GAME 1  -     Bristol City JSC  V  Frys (Pitch 4)

City 2  -  0 Frys

Starting – Harry(GK) George Louis Charlie Matthew Ashley Subs - Sarah Ryan

Formation    1-3-1

This was a game where yet again we didn’t do ourselves justice, we played good football but we failed to see the danger and this was to prove costly. We was straight at them at kick off and looked threatening but it was without composure, we rushed our passes, sometimes without looking and we also did the same up front. There were some glimpses of what we are capable of but early on in games as always been our major pitfall. Over an entire game we are a match for anybody, but we always need a good 10 to 15 minutes to get sharp, hence 2 halves of 5 minutes doesn’t help us!  I knew the first game would be tough as it was against a much proved side in City but in honesty we gift wrapped them their victory. The game was lost when after we took a corner, a few of us decided to check out what was going on on pitch 5, George to his credit managed to push the game out wide, this was the opposite side to the game on pitch 5 that some of our team was watching so we made it easy for them, only when Our Goalkeeper Harry was faced with 2 City players on there own with an entire box to themselves (Just plain greedy I say) did the rest of us realise what was going on, there was some other chase back attempts but no one did their selves justice here.    

Overall, while we became more composed, we didn’t get sharp and it cost us goals while at the same time not making the best of attempts offered. The move of the half was when Ryan attempted a shot which turned into a great looping cross, Ashley was running in but just failed to make any kind of contact, a foot to the right and it would have been goal of the season! Unlucky on that one Ryan!

 

GAME 2  -  Frys V Mangotsfield UTD (Pitch 1)

Frys 0 V 2 Mangotsfield

Starting – Harry(GK) Louis Charlie Ashley Matthew Ryan Subs - Sarah George

Formation    1-3-1

The second Game was much the same as the first, we was more composed from the off but still not completely switched on.

Mangotsfield 1^st goal came because yet again we was found defenceless, even more so than in the 1^st game as I don’t remember anyone except Harry being in our own half.

We had started to play good football all the way to their goal but failed to show the same determination to defend, one of us even diverting from chasing down a player on the attack, to kindly kick back the ball that had come over from Pitch 2! You cant knock the lad, it’s a respectable thing to do and it’s common of him to do such a thing, he always has great respect for others but those moments of selfishness he has during games are more what I’d like to see.   (See game 4 for one of those moments!)

Mangotsfield are a good team and won it through effort

 

 

 

GAME 3  -  St Vallier V Frys (Pitch 1)

 

Match cancelled (Eventually!)

 

 

 

GAME 4  -  Frys V Bishport UTD (Pitch 1)

Frys 1 V 0 Bishport

Starting – Harry(GK) Sarah Ryan Ashley Louis Charlie Subs - Matthew George

Formation    2-2-1

I decided to make us more defensive by changing the formation, it was more a 2-3-0 formation as I’d asked Charlie to just float around in front of our midfield, this did work and made us more solid and the team started playing as a unit. We always looked threatening and Harry was sharp enough to mop up any loose balls in the box. We still maybe didn’t capitalise enough but I cant take anything away from everyone’s effort in this game, We had had a good team talk before this game in which I pointed out that the effort they was giving was well below their normal par, I pointed out that regardless of skill, Effort is free and is available 100% to anybody that wants it enough, the players seemed to take this on board as they responded well. Our break through came just after the break as Matthew went on to score another belter after he had replaced Ryan at half time. Never once as Matthew scored from inside the box and this was no exception, He had picked up a loose ball won by determined midfield work and then unleashed a shot straight into the top corner 1-0 Frys.  After the restart it was all hands at the pump as Bishport gave everything to push an equaliser but strong tackling and 110% effort around our box meant they never got a clear chance. Well done all, you deserved this victory.

 

 

Managers overall view

 

Our first 2 games disappointed me as we had not given the required effort but in fairness to them all was not helped by the fact that although announced on time, our 1^st game was about 20 mins late starting, We had spent 30 minutes talking about how we will play and warming up, only to lose it in that delay, we tried to keep it going but it was a bags up and move to here/ there etc. and after being constantly haunted by the photographer (Have you got time now sir?) after the 4^th approach in half an hour I gave in. 30 minutes spent getting hooray only for a photographer to give you Disarray within 5 minutes, Sausages!  I’ll give you sausages! Grrrrrr.  After eventually kicking off and then finishing the 1^st game we was then off to pitch 1 (Bags in tow) and as soon as we got there the other team lined up for KO, the ref gave me enough time to pick the team though! “2 minutes please”  Thanks ref! So we never really got a chance to give a team talk or even think about which line up to play, it was all very rushed after a false start!  We had a good break up to our last game and so gave a good team talk and a well thought line up started and the players shown their character from this, if I had got this chance in the 2^nd game and the 1^st game had kicked off on time then maybe, just maybe. At the end of the day, its all “What ifs” & “maybe’s”. I suppose that’s what makes football such a great game.  The  Tournament could have been better organised. I am sure our own Frys Tournament at the end of May will be better!