The Accies were looking to recover quickly from the disappointment of the Handsworth game and came up against a Masons side that provided decent opposition in the first month of the season. This game was to prove a lot less difficult despite a poor start.
The home side were stroking the ball around confidently but then a quick throw-in allowed their forward to get goal side of the defence, and as the ball bounced around just inside the box Foz mistimed his tackle and caught their forward to concede a penalty with their first possession. Godwin saved the first effort but was then too busy relaxing on the floor to save the follow-up effort that was slightly luckily tucked away by an onrushing midfielder who the ball fell kindly to on the rebound. From the re-start the Accies continued to dominate possession and Swifty was put through by Jamie, rounded the keeper but side footed his effort over the bar. Moments later the Masons were through on goal but Godwin saved well; the Accies needed to stamp their authority on the game.
They did just that as Jamie and Dan exchanged a few passes and as Jamie skipped past a couple of challenges was felled right in the D on the edge of the box. Dan side-footed the free kick into the corner of the goal to put the Accies back on level terms and this heralded the start of a relentless assault on the away sides goal that didn’t let up for the next 75 minutes.
Jamie found Dan’s run behind the full back with a sublime ball and his shot was parried back into Daz’s path who did well to steer the ball back into the goal to make it 2-1 to the Accies. A corner was fizzed across and Jamie flicked it at the near post but no Accies player was on-hand to poke it over the line as it flew across the face of the goal. Simon made a great run into the box and his pull-back found Swifty who’s shot was blocked with a last ditch tackle. Dan picked out Jamie’s late run and he took it down on the chest but his shot was blocked again by a desperate defender. Matt G went past a couple of defenders and won a corner as the attacking display continued. The home defence were reading the play superbly and starting most moves from the back with real composure. Swifty had a header flash over the bar from Ryans cross and it seemed only a matter of time before the lead would be added to; but the Masons hung on until half time.
Half time Accies 2 – 1 Masons
Within less than a minute of the re-start the ref made a very bizarre decision as another good move down the right saw Jamie step over a through ball which completely foxed the defence and allowed Dan to run into the box; their full back tried to haul him down and eventually had to kick his legs out to stop him for a stonewall penalty – the ref giving a foul on the edge of the box for the initial challenge that was no more than shoulder to shoulder. The ball in was met by Reedy at the back post but again no Accies player was on and to poke it home as the keeper desperately gathered it.
The third goal was due and when it came it was a goal of real quality. Godwin rolled it out to Stan who strode past their midfielder and advanced into the opponents half, he played a one-two with Matt G then rolled it into Swiftys feet, he played it first time to Matt who slotted the return through the middle for Swifty who had continued his run; leaving him to calmly slot it past the keeper into the bottom corner. A great flowing move and the goal of the game.
The midfield was dominant and all the Masons could do was punt the ball forward to their lively forward who was snuffed out by the defence every time. Another attack resulted in a goal, this time Daz and Stan worked some space on the left and Daz knocked a disguised ball into Swifty who ran through and struck it past the keeper first time to make it 4-1. Within a few minutes and Simon advanced into the box to collect a pass and reversed it cleverly back to Dan who nicked it over a challenge and was felled in the box. No mistake this time, a penalty which Swifty smacked into the corner to complete his hat-trick and make it 5-1.
Batts and Tim came on for Daz and Foz and the Accies switched to a more traditional 4-4-2 with Jamie going up front with Swifty. No change in terms of attacking prowess as Ryan but a great cross in which Dan flicked agonisingly wide of the far post; shortly followed by a great strike from Tim which cannoned off the far post. Stan and Tim rolled back the years out wide and somehow the score stayed at 5 despite wave after wave of attack. Eventually the dam broke again as Tim clipped a ball inside to Swifty, who was possibly fouled in the box but managed to poke the ball out to Dan, he placed a side footer into the top corner from outside the box to round off the scoring and another dominant display of passing football.
Full time Academicals 6 - 1 Masons Arms
