Facelad began the 2016/17 season with a well derserved and hard fought point against a very good Blacksmiths Arms on the best pitch they will play on all year. Both teams will probably come away thinking they could have taken all 3 points after battling for 90 minutes to an eventual 2-2 draw. From the very first whistle both teams made it clear that they wanted to play the beautiful game the right way, playing out from the back and through the midfield. Neither side really created any clear cut chances though, until the 15th minute when left back Billy Rolland burst forward and produced a pin point cross for Darren O'Brien who was quick to react to the keeper coming off his line and looped his header into an empty net. 1-0 to the Facelad. Facelads shape and workrate looked to be the difference for the rest of the half in which every single player showed desire and hunger to produce a result. Special mention should go to the back fours organisation, in particular the two Ryans at centreback who produced a half of football full of talking and organising that reduced Blacksmiths Arms to long range efforts which rarely troubled Extence in the Facelad goal. Facelad themselves were restricted to pot shots throughout the half the most noteable being a ball breaking to Matt Saxby on the edge of the box who took an excellent first touch with his chest and taking the shot on the volley but he was unable to really test the keeper. The halfs only other real chance fell to Jerry Clynes and was another example of the entire teams desire as he sprinted in to press the centrehalf and stole the ball leaving him one on one only to rush his shot slightly and strike straight at the keeper. Facelad went into the break one up and in truth looked comfortable at this point.
The second half began with a change and saw the return of club veteran and fan favourite Michael Coffer replace Matt Saxby, the change saw Jerry Clynes move out wide on the left and Coffer replace him centrally. A tactical decision that proved to be a stroke of genius as Clynes made a burst down the left before cutting back a perfect pass to Coffer, on the edge of the area, who didn't have to break stride as he calmly slotted home from 20 yards. A finish that still has many scratching their heads this morning. Facelad were then forced into a change as the tough tackling Ryan Comerford was forced off through injury and replaced by Stuart Shaw for his first appearance for a year due to a long term injury. Shaw slotted in alongside Ryan McMenemy at centreback and Facelad continued to look solid, although fitness levels were beginning to show after long periods of pressing on a big pitch. Ollie Sawyer, on debut, and Michael Barton were continuing to work hard in midfield and linked nicely throughout to keep the ball moving for Facelad as Blacksmiths Arms started to throw men forward in search of a comeback and they were given hope as an attack down their right produced a cross for a tap in at the back post after around 70 minutes. Facelad made another change with around 15 minutes to go and Ollie Sawyer took a knock and was replaced by Saj who moved up top as a target man and saw O'Brien drop a little deeper. With Blacksmiths Arms forcing so many men forward Facelad were forced deeper and deeper only managing to create half chances on the counter due mostly to the hold up play of Saj. As the game grew near to an end the right hand side of Faclads fitness really shone through as Jack Lawrence, captaining the side for the first time, and Jordan Scott did not stop running in an attempt to get Facelad over the line. With Extence pulling off 3 or 4 excellent saves to keep Facelads lead in tact. The telling moment came on 85 minutes as a looping Facelad clearance unfortunatley didn't find touch and forced a defensive error for a second cross from the right and after a few deflections across the box a second tap in. The last moment of note came from the last kick of the game as Extence really warranted his Man of the Match performance with a wonderful point blank save from a header from a corner that looked almost impossible to save let alone push it to safety. The game finished 2 a piece with both sides happy with a point but probably leaving dissapointed they didn't take 3.
#COYF
