played OK, but not as well as in the league game against
them two weeks ago. I thought the Crown were a bit cocky too.
In the second half we were against a wind, which seemed to get stronger by the minute. I sensed that for the first ten minutes or so both sides were waiting for the Crown to score. But the goal never came and our belief grew, and gradually we started making half chances ourselves. Our defence was extraordinary at times. The young keeper Sam has improved so much; he gave a massive performance on Saturday. Phil had an outstanding game, he just kept coming back for tackle after tackle, his long bendy legs seeming to always just contact with the ball. Mid way through the second half Pazzy mentioned to me that he'd never seen such resolute defending.
If we were going to win the game, then the first period of extra time when we had the wind at our backs was the time to score, but we couldn't quite do it. Pazzy carved out a decent chance for himself but heir keeper saved well. Most of us were flagging to be honest - interesting how some of the younger lads go down with cramp. They scored their winner midway through the second half from a corner that for once we didn't defend well. I only hope that this season we actually win a couple of these tight games - so far we've tended to lose them in the last few minutes.
Sunday February 2nd 2004 - Game off again
The rain came in with a vengeance again overnight on Friday, so we were left with
another postponed game. Unlike the games before Christmas, I think it was sensible to postpone this one.
By mid afternoon it was pouring with rain and there was a gale blowing so the game would have been a lottery.
Still, a shame, as we were putting out a good side.
We've got them again next week in the Cup...
Monday January 26th 2004 - Crown & Anchor again next week
We've got the Crown and Anchor again on saturday.
Matt C is back and college and we shall miss him, he has been outstanding.
Darren is away too, and Barks. But we should be able to bring a couple of decent players in.
Andrew Spiller and Dave Hall for two. And Stainesy will be back.
I'm looking forward to having another crack at them - weather permitting.
Sunday January 25th 2004 - Crown & Anchor 2 Aces Reserves 1
On Saturday night after this game I had a few thoughts of the 'if only..' variety but
overall I had to be happy with the way we played. Crown and Anchor haven't lost yet this
season, and we must have come as close as anyone to beat them.
We went with just the bare 11: the first team was a player short so took Stainesy,
and Lloyd had to go to work and wasn't able to finish in time.
A sub might have won it for us, as Nick was struggling with a groin injury,
and in the last ten minutes we were tired.
As it was, after a tough first ten minutes, we clawed our way into the game,
sticking to a plan we'd talked about before the game, and the
young lad Whitby put us ahead after a corner.
We were just two minutes away from half time when they scored their rather fortunate
equaliser.
At half time we moved the hobbling Nick up front and bought Will back into midfield.
Nick made an heroic effort and managed to cause their defence problems all afternoon.
We had a couple of good spells: against a team, like Crown & Anchor you
can judge your chances by the number of f*** and c**** words that are being spat at you -
at times on Saturday the air was blue with ****(s).
About twenty minutes were left when we had our best chance - Josh was put clean through and for once the
ref ignored the waving flag and shout of the Crowns' linesman. I was willing Josh to score, and thought he would,
but he wanted to take the ball around the keeper, but the keeper, to his credit, was having none of it.
You think to yourself, '..is that our chance gone?'. I thought we could hang on to a draw, but in the end
tiredness took its toll and they scored when we were too stretched.
There were some good performances - the defence was excellent, Sam in goal made good saves
and we all worked bloody hard. Millsy was excellent, bar his clearance on their first goal.
As Kev Keegan might have said 'I'd have loved it, really loved it..' had we got the point.
Monday January 19th 2004 - another clean sheet: Aces Reserves 4 Fairfield Park 0
I forget the last time I could say we had kept two clean sheets in a row.
It's unheard of. Saturdays' game was arguably our best performance of the season.
Certainly it was our most comfortable victory. I am a pessimist on the pitch,
but once we'd taken the lead I even I never thought we'd lose.
By the time we'd scored our first goal we'd already missed more good chances
than we'd had in last weeks 6-0 win and it was relief when Nick finally ruffled the back of the onion bag.
Josh missed a few early chances this week but perseverence
bought him two second half goals. 3-0 up and with only a few minutes to go,
Nick won us a penalty. You should always save something back so you can
make a sprint to pick up the ball in these situations,
and I wasn't going to let this opportunity for an easy goal go by.
Back of the net!.. it was then. And a few pints on saturday night to celebrate the win.
Sunday January 11th 2004 - 6 at Freshford
We needed to play well yesterday to erase the pain of defeat the previous
week. We ended up with our best win of the season and our first clean sheet.
The game went our way for us and to be honest, 6-0 is a bit flattering to
us and maybe unfair to Freshford who had alot of possession. On a heavy pitch
it was hard work.
The game was won in the first half, when our defence was
outstanding and Josh, who played as well as I've seen him, scored from his
two chances. Early in the second half he scored his third after we'd had to
withstand some pressure for for 10 minutes. As the game opened out, debutante
Will (2), and Neil added late goals.
Millsy and Lloyd, who would both have started,
had to pull out on the morning of the game,
so it was good to achieve this scoreline with a rearranged side.
Good to have Matt Crucifix back from Uni for a few games.
Sam, in goal, had easily his best game for us - coming off his line and claiming
crosses and corners; hopefully his confidence will have been boosted: it's
such a bonus to have a confident and strong keeper.
Great to have a pint in the Globe afterwards on the back of a good win.
Monday January 5th 2004 - Despair at Beckington
I've just about managed to get over losing on saturday to Staplemead Sports.
To be honest I'm trying not to think about it. It was a great opportunity to start the
new year with a good result and build on our decent run.
I was very confident about winning, a couple of players were unavailable but
we put a good side out. On the morning of the match Paul Gearing had to pull
out with illness, which meant reorganising the defence, and going without
a sub.
In the end the lack of a sub cost us,
as Pazzy pulled his hamstring again and we played most of the second half up
the hill with 10 men. But we should have had the game won in the
first half hour when we totally dominated and carved out numerous chances.
They scored their winner with minutes to go, as we dithered and dallied in our own box.
After the game I had to drive down to Cornwall with Deborah. The whole four
hour journey the game was running through my head. I only woke up in a cold
sweat once on saturday night, and it's out of my system now. When we lost
narrowly to IPL earlier in the season, I was depressed about it for days,
and told myself that in future I wouldn't let these results get me down -
it is only a game after all.
Monday December 22nd
Saturday's game against CS Filos reserves was again postponed, due to a waterlogged pitch. We'd had no rain all week, but it rained quite heavily overnight and Saturday morning. I was amazed and disappointed that the game was called off.
In the afternoon I went up to Lansdown for a run (I thought there might be some games on there). There was no one playing, but the pitches were immaculate: not a drop of water anywhere. Windy, yes, wet, no.
Next game: away vs Staplemead Sports , January 3rd 2004, KO 2pm
Sunday December 14th
Saturday's game against WESCO was victim of the wet weather, the groundsman
at the Sulis Club deeming the pitch to be waterlogged. I notice that there
were no games played in the Bath League on saturday. Despite months of drought,
a couple of days rain is all it takes to wipe out all games.
Which was a shame, as we would have loved a game on saturday to build on our run of three games unbeaten. The spirit last week against Timsbury, after going 2-0 down early on, was great. This was the first time this season that we had not conceded late goals. Once again, the 'experiment' of playing Paul Gearing as a sweeper proved successful - the bonus of the season so far.
Goals
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