Inter Menan 0 vs 1 Champagne Sup. Rovers

"Powder Puff Menan" <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;">The Menanians struggled this evening with the new smaller goals and a lack of energy and creativity in the final third, partly with the loss of Brooksby who pulled out of the game at the last minute. <p style="text-align: center;">The Menanians began the game with a bare six taking on Champagne Super Rovers for the first time in an attempt to continue at the top of the league. The game began brightly with the boys zipping the ball about the freshly wet turf after todays downpour. <p style="text-align: center;">Ward had an encouraging start producing some top hold up play after last weeks epic performance, playing in Dorey and Patterson for the rare strikes at goal. The small goals were a major factor as the Menanians passed up shooting opportunities and deciding on aiming for a closer strike. It was all one way traffic as the tangerines pressed for the opener with little in the way of end product, partly down to moves breaking down and partly due to the Rovers unit parking the team bus on the edge of the area! <p style="text-align: center;">The first half was a tame affair with Menan taking the possesion stat but little else. <p style="text-align: center;">The second half got under way and it was obvious a few of the boys were beginning to gasp praying for a second or third wind to see them through. Options on the bench were limited, with only chain smoking Disco Dave offering his services to the cause. <p style="text-align: center;">The movement was becoming as existant as a Michael Jackson hosted house party as the forward moves collapsed. It was becoming a lesson sadly not learnt many games ago against similar opposition like Royal Oak as the Rovers back line held firm and kept opportunites on their goal to a minimum. With frustration growing in the Orange camp the possesion football turned to forced through balls as Patterson attempted to play the ball into feet only for it to be intercepted and hammered to the lone Rovers hitman. He was one on one with Willan and did what he did to Plumpton moments before and left him trailing in his wake before netting a tidy finish past Menan stopper Tony Ross. <p style="text-align: center;">The game was becoming stretched as Dion Dublin-esk Willan was thrown into the frontline with Plumpton dropping back as the lone defender. Rovers had more break aways with Tony Ross performing the heroics of his youth in the onion sack to keep his young chums in the game. <p style="text-align: center;">In the dieing seconds Ward was picked out on the edge of the box in acres of space with the ball on his left peg. A shimmy to the right and the chance came and went taking Menans hopes of a point with it. <p style="text-align: center;">A footballing lesson in possesion football and keeping the ball will hopefully be learnt for the young Menanians. Next weeks game see the boys in a real title tester against the Eastfield Boys who are pushing on strong themselves and are sure to be up for the battle. <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;