Saturday 10.10.09 – Away Game

Bromley Cross 0  v  0  Westhoughton Park Rangers

I knew this was our toughest test yet – playing the top of the league and a team that hasn’t been beat in the league for 2 years – A big ask from the lads today.

We kicked off showing a few nerves and the lads were at sixes and sevens for the first 10 minutes but we battled hard and didn’t give them much opotunity to trouble our goal.

They had one or two chances that came to nothing and their big number 10 was causing us a few problems. However, we gained our composure and started to get back in to the game and gave them one or two scares.

We had our first bit of bad luck when William our keeper had to come off with a strained side and Jack Berry took his place.

His first peace of action was to save a powerful free kick from their number 10 and not only did he save it – he held it !

On reflection Bromley shaded the first half

Half Time  0 v 0

The second half was a completely different game and our lads started to gain in confidence. It was like a boxer feeling his way in to a fight then coming out and showing what we could do.

Having put Cameron Martin on their number 10 man to man marking it gave us the freedom to start passing the ball and we created a few chances, the best of which was a shot from Nathan O’Malley who looped the ball over the keeper only to see the keeper get back and tip it onto the post and out for a corner.

Another effort a few minutes later again from Nathan who saw his shot go wide by the width of a ball.

With 8 minutes left of the match there was only going to be one winner – us , but then after a great tackle from Cameron both he and their number 10 fell over in the challenge and their number 10 landed heavy on his wrist. It was obvious from his scream that he had seriously injured his self and the game was stopped immediately.

All the parents and lads on both teams were a little shaken by this and after a talk with their manager we agreed to let them end the game on a 0 v 0 draw. We all want to win games but the lads welfare is paramount and in the interest of fairness the best decision made was to agree to the draw.

Final Score  0 v 0

Man of the Match – Cameron Martin.

Peter Boardman

Manager.