Post by Dave on Sept 15, 2010 15:35:27 GMT
South Brent V Marldon. 6th February 2010
Ant Roach’s two goals taking his total from 13 games to a wonderful total of 28 so far this season (sign him up Buckle) were not enough to prevent second placed Marldon from a shock away defeat to second from bottom South Brent.
South Brent won by four goals to three with all the goals coming in the second half and the game was decided for me by a penalty that was given that clearly should not have been for South Brent and two clear penalties that should have been given to Marldon that were not.
After heavy over night rain if was feared the game would have to be called off and when I arrived and walked on the grass around the pitch I could not believe how soft the ground felt underfoot. The pitch was very well covered in grass and it was a nice dry and sunny afternoon and it was decided to let the game go ahead. The pitch does have a very slight slope on it and the bottom half of the pitch was clearly very soft, while the top half was much firmer and behind the goal at that end is the main train line to Plymouth so during the game you get to do a bit of train spotting as well, should have taken Chelstongull with me.
With all the goals coming in the second half there is not a great deal to report on the first half, Marldon started the better of the two teams and were on top for the first 15 minutes, but the South Brent midfield started to get hold of the midfield and started to pass the ball around much better than Marldon were able to.
The Maldon defenders were on top of their game and dealt very well with any threats the South Brent forwards posed and the few times South Brent got through on goal the Marldon keeper was able to produce some very good saves and apart from two shots and a header over the bar, South Brent did not look like scoring.
Up the other end Ant Roach had broke into the South Brent box and had a good shot at goal but the keeper had got his angles spot on and was just able to block the ball with his body. Ant Roach then had another good chance with a rare header but the ball few inches wide of the right hand post.
Then shortly after this came the first real issue caused by the South Brent keeper on Ant Roach and it got worse during the second half and should have resulted in two penalties being given to Marldon and the keeper being given his matching orders.
A South Brent defender slipped on the edge of the box and just managed to toe poke the ball back towards his keeper, Ant Roach jumped over the defender and tried to win what was a 50/50 ball with the keeper. They both ended up in a heap with the keeper showing signs of aggression to Ant Roach as he lay on top of him and as he got up from the floor stamped on Ant’s arm, all unseen by the ref I’m afraid. It was almost my cue to start running onto the pitch, I know its not allowed but when it has looked like some clown was about to hit Ant on the pitch, I have had no problems in the past going to protect my son, he is after all only there to play football and not end up getting thumped by some player who can’t control his temper.
So the end of the first half and the managers team talk focused on the fact that Marldon would be attacking on the much firmer half of the pitch and he felt we would have the better of the second half. At this point a man came up to me and said hello Dave how are you and he had to remind me he used to play with Ant many years ago and was at the game now supporting his son who was the left winger for Maldon, He remarked that Ant had changed so much from the player he played with, now so much stronger and physical but no longer with the great pace he once had. Very true now that he is over 34 years old, but he has changed his game to suit his older years and uses those few extra pounds to his advantage, but while his pace has gone he still knows where the goal is.
With the second half only ten minutes old the ref made a shocking penalty decision, yes two players legs got a bit tangled in the Marldon box but the South Brent player did not go down and the ref who was still running from the halfway line and was blowing his whistle and pointing to the spot.
The spot kick was placed to the left of the Marldon keeper and I felt on the balance of play South Brent did not deserve to be in front. The goal rocked the Marldon defence who went from being a very solid unit to a unit half a sleep and not doing the simple things well and getting caught far to exposed when South Brent managed the few counter attacks they did after the penalty award.
Just five minutes after South Brent had taken the lead they went two up, the goal was almost a carbon copy of goal number three and four for South Brent. A long ball played from the halfway line deep into the right hand side of the pitch Marldon were defending, the left back failing miserably to get close to the South Brent winger who sent a low hard ball across the goal mouth for a simple tap in on the line at the far post.
The second goal woke up the Marldon midfield who had been guilty at times of wanting to many touches on the ball, or trying to beat two many men, now they were looking to hit the front two of Marldon much quicker or getting the ball out to the wingers.
The ball was played out onto the right winger by Marldon, the winger beat his man and ran towards the edge of the box and played a good hard ball across the box. There was Ant Roach just arriving in the box slightly to the left of the goal, he hit the ball first time with a thunderously powerful right foot shot that flew inside the left hand post giving the South Brent keeper no chance at all.
Ten minutes later Marldon got their second and equalising goal, Ant Roach was linking up the play well and fed the ball to his strike partner on the edge of the box, he ran into the box and was faced by two defenders, a tackle came in and he got a bit of luck as he found the ball still at his feet and hit a sweet shot past the keeper.
There only looked on winner now in this game and almost straight from the restart the Marldon defence were caught asleep again and conceded a third goal very similar to the second one, a simple tap in on the goal line
Marldon were clearly on top and doing most of the attacking and their number nine was obstructed just inside the box, the ref gave a direct free kick and I knew who was going to take it and he did and he hit the ball so hard and low right into the left-hand side of the goal.
Just after that Ant Roach had another shot blocked by the keeper who could not hold onto the ball and it dropped at Ants feet, he had to turn back out slightly and the keeper dived behind him and brought him down, how the ref did not give it I really don’t know.
The keeper then had to block another shot from Ant Roach who ended up on the floor with the South Brent keeper on top of him holding him down and pushing his face into the mud, the ball was still live and Ant was unable to get up and all the ref did was when the ball went dead, had a word with the keeper, unbelievable but true.
With five minutes remaining on the watch another long ball caught out the Marldon defence again and South Brent scored the winning go with yet another tap in on the line and their celebrations told how much this win meant to them as they must have felt before the start of the game that they would be on the end of a hiding from a top two team.
The very best Saturday afternoon I have had for such a very long time and I fear I’m losing my love for professional football, I’m still not that well and am finding that work just seems harder and harder and more demanding on me, that with the week I have had and the real emotional turmoil I’m suffering about something that’s happening next week ( Petef will understand) it was so good to have such a relaxing an enjoyable afternoon and has now given me a bit of a problem
I want more of the same next week, we all work hard and deserve to enjoy our weekends, do I hand over my £15 to TUFC then find I’m treated like a kid as I can’t be trusted to have a top on my bottle, stand and have to listen to foul and abusive language, be in the company of negative people that no matter how hard you try not to listen too, will end up bring you down as well, or do I go and watch my Ant play, I think I know the answer already.
South Brents ground, this is one of two pitches at the ground.
