Pembury Sunday Reserves 6 v 4 Dormansland Rockets Reserves
I did not believe that we could produce a worse collapse than last week but I was wrong. Last weeks was slightly predictable in that Tonbridge pushed numbers on but todays really came out of the blue. Once again we started really well and scored within thirty seconds when Matt R-T side footed home a lovely volley from a Robert cross. The same two combined again on ten minutes when Robert again found Matt in the box and this time he controlled the ball before firing home. Five minutes later Matt competed his hat trick when Kevin put him through and he curled the ball pass the hapless keeper. At this time an absolute rout looked on the cards as we were tearing their defence apart going forward and with the defence and midfield winning everything things looked very positive. Despite this we did not score again until the thirty eighth minute when Joe Campbell headed home from close in when another quality corner from Pavel was flicked on at the near post. Two more quick goals followed before the break. The first when Kevin hit a speculative shot (cross) over the keeper from twenty five yards and the second when Wylsey sent a towering header in to the top corner from almost the edge of the box. So six nil up at half time playing some lovely football, winning every tackle and defending really well - what could go wrong.
Everything. Jekyll and Hyde have nothing on us. We stressed last week that you can't switch off no matter what the score or who you are playing. We started the half ok without dominating in the same way as in the first half but once Dormansland scored in the sixty seventh minute when we allowed a long punt forward to bounce we started to self destruct when there was no need. Three further goals followed as Dormansland started to believe a come back was on. Fortunately when they got their fourth with six minutes remaining we had the sense to have a period when we kept the ball to take the sting out of them and see us home.
I really don't know why this has happened two weeks running. Today for an hour we defended as well as we have all season but once we let the first goal in we lost shape, discipline and some belief. The secret is don't take your foot off the gas and keep driving on no matter what the score. As I said last week we need to learn from this so that it does not happen when the game is close.
Next week is the last game before the Christmas and New Year break and we have a tough one with Cranbrook who are on our tails in the table. If we can put ninety minutes in like the first forty five today then we are a match for anyone - we need to make sure though that Mr Hyde is firmly cast away.
Team:
M.Bolton
Tom Lowe
J.Roxborough
J.Campbell
O.Bryant
P.Poliski
N. Forward
M. Wyles
R.Curd
M. Rice-Tucker
K.Smith
Subs:
O.White (for Wyles)
S.Bent (for Forward)
