Stevenage Borough (Borofans) 3 (3) ASB 2 (2)
Time: 10.30am 15/3/8
Location: Off some roundabout in a municipal park in Stevenage
Weather: Slightly overcast, no wind
Pitch: Narrow and short with an un-mown tufty strip down one side, big puddle in the middle and stones. Otherwise,quite flat.
On Thursday I was of a mind to cancel this game given we only had 9 yeses. However, we'd decided to go ahead with the fixture whatever as with almost as many weekends left in the season as games to play to complete our 20, we figured even one point is better than none. That's how it turned out, but not for the reasons we thought on Thursday. A last minute change of mind delivered a fairly healthy looking 14 man squad to Stevenage on the day. Thanks to Zack and Brian for enticing some debutants: Niall and Grant. With Peewee resurfacing after a 4 month lay-off, things were looking almost rosey.
Back in hotseat after 9 years, GaffJuzz was a little rusty, but eventually
plumped for a fairly robust looking:
Rob
Weeman
Tina
Peewee
Frange
Zack
Kevin
Brian
Slouch
Steve
Sharkey (captain)
Subs:
TJ
Grant
Niall
Rob's hand had thankfully recovered enough for him to be able to play in
goal.
Stevenage had a decent looking squad of about 16. A quick survey showed a team with some likely looking footballers and a few fillers.
The first ten minutes were fairly even with Stevenage probing down both flanks and ASB having some success knocking the ball up to Scouse Steve who was looking fairly lively and winning most balls. Our first goal came from a
ball into Steve's feet, a flick on to release Sharkey into the penalty area and a sweet finish. All going to plan so far. Stevenage though, were not the sort of team to implode and kept up there persistent raids down both flanks. Our fullbacks had to be on their toes more than once as their wingers seemed to have acres of space to collect and cause problems, Tina & Peewee were called into play on several occasions to sweep behind the FBs and this was to be a recurring pattern. The equaliser came rather too quick ofr my liking and was the result of some typical ASB defensive comedy capers – rather reminiscent of the Rotherham goal in the Wnet final. The ball was played towards their forward and both Tina and Peewee had ground to make-up to get to the forward first. Rob too decided it was all or nothing and the four players converged on the ball in a sprint. Dunno who got there first, but classically our three players ended-up in a heap and their forward lobbed the ball high and it sickeningly bounced into the empty net.
Not to be deturbed, we set at the game again with Slouch working himself to the byeline a couple of times and on at least 2 occasions in the first half putting across peach lovely crosses. One of which Steve stretched to and just put out of Shakey's reach and the ball went agonislngly wide of the far post. Kevn and Brian were having to work hard in the middle as Stevenage were pretty useful, but Stevenage's main tactic was the long ball up to the front line. This wasn't hard to do as the pitch was so short. Every set-piece became a potential threat. It was from a free-kick on the right (I
think) that Stevenage took the lead for the first time, the ball was played into edge of the keepers box and Tina went up to head it clear. Unfortunately, he just got underneath it and yes (you guessed it) it looped over the flailing Rob for an OG. This game was beginning to get irritating. We persisted attacking and Sharkey managed to magic an absolute corker of an equaliser. The ball bounced to his right hand side and he turned an volleyed a screamer from 25 yards that (from my perfect angle behind it on the touchline) was in from the moment it left his foot). The team celebrate his outrageous voilley in due style.
We set to the task of trying to get ahead as the half entered it's last phase. It really was ding-dong stuff and for a neutral a fairly high quality and entertaining game. Zack was trying his best to attack down the right, but at times we ended-up with 3 up front and this left Ian hopelessly exposed and out of position. Frange , who was having a great game, made one foray forward and in a 50:50, the winger who had been dropping into unmarkable space all game came out worse and had to go off. This was a relief because that seemed to stem the flow of attack down that wing at least.
Unfortunately this goal-fest of a half had one more goal to come. Again it was from a set-piece (a corner this time I think). Corner came over from the left and Tina headed out to the edge, but their lurking midfielder seemed to have ages to get the ball under control and fire it straight back and into the net. Mental note to team – midfield need to be on the edge to pick-up
the second ball and clear. It was a bit undeserved really to go in 3-2 down at half-time as we'd had plenty of other chances but just failed to convert them. Boro had demonstrated that they were a very good team and were quite capable of hurting us.
Really a few annoying errors cost us badly.
With us down by a goal, I didn't want to make too many changes to a strong line-up. At half-time Zack came off and Kev moved out to the right with his bro Niall moving into the middle. Niall instantly looked the part , showing some good strength and skill . We started battering at the door. The pattern of the game was set early.. Stevenage had taken some of their stronger players off to give the rest of their squad a run-out and we effectively almost camped in their half. They constantly tried to hit us on the break, but by now Tina and PeeWee had things under control. Wave after wave of attacks foundered on their massed defence. Brian and Niall often found themseleves with ball at feet but a wall of red making it impossible to either shoot or make a killer pass. Kevin was causing them problems with his pace and aggression, but after 20 minutes of this it still wasn't happening.
In an early effort to try and break the second half deadlock, I gambled early by taking off Weeman and going 3-4-1-2. Grant came on in the hole behind Sharkey and Steve. This put Stevenage under even more pressure and they brought their better players back on. By now they barely escaped their quarter of the pitch and Peewee was going down the right to deliver a number of excellent crosses into the box. With 15minutes to go, Frange made way for TJ who had frustratedly been kicking his heels waiting to come on. TJ was thrust into an unfamiliar role for him and went into the back three. He proved his worth making a number of key interceptions. I apologised to TJ for only giving him 15 minutes and explained had the game gone differently he would have got more. Just one of those things. Big up to TJ for taking it well.
With Peewee pushing forward we now had two at the back effectively and Tina was called on to make about 6 brilliant last minute tackles to keep the score down to one as they hit us on the break.. We did manufacture two or three decent chances, but they either went straight into the keepers hands who had turned out to be a very steady useful keeper or went wide. Grant proved himself to be a very useful player: fast, energetic, aggressive up front. I'd like to see more of him.
We kept on battering away, but just couldn't get past the red wall. A credit really to Stevenage's excellent defensive teamwork. The narrow, short pitch played into their hands in defensive mode. If they come back to us, it would be great to play a defensive holding midfielder to spread the play and then we can utilise the width of our home pitch and get round the back of
them like Slouch did in the first half. Stevenage are a pretty strong team and although we can count ourselves unlucky, there are things that we need to work on to get a better result next time we play them. The ref (who I thought had a largely good game) blew –up and we went away with 1 point but definitely not in the manner I envisaged on Thursday. We'd given everything we could in the second-half and it was just not to be, so the players should be proud of their efforts despite the result.
In the dressing room after the game, Grant asked if we had a first aid kit. It transpired he had slid his knee over a stone probably and produced the worst football cut I've ever seen. It was about 5 centimetres wide and down to the bone of the knee. Truly sickening. Fortunately, it wasn't bleeding too bad and Brian made a makeshift bandage with some shorts as Grant took himself off to A&E to have 8 stitches. An unwelcomely memorable debut for Grant. What I want to know is where is the 'kin first aid box? It's no use to us in the back of someone's car and should ALWAYS be in the kitbag, Also, water bottles – Steady hand them back or bloody turn out and play. Zack took the kit (well done Zack) .
Well done to all those who did turn-out, let's keep up this level of commitment through to the end of the season.
