Match Report

The manager was able to pick an unchanged side for this encounter, possibly the first time since me being here. We were confident before the game, however knew this would be a sterner test, with Colin Brazier calling for a win to really kick start the season.

Colfeians were also ready to scrap for everything with a few rugby players in their side. There was a droning going on and on and on in the background for most of the game however it wasn’t Ivor, it was a bagpiper watching the rugby game next to us!

Ben Tomkins'' contribution to the game was excellent, really harassing and closing down the opposition from the front. Neil Barnes was doing much of the same and Richard Coyne looked as if he had been out all night drinking, oh, he had, as it was his birthday! We played some really good football, getting it out wide, which is a real strength of ours (hope Forest Hill Park Res are not reading this!) Alex getting in great crosses, for either me, or Richard T to try to get on the end of. The ball was just not running for us, and after 15 minutes we conceded a goal. I felt we did not believe in ourselves and we did not win our individual battles. Colin Brazier being one player to keep competing throughout and created a couple of goal scoring opportunities for Richard Tapsfield, and later in the game, for super sub Lee Sheppard.

Our back four failed to clear its lines for the second goal, and it was for Ivor to make a great save to still keep us in the game during the second half, diving at the feet of the Colfes attacker and parrying one away. The third was clearly off side, and again Ivor pulled off a near perfect save only for it to fall to the feet of an unmarked player to slot it home for three.

Ed swapped things around to try to muster some chances, by bringing on Chris Viner for Joe Lipton. Joe was really sacrificed so we could play three upfront, it was no reflection on an excellent solid performance from Joe.

Steve Viner persevered to the end as did Todd Arnold but it was fruitless, Richard T firing a shot in at goal and after deflecting off two defenders it went in. Some hope at 3-1 and the Old Colfes team looked rattled but they got a lucky fourth and it was all over. Well nearly all over as the final whistle blew, our player went in for a tackle and caught their chap late, what happened after was not for printing, however it ended in a yellow for our player, a red for theirs and another of our players seeing red as there was so much blood, he went to hospital and is thankfully alright.