20th Sept: Match Reports
1st Team - written by George Genesis
An improved performance for the first team on Saturday, a big shift from the previous. The Saints took the lead through some neat play as F. Barlow slotted through L. Neal who converted. Radcliffe responded quickly with a goal against the run of play on the counter attack, with the Saints then biting back through some good play by M. Bradbury to win a penalty, which J. Hebb converted cooly. After half time we knew we needed to improve, and that we did. A flourish of well worked goals from Nuttall, J. Beal and Keown had us in a comfortable lead. Unfortunately the game was abandoned due to an injury to the opposition around the 76th minute. All of the club send best wishes and a speedy recovery to the player. MOTM- D. Southwell, a strong fast dominant performance from the centre half
Dev Team - written by Sam Lomax
The Development Team travelled over to Old Blackburnians who were flying high in the league, and also celebrating their 100th anniversary as a club. Congratulations to all the guys involved we send our best. Looking to maintain our form and get back to winning ways we turned up with excellent attitude, application and understanding of what was required from us as a team. The game was one of the most well matched and intense games I had been involved in so far with the team and in the words of Philip Woodford, Old Blacks, he hopes “the return fixture will be as equally competitive and eagerly contested”. For 82 minutes of the game both teams went blow for blow trying to work out the angle of attack on the opposition. Unfortunately this week, we were on the receiving end - a cut back from the byline to a player on the edge of our box resulted in him striking the ball through our keeper for 1-0, this was shortly followed by Blacks second as we started to naturally leave more significant bodies up the field. I will say this, I am seriously pleased and impressed with our defensive solidarity, Joe Law and Ben Crompton were the stand outs for me and despite the score line. Our GK, back three and wing backs had one of the best games I have been able to look over. Balanced by a tenacious midfield and unrelenting top two. We know the area to plug for us to improve, as for this fixture unfortunately we went into the game with not a single Number 9, we relied on the flexibility and talent of our squad to fill in and get us the goals we required. Next game we have Valley away. MOTM: Joe Law.
B Team - written by Gaz Mase
A strange day for the B team who travelled to bury to play B.G.O.S. The weather put stop to the chance of the saints being able to get the ball down and play and it ended up being a scrappy game yet exciting game. Bury took a 2 goal lead with some direct play and as the Saint struggled to adapt to the small pitch and torrential downpour of rain. The saints managed to get a goal back as Hall sprung the offside trap to slot home neatly. Azhar scored next after a clever ball from mckenzie and the scores where level at 2-2.
The Saint grabbed the next goal with another tidy finish from Azhar, O’Riley made it 4-2 after a good ball from Sedgwick. Bury got back into the game and scored to make it 4-3. Before Mckenzie scored with a great finish from just inside the box to give the Saint a 2 goal cushion. Fairness to Bury they fought back and managed to force 2 quick goals and levelling the game at 5-5. With the game heading for a draw. A foul on Green led to a free kick to the saints in the dying minutes Mckenzie stepped up from what looked like an impossible angle to lash the ball into the far top corner to make it 6-5 to the saints.
Man of the match was Alex Howarth
Goals: mckenzie 2, Iqbal 2, Hall, O’Riley