The Accies got 2014 underway with a comprehensive victory against a poor Denaby side who never really looked like they were up for a game.
On a marvellous pitch the home side set their stall out from the off by getting the ball down and playing some fast flowing football. Swifty had a sniff of goal almost immediately with the keeper saving with his legs, Dan had a dipping shot from distance which was spilled and Alex also had a snap shot saved by the legs. After ten minutes Hodgy played a one-two with Dan and jinked into the box beating two men before squaring a great ball into the path of Swifty to rifle into the roof of the net and open the scoring. After a further 3 or 4 minutes Dan was given acres of space down the right and picked out Alex with a cross that the big man swept home at the near post. Denaby were complaining about offside for the second time; by the end of the game they would go on to complain 11 times and dispute a blatant penalty.
It was all going wrong for the away team as they just could not cope with the passing and moving of the Accies players. Brian and Stan were marauding down the left flank and after Brian jinked into the box and cut it back Swifty swiped at it and the desperate defender cleared it against his own player, with the ball rebounding back to Dan who swivelled and turned it into the roof of the net with his left foot. With virtually the next attack it was Brian and Stan again down the left with the former playing a great cross into the box which missed everyone but found Dan lurking at the back post, he had time to take a touch then blast it into the roof of the net over the keepers despairing dive.
Matt G and Simon were totally dominating the midfield and being allowed to rampage forward at any opportunity and Stan and Hodgy were more like wingers than full backs, so was the lacklustre attacking intent of the away side. Reedy and Ryan mopped up every ball that came their way and played it calmly out to ensure that the Accies went in at half time without Godders being troubled and 4 goals to the good.
Half time Academicals 4 – 0 Denaby
Denaby had given up before the whistle had even blown to re-start the game with their full backs arguing about whether they had even had a shot on target in the first half. It was business as usual for the Accies as with only 5 minutes gone Simon won a tussle in midfield and put Swifty in with a terrific slide rule pass that split the defence and allowed Swift to run in and slot the ball past the keeper to make it 5-0. A few minutes later and Brian won the ball on the edge of the Accies box after Denaby had won a rare, yet wasted, corner. He beat 2 men before running almost the full length of the field before slipping in Swifty; his shot came back off the keeper for Brian to sweep in a deserved goal.
A few minutes later and it was 7 goals for the Accies. Swifty was again put in behind the defence and brought another good save from the keeper but he parried it straight to Alex to sweep in a carbon copy of the previous goal. Dan and Swifty made way for Batts and Jamie to enter the fray and it didn’t take long for Alex to add to his tally. The ball bobbled through to him after a mis-kick in midfield and he did really well to turn his defender a couple of times before driving in a low left footed effort into the far bottom corner. The Accies were attacking at will now with even Reedy and Ryan getting past the halfway line. Another mix up in the Denaby defence paved the way for Alex to get his fourth goal and included a classical hat-trick. Another shot from Brian came back off the keeper and their defender tried to clear it but smacked it straight at the back of his own defender with ball looping up and over toward the back post where Alex stood his ground and nodded it in right on the line. 9-0 now.
Jamie was tussling for the ball in the box and a good block tackle by the defender sent him wide but Jamie got his body between man and ball and was inevitably hacked over for as clear a penalty as you’ll see. Their keeper imploded and called the referee a cheat and completely lost his head. He told the referee that it was time to retire to which the ref replied “you and me both then, tha’s conceded 9 goals already”. Tremendous stuff. Didn’t put off Big Si though who struck a sweet penalty into the right hand corner for 10-0; would have been the top corner had he not elected to have a dry January mind. The keeper took himself off, threatening to snap someone in two, but only reducing his side to ten men and forcing them to put a non-keeper in goal. Lovely effort all round.
Trev came on for Alex and immediately got in on the action. He ensured that he didn’t lose his bet with Batts by cushioning the latters goal-bound effort straight into the arms of the keeper. Better option might have been to smack it into the net; but I suppose a bets a bet. Matt G was having a Molby-esque game and rounded it off with a lovely curling finish after Brian had teed him up on the edge of the box, finding the near top corner in style. There was time for Jamie to get the 12th goal and I believe that Matt G set it up but the match reporter was struggling with the subs suit at the time and didn’t see it.
All in all a great performance, but against a poor side.
Full time Academicals 12 - 0 Denaby Reserves
