Bovey Tracey V Marldon 6th Nov 2010

[Dave]

Bovey Tracey V Marldon 6th Nov 2010

Roach second half hat trick wins the points for Marldon.

How many times can one person make you so proud? In Ants case it seems endless and I drove home from this game so happy and it was a welcome feeling at this time.

After the game I just had to go over and congratulate Ant on playing one of his best games fro many a season. It was a joy watching him today and I said to him today he showed what being a good striker really is all about. A fist half header against the bar, a number of good saves pulled off by the Bovey keeper, a headed goal chalked off for being offside, ( only just mind you) a great goal chalked off for off side when he clearly was on side. But he kept going and kept making the runs and getting on the end of things and when the game looked like it was going to end in a draw, he put the team back in front not once but twice and made sure by adding another fine goal.

The game kicked off and for the fist twenty minutes Marldon dominated the game and created a number of good chances and it was no surprise they look an early lead. A good headed goal by yes you guessed it that lad who now wears the number nine shirt since Ants return to the club.

Marldons number eight made it two nil soon afterward after a good run into the box with Ant making a run to pull two defenders with him to create the space for number eight to shoot low and hard. The keeper got down and blocked the ball but the power on the shot saw the ball go over his body and into the net.

Marldon starting thinking it was going to be an easy afternoon and were guilty of letting Bovey get back into the game. To be fair to Bovey they started playing some very neat football and started to get on top in midfield.

Bovey got the score back to two all with both goals coming from very long balls that split the defence the first was played to Bovey’s number ten who hit his shot first time lifting the ball over the Marldon keeper into the far corner of the net. The second another long through ball that number eleven got on the end of and hit the ball low and hard past the Marldon keeper.

The first half really should have ended three two to Marldon after Ants fine left foot shot that was wrongly ruled offside. All the players were making their way back to the halfway line when the ref spotted the linesman had his flag up. He went over and had a word with him them pointed to a free kick for offside.

The Marldon half time team talk was all about working harder when they did not have the ball and not allowing the Bovey players so much time on it. A good team talked that worked well as the Marldon players were soon closing down the space so much better and winning most of the battles coming away nearly always with the ball as a result.

Ant did make it three two after he turned and swivelled on a lose ball in the Bovey box, he hit the ball sweetly and cleanly giving the Bovey no chance of making a save. He sure deserved the goal and the praise he got from his team mates.

Bovey were getting no where near the Marldon goal and yet when and got another goal to make it three all. From a free kick deep in their own half for offside, the ball was just thumped forward and ended up being poke through a gap on Marldons defence for their number eleven to score his second goal of the match.

Ant hates putting his team in the lead and seeing it lost again and he always them seems to be able to raise his game to a higher level and go and get the lead back again. One fine example of this happening was a game he played at the Newton Rec for Spurs in a game against Hookhills, it was a game he made his mind up he was only going to be on the winning side.

The ball was played up to Ant who chested it down in front of him and ran toward the box and fired a power driver past the keeper. Such was the surprise pace in his run I could not keep the camera up with him and it focused on the hedge on the other side of the pitch. The result was the shot of him was not Sharpe but I have put it up as it shows the real power he got into the ball.

Not wanting to see the game end in a draw he made sure of the win with another fine goal. This time out on the right slightly, he headed the ball down in front of him and hit a clan crisp shot past the Bovey keeper.

A great and enjoyable game to watch on an autumn Saturday afternoon and I agree with something J.Vine said on one of his shows last week, this years autumn leaves on the trees look truly wonderful.