Post by Dave on May 18, 2013 19:14:52 GMT
Riviera United V Roselands 2nds 18th May 2013
SDL Division Six venue Whiterock 2 Match Official: Stuart Oldroyd
Thankfully the SDL has not finished its season yet and I was able to get out on this wonderful sunny afternoon to watch a game of football. I was not sure what game I would end up watching as on the SDL league website it had listed two different games both being played on Whiterock 2 with the same kick-off times. As I was there two weeks ago and watched Hookhills play on that pitch, I was expecting to watch them play again.
But the two teams out on the field were Riviera United and Roslands 2nds and I was looking forward to seeing just how good the standard is in division six of the SDL. I was not disappointed at all and having watched so much hoof ball football from some so called professional football teams, it was a joy to watch two teams both playing the ball down on the deck and trying to pass it around.
Things all started off very evenly with no team really getting on top and the first goal effort came from Rivs number nine who got into the left hand side of the box and shot across the goal with the ball ending up just going wide of the right hand post.
Roslands very big veteran number seventeen blocked a clearance and from 25 yards hit a wonderful shot that had the keeper rooted to the spot and well beaten, but the ball hit the underside of the bar and came back into play. Shortly after this Roseland’s look the lead, a cross come shot came in from their number four out on the left hand side of the pitch and the ball ended up in the back of the net, I’m not sure if it took a touch on the way in.
Up the other end a cross came in from the right and number seven fired the ball home. Rivs number eleven that had a good chance of putting his side in front with a fine lob from the edge of the box, but his shot just cleared the crossbar. The same player thanks to a lucky defection found himself in the box with just the keeper to beat, but he hit his shot tamely past the post.
Onto the second half and the big veteran number seventeen headed a good chance over the bar for Roseland’s. While I was just writing that bit of information down in my notebook, the ball was pumped forward towards the Roseland’s box and fired home by Rivs number four.
Roseland’s were slowing getting on top and looking the most likely team to score the next goal. It came about after a neat short pass into the box from their number seventeen who I’m sure must have played at a higher level when he was younger. His team mate wearing the number five shirt had his back to goal, but turned neatly and fired the ball just inside the right hand post. So I was just writing that down and straight from the kick-off the ball ended up in the back of the Roseland net, I believe it was Rivs number eleven who got the goal.
A great bit of play from one of the shortest men on the pitch who’s shorts seem to come down to his knees, nearly resulted in what would have been the best goal of the entire match. Roseland’s number nine beat three players keeping the ball very close to his feet, then from about 20 years out he hit a fine shot that had the keeper well beaten, but the ball hit the crossbar and stayed out.
The Roseland winger on the right sent him a cross, Rivs keeper must have thought that ball was just going to drop onto the roof of the goal, but the ball came down onto the crossbar and dropped some four yards away from the goal line. Roseland’s number seventeen swung a boot at the ball and blasted the ball high over the crossbar.
Roseland’s kept up the pressure on the Rivs goal and finally got their reward when a cross was sent into the box from the left and I believe it was number seventeen who got his head onto the ball and found the back of the net.
A very enjoyable game of football to watch, not a single booking and there could have been maybe one or two had the ref not been in such a good mood. But then in saying that the game was played the way its meant to be played and credit to both teams is most certainly in order.
