Oaks recent upturn in form continued with a 5-2 over bottom of the league Prestwood, whose performance belied there current position in the table. In truth the game could of finished 10-4 with a number of chances squandered by both sides.
Bouyed by consecutive victories Oak arrived into the game full of confidence, a squad of 17 to choose from with the injured Carpenter and skipper Hawken being the notable absenties. As so often this season there was a change in shape with a 4-4-2 diamond formation employed, Gunnell, Shadbolt, janes & shuan coker making his first start made up the back four, Wilkinson & Rodriguez were played out wide with Ebberson holding allowing Piercey a free role behind Hall & Ryan coker who played his last game before a 3 match ban. The early exchanges where cagey, both sides struggling to come to terms with a poor pitch which hampered both teams, just getting control of the ball was difficult in the central areas of the pitch and subsiquently several passes went astray or where often miscontrolled due to the ball bobbling around. Oak forcing several early free kicks and corners which came to no avail, Summers direct goal kicks where causing problems for the prestwood defence with Ryan Coker winning several flick ons which Hall was unlucky not to get on the end off, prestwood at this point had been fruastrated by a couple of offside calls although it appered the correct decisions had been made. On 17 minutes a combination of Rodgirguez and Hall pressuring the prestwood defence resulted in a ball being played back to the stand in goalie whos kick was scuffed and reached Ryan Coker just inside the prestwood half, having taken 1 touch to control he proceed to lob the ball over the stranded goalie into the top of the net, a great piece of play by the big man whos hard work up to the point in the game had been well rewarded 1-0. Prestwood responded well and had there best spell of the game so far, threatening down both wings although they were denied by the linesmans flag or a poor final ball, that all changed on 28 minutes when the equalizer did arrive, a cross from the left hand side was flicked on by the prestwood striker and was met by his prestwood team mate who was quickest to react and head past summers, who was unlucky to see the ball go in having got a hand to it 1-1. Oak rallied and again gained control of the game, having large spells of possesion again the conditions where not helping with several passes going astray, players overplaying or electing a difficult pass when a team mate was well placed for a simpilar pass. That said one thing the team has been able to do is score large volumes of goals and on a lot of occasions scored them in quick succesion, on 34 minutes a corner was half cleared to Shadbolt 40 yards from goal, not for the first time this year one of the best crossers of a ball in the league swung a delightful cross into the penalty area, Gunnell, Shuan and ryan coker all broke the offside trap, it was a case of who was going to make contact, Ryan did with a powerful header which gave the opposition keeper no chance 2-1. Within 3 minutes the lead was extended, Ryan cokers hard work winning a throw in by the left hand corner flag, long throw specialist Wilkinson launching a throw onto the head of Shuan coker whose flick on fell into the path of James Hall, who turned and fired home from the edge of the 6 yard box 3-1. The remaining minutes of the half saw a change of goalie for prestwood, but very little in the way of chances for either side. No changes where made at half time with the message from the managers to sharpen up and move the ball quicker as at times several players had been guilty of taking to long on the ball.
The second half began with old oak well on top without threatening the prestwood goal until the 52 second minute when the forth goal arrived with an excellent team goal, Ryan Coker picked the ball up 35 yards from goal having beaten 2 men he rolled the ball into the path of shadbolt who beat his man and cut the ball back into the path of Hall on the edge of the area, who calmly slotted passed the keeper with yet another assured finish 4-1. Prestwood responded immediatly and some brave defending by rodridguez resulted in the danger being cleard but the player suffering a nasty fall damaging his shoulder in the process, after a brief stoppage the game resumed and a 5th goal arrived, the ball being wide to wilkinson who's deep cross was meet by Piercey who planted his header passed the keeper 5-1. Having seen the 5th goal go in Rodriguez who was clearly struggling with his shoulder was replaced by Burton who moved to left back allowing Shadbolt to push forward into left midfield. As so often happens at any level, players forgot what had got us into a 5-1 lead and certain individuals became very greedy failing to choose the easy pass and instead shooting from ridicolous positions or trying to beat 2 or 3 men at a time. Manager gunnell made two further substituitions in the space of 10 minutes, Preston on for Janes at right back and 2 goal striker Hall replaced by Luke carter. On 75 minutes the prestwood winger managed to get goalside of preston, in his desperation to get a challenge in he caught the player who fell to the ground and resulted in a penalty being awarded, no one desputed it was a foul however the intial incident happened 4 or 5 yards outside the penatly area. Follwoing a brief descussion between the two prestwood strikers the penalty was calmly disptached by the No.10 5-2. The remaining 15 minutes saw prestwood on top and were desperatly unlucky to not capitilize further seeing to shots hit the crossbar whilst having several dangerous crosses well dealt with by Gunnell and coker. It came as relief when the full time whistle was blown resulting in another 3 points but possibly not the performance particully second half that would have been expected.
Another really important win, and at this stage of the season we take them any way we can get them, however from a managers point of view it was dissapointing final 30 minutes, whilst i understand people want individual success, team success should be paramount and its and important lesson to learn going forward.
Man of the match today for his two goals, overall hard work and for the part he played in assisting the fourth goal goes to Ryan Coker.
