Erstmal einige Info’s vorab:
Wie die meisten wissen, spiele ich hier in einem englischen Fussballmannschaft. Wir sind im laufe der Saison in unserem Pokalwettbewerb dem GFA Cup bis ins Finale eingezogen. Um euch einen kleinen einblick zu geben was die hier von mir als Fussballer halten einen kleinen auszug aus dem Programmheft des Finals, indem über jeden spieler ein kleiner Text geschrieben wurde: “Nicolas Schweigert: The youngest member of the Sporting Greyhounds, a German summer signing. Comfortable anywhere on the pitch, has an outstanding ability to make the right decision. His vision and reading of the game belies his youth. Adds a certain German efficiency and precision to the side.” Gibt mir auf jedenfall Selbstvertrauen. Hier der Bericht zu unserm Spiel.
Lawrence Rovers 2 – 0 Hounds
The Hounds team did themselves proud in a game they dominated for long periods. However, two clinical finishes and some excellent saves by Lawrence Rovers was enough to give them the cup. Match report below.
One sign of a good side is a League and Cup double – having already won the Bristol & District Senior Division title 4 days ago, Lawrence Rovers entered tonights game knowing the double was in their sights. The win would also mean that their name was on the Cup for the third time in 7 years.
The first person to emerge from the changing rooms was Jeff the Ref, wearing a handsome tan that looked ever-so-slightly out of place on this cool, calm spring evening. As the teams lined up for the kick-off, the Hounds supporters had the chance to size up the Lawrence Rovers team. It didn’t take too long, seeing as most of the team were never going to trouble 6 foot – especially both the central defenders! Si must’ve thought he’d left the changing room by the wrong door and stumbled into an Oompa Loompa appreciation convention – having to shake hands with an orange bloke before towering over a couple of short blokes. Jeff the Ref soon showed his mastery of refereeing, by expertly starting the game on 0 minutes.
The first attack of note came from Lawrence Rovers – a neat one-two on the edge of the box split the Hounds defence. Were Rovers looking to exploit the now infamous “Hounds slow start”™? Thankfully, that was enough to kick-start the Hounds into action – two successive forays down the right ended up with Adam crossing the ball dangerously into the box. Although nothing resulted, it showed the Hounds intended to use the width of the pitch to stretch the Rovers defence. only 4 minutes in, the unofficial man-of-the-match adjudicator (Jimmy) had declared Nico to be his MOTM, although Si had an early vote after actually passing the ball to somebody else.
The first 20 minutes were mostly confined to the midfield, although the Hounds were showing a willingness to try and use the width of the pitch – Ali, Adam, Si and Nico all seeing a lot of the ball. The midfield were battling well, especially in the air, but the Rovers defence was already showing that any danger was swept up without any fuss. Neither keeper had been called into action, despite a flurry of corners for both teams.
However, on 23 minutes, Rovers conjured two rare attacks that had the Hounds defence in trouble. The first was brilliantly cut out by a sliding tackle from Fordy, the second saw the Rovers striker send his shot wide of the post with just Mike to beat. The resulting goal kick saw Si play Ali through onto goal, but again the Rovers sweeper brushed the danger aside. As the Hounds were winning the midfield aerial battle, Rovers started using the wings more and more, stretching the play by intelligently switching the point of attack.
A Rovers handball on 31 minutes saw Si float the ball into the box from 35 yards out and Nico headed agonisingly wide. More pressure from the Hounds won them a corner, but again Rovers cleared the danger. Within minutes, Mike was again called on to make a good save in the middle of his goal. Nico was hobbling at this point, but gamely carried on, almost forcing the Rovers keeper into a mistake from a backpass. It was now all Hounds – Adam shot from distance, straight to the keeper and instantly topped Jimmy’s MOTM table. Si then had a shot from outside the box, left-footed, but again straight at the keeper. Finally, on 45 minutes, Matt B cleverly played Si through, only for the sweeper to again clear the danger. The resulting corner was also well defended and half-time was upon us.
Half-time 0 – 0 The light was beginning to fade and the floodlights didn’t seem to be spectacularly bright, so a veil of gloom slowly enveloped the ground. The only bright spot seemed to be the hatch selling hot food, although that hope was cruely extinguished as they ran out of chips. The guy in front of me had the last lot. Git. So I had a pasty instead, although when asked what was in said pasty, the only honest answer I could give was “meat”. I blame the Rovers supporters who inexplicably had constant attacks of the munchies throughout the game.
Back to the action and the teams returned to the pitch led by Jeff the Ref, the orange and black combo faintly luminescent in the floodlight. Adam obviously had too much of a Haribo fix during the break, his first contribution being an awesome sliding tackle to win the ball in midfield. Squinting through the darkness, it appeared that the Rovers bloke who once had the ball, was possibly dead. He was certainly lying very still – probably waiting for his limbs to report back for duty before attempting to move. This energy spread through the Hounds team, who were soon on the attack again, looking to create the first goal of the game. Nico took the ball towards the right corner flag before pulling the ball back for Matt B to shoot over the bar. On 49 minutes, Matt M brilliantly disposessed a Rovers attacker, did him again with a bit of skill and played the ball forward to Adam whose pass played through Nico. The keeper quickly came off his line and Nico’s attempted chip was plucked out the air – possibly the Hounds’ best chance of the game.
Having weathered that spell of Hounds pressure, Rovers launched their first attack of the half, a corner ending up in a goal-mouth scramble. Hounds cleared the danger but Rovers came straight back though the middle, this time Ticko making a last-man clearance with his head. The unofficial MOTM table now saw Ali move up to third, in recognition of his work-rate. With the match now opening up, a 58th minute attack saw Nico again take the ball down the right before pulling the ball back to Si, who feigned to shoot before laying the ball off to Adam who blasted over and into the crowd. If there had been a crowd there. Straight away, Nico again dribbled the ball into the Rovers penalty area before being brought down – by an excellent tackle from the now excellent Rovers defence. It’s almost as if they heard us mock them for being vertically challenged…
On 62 minutes the deadlock was finally broken – from a Rovers free kick just inside the Hounds’ half. An almost perfect delivery saw Mike tempted away from his line and Rovers headed over the keeper into the far corner of the net. A few minutes later, another free kick to Rovers, this time from the right of the pitch, saw another good delivery just headed wide of the goal. A 67th minute substitution brought Alvan onto the pitch in place of Matt B – Alvan joined Si up front and Nico dropped back to midfield. Hounds attacked again in the 70th minute and Si played Alvan though onto goal, with possibly more time than he realised, and his shot was again well saved by the Rovers keeper. Straight away, Rovers attacked space and a well placed pass through the middle gave their striker half a yard and he finished well past an advancing Mike.
Hounds kept attacking – Si had a chance of glory with a 25 yard free kick, but his effort also ended up in the crowd (had there been one…) The next change, on 75 minutes, saw N_man come on for an injured (and probably knackered) Fordy. N_man was instantly called on to make some timely challenges to avert Rovers attacks, before Steve was given a chance to shoot – unfortunately straight at the keeper. The game was beginning to really open up now – Rovers replied with a teasing low ball across the face of the Hounds goal, inches away from an advancing Rovers attacker.
The final throw of the dice came on 82 minutes – Andy left the field for JJ to join the fun. Playing with 3 at the back, the Hounds continued to throw players forward, Nico heading a Matt M free kick goalward, until a great finger-tip save deflected the ball around the post. JJ connected with the resulting corner, only for the keeper to make yet another save.
And that was that. A great game by the Hounds and I’m sure enough motivation to win the thing next season!
hehe war lustig aber für die Engländer die schönste Pitch seid langem …
