The main aim on Sunday was to get six points out of the double header and so with the two wins we achieved our goal. However, we didn't play that well and had we been anywhere near our best the victories would have been significantly bigger. One thing you can be sure of at Blantyre is that they will, if nothing else, be physical and this was the case at the weekend. However, this was enough at times to put us off our game and too often we were not strong in the tackle or were too concerned with what challenge may come rather than concentrating on the ball. This gave rise to an overall display across both games that in general was sloppy, lacking in control and without a physical presence. That said we were comfortably in control of both games and never looked like not getting the two wins.
In the first game we took the lead on ten minutes when Danny McGahan crossed for Alun Evans to head home. Thereafter we had all the possession but poor finishing meant that we did not add to our lead until the final minute. This meant that, despite being in control, we were always nervous that they could produce something totally unexpected or that we would make an error that could cost us the points. Thankfully the Chimp was only called upon to make one save and so the stress was more to do with us not taking our opportunities. The second goal came following some good work down the right by Chris Mearing. His deep cross found Alun Evans at the far post who nodded back into the path of Chris Ells to finish.
Thankfully, we scored early again in the second game when Chris Mearing drove the ball home from outside the box following a cleared corner after five minutes. We increased the lead on twenty five minutes when Mark Lester was played in following a Peter Bukovec back heel to again finish from the edge of the box. This effectively killed the game off as Blantyre still had a not managed a serious attempt at goal. The second half continued as before with us dominating but not having the clinical edge to our game. The third goal came two minutes from time when a cross was handled in the box and Alun Evans despatched the penalty.
Although we were short of a few regulars this week and picked up a couple of injuries during the games it did enable us to try a few ideas and give others a chance to stake claims for starting places. In particular Millsy and Danny provided good cover at full back, Chris Ells despite missing some glaring opportunities in front of goal showed what he can offer out wide and Paul Emblem got ninety consecutive minutes across the two games under his belt. The results also take us to the top with five games to play and, by having the best record of our rivals, five wins will guarantee the title. We will, however, have play to much better than this to make sure beginning with a tough challenge away to Speldhurst on the small pitch at Rusthall on Sunday.
Teams:
First game:
L.Baker
M.Millins
M.Boorman
N.Coxon
A.Lindsey
L.Gent
M.Lester
G.Manser
D.McGahan
A.Evans
P.Bukovec
Subs:
C.Ells (for Boorman)
P.Emblem (for Gent)
C.Mearing (for Bukovec)
M.Brown
Teams:
Second game:
L.Baker
M.Millins
D.McGahan
N.Coxon
A.Lindsey
P.Bukovec
M.Lester
G.Manser
C.Mearing
A.Evans
P.Emblem
Subs:
M.Brown (for Millins)
L.Gent (for Coxon)
C.Ells
M.Brown