A 3-0 half time lead was thrown away by the Lions to leave us with a draw that tasted like defeat in a hard fought game.
Line up
Dorian (GK)
Alfie (RB), Simon (CB), Matt R (CB), Phil (LB)
Dale (RM), JP (CM), Brett (LM)
Jon (RF), Lee (CF), Gary (LM)
From the depths of Surrey one week to right on our doorstep (or mine anyway) this week as we played at the Kings College pitches in New Malden. They are excellent pitches for amateur football but we still managed to get the one with a slope. We'd already beaten Double H in the first game of the season but knew that it was going to be a tough game and we started off on the front foot, getting our tackles in and playing good football.
We were rewarded for this early in the game when a controlled hoof upfield from Brett on the left enabled Gary to run onto the ball and finished it with aplomb. There was an energy and commitment to our play that reduced the opposition to a few long range shots but didn’t see them seriously threaten in the early stages.
Our second was a great individual goal from Jon. Receiving the ball on the right, he weaved his way inside and bore down on goal before finishing with the outside of his right foot with the keeper unable to get a telling hand to it. The third goal came from the spot when Lee flattened by a shoulder in the back in the area. Despite their vocal protests, the penalty was given and Brett dispatched it straight down the middle.
In between all this good stuff, there were plenty of tackles flying in and fouls going unpunished by the referee. We seemed to be getting away with a few decisions which was winding them up no end and they were moaning non-stop at the ref and as the goals went at each other too. We were fortunate not to concede a penalty when I made a challenge in the box that got the ball but took a piece of the man’s ankle too. Brett was probably lucky to get away without a card after taking out their nippy little right back.
On the flip side we should have had another penalty when Gary was taken out in the area when through on goal and the half drew to a close with the match a slightly tetchy affair.
Out for the second half and they came at us with purpose and to be frank we
didn't deal with it too well. They pressured us very high up the pitch, were winning the midfield battle and their fast wingers were giving us problems.
Their first two goals came from breaks down our right. Can’t quite remember which one was first, but one goal came from their winger getting one-on-one with Dorian who blocked the initial shot but the ball rebounded off the winger and past Dorian. Their guy then managed to square it for their striker to tap in unhindered as our left back had gone missing (apologies). The other goal which may have been first was similar except this time the winger got to the byline past Dorian and managed to slot it in from an impossible angle when everyone in the box was expecting a cross.
We were rocking badly and not playing to anywhere near the same energy or quality level of the first half. Our chances were sparse – Gary had an opportunity a few yards out but couldn’t get a clean shot away and the follow up from someone else was blocked by the keeper. The equaliser for them was a ball over the top that their forward hit on the half volley into the top right corner.
Yet after all that, Danny almost won it for us with a header from a corner that spun agonisingly over the crossbar. When the final whistle went, we were probably as relieved as they were disappointed that they didn’t win because we were on the ropes. A great first half, but in a reverse of the usual situation we started off too slow in the second and never really got going. Still a point’s a point and based on other results, we’re still only two points behind the leaders.
