[Report By Dan Kavanagh]
Let’s talk about the first 5 minutes of the game where the Sheffield Academicals were absolutely irresistible. Sumptuous flowing football took the higher division Red Lion completely by surprise who had no answer to the gorgeous football on show from Sheffield.
On the first attack of the game Hodgy and Bri worked the ball up the right side, the former laying it back to Jamie who clipped a quality curling cross toward the back post. Dan Kav made a late run toward the back stick and had the presence of mind to rest his left cheek on the post and let the ball bounce of his head and over the line for the first goal; narrowly avoiding knocking himself clean out in the process.
Moments later Kav turned his man in the left back spot and knocked a ball up the line for Bri who’s cushioned lay-off found the onrushing Stan who, in a seamless role reversal with Dan Kav, dashed up the line and sent in a low cross which Hodgy met at the back post with a sweetly struck low drive that buried itself in the far corner of the goal. 2-0 to the Accies and Red Lion were nowhere.
It was at this point, 5 minutes into the game, that the Accies very sportingly decided to make the Red Lion team’s trip worthwhile.
Firstly, they gave the Lion forward acres of space down the left and allowed him unchallenged to loft the ball over Godders and into the net. Then they watched a hopeful punt forward drop to the same player and allow him time to slot the ball calmly past Godders for 2-2. After you, no please, I insist, after you. Following that a bit of wing trickery from the Lion full-back saw Bondy glance an unstoppable header past Godders for 3-2. He should have decided at this point that it would be much more effective to give the Accies forwards tips on finishing. Time on the clock was now 20 minutes in.
After forgetting that they were supposed to be letting Lion win the game for the next 15 minutes and playing some decent football again, the Accies remembered what they were there to do and allowed the Lion forward to run clear after another punt over the top and complete his first half hat-trick with a carbon copy of the second goal, only from the opposite side.
Half-time 2-4
After announcing to Jamie that he should go off “because I’m sh*t” Andy Baker saw a rousing show of solidarity from his team mates who were all dying to prove that he wasn’t the only one. Now that’s team spirit! The second half started in the same way as the first had ended. Dan Kav was bringing his marker into the game by showing him the ball every time with a terrible touch, Hodgy was bringing their centre backs into it by lumping the ball straight to them every time, Swifty was pretending to run past people with the ball but cunningly leaving it behind, Jamie was obsessed with running through people instead of round them. Sporting stuff from the Accies.
Subs had come on and evidently knew the format to follow. Fozzy gave it away on the edge of their box allowing them to run up the other end and make it 5-2. Stevey Mac crossed a few balls behind the goal line, Daz missed an equal number of clear chances, even clearing one off the opponents goal line.
The game came to a close and the only thing the Accies will get from the game other than a great display of how not to do simple things; is a bill for a broken window.
Back to the league next week thank god.
Joint Man of the Match Award this week tied between Jamie and Stan.
