Match Report
And so, after 15 games without one, and none in 2018, this Sealand Cup win came easily. Well not quite. A strong lineup and a beautiful sunny day gave cause for optimism and even the bumpy pitch and longish grass couldn’t dampen spirits at the start of the game.
The Vets started quickly and well. Within 5 minutes Lewis had beaten the keeper to a Rogers cross from the left and easily rounded him to open the scoring. Ten minutes later he scored again, heading home firmly from a precise Mornington cross. More chances came and went, most notably when Duffy blazed over the bar from 6 yards out after the Northop keeper failed to deal properly with a corner. The first half performance was, however, possibly the best of the season. Previous experience tells us that this does not always bode well for the second half.
Half-time team talks are going to have to change. This game’s was particularly ominous, involving some curious single, double or possibly treble bluff. “I don’t want you to think I mean the opposite when I say that we must concentrate for the first ten minutes of the second half.” Oh, if only the speaker had heeded his own words. Early into the second half Northop won a free kick on the edge of the box which was gently floated goal bound. The ball would have settled neatly into the the sumptuous belly of a 2016 or 2017 Power, but it bounced firmly back off the rib cage of the 2018 model and into the path of the opposition. That goal buoyed their spirits significantly and five minutes later the scores were level.
In recent times this would normally lead to a terribly deflating loss, but a great run and cross from Matty Gray left Mornington time to control and drill the ball into the bottom corner, and he made it 4-2 with a cool volley after good work from Lewis. This did not lead to, but was followed by his removal to the sidelines to allow Bodey to shore up the centre of midfield. This he did to such an extent that Lewis was able to complete his hat-trick before the end of ethics game to leave a 5-2 win and three points in the bag.