Longwell Green
Sports Tournament 2007
(
Taking a look at the program today I was more than a
little worried when I noticed that both Bristol
Rovers SC & Warmley Rangers were in our group. With both these team having done well
in last seasons “A” division, Rovers winning it and Warmley coming home
runners up, with both their A teams to play I knew this would be a tough group
to get through. However with a little bit of luck “Who knows what can happen”!
GAME 1 -
Bishport B V Frys (Pitch 1)
(Group
stage Game 1)
Before
kick off I had reminded the boys of how important it was to get off to a good
start because if we were going to progress through to the knockout stages once
more then we needed an early win to settle any nerves. Of course it would also
mean not having to beat the Rovers in our last game to guarantee progression!
We kicked
off a little late but it wasn’t too long before we had something to cheer about J Ashley picking up the ball around
the centre line and after taking on 2 players played a perfect ball in to
Charlie sat inside the their goal area. Charlie then seemed to take an age to
take the chance but when he did there was certainly no mistaking the quality of
the goal, a real smasherroony! Giving
Frys the deserved lead. (1-0)
Goal 2 then
came along very quickly in almost an identical fashion as the first. Ashley again picked up a loose ball and played it
through to Charlie who once again found the net with a sublime flick past an onrushing
keeper.
The game
was very much one way traffic from here on in. But for the Bishport keeper we could have added 3 or 4 more with ease
but it was left to a penalty to get our 3rd and final goal of the
encounter. We had been pressing hard and after a succession of corners a Bishport player clearly handled while trying to block. Jack
stepped up and made no mistake from the spot to give us the perfect start.
FT3-0 Frys.
GAME 2 -
Frys V Abbeymead (Pitch 1)
(Group
stage Game 2)
This game
was much tighter than the 1st as Abbeymead
were clearly in no mood to be dictated too and so we had to wait until a couple
of minutes from time to wrap this one up. Abbey had not really threatened our
goal while at the same time made it hard for us to get anywhere near theirs. It was left to a superbly well taken strike to give us the victory we had
needed to aid our progression. Jack Sheehan had floated a ball over from a
corner that was fully volleyed from the edge of the box by Cameron Shorney and with the keepers view blocked from a crowed
area he had no time to react as he watched it sail into the bulging net. FT1-0 Frys
GAME 3 -
Warmley A V Frys (Pitch 1)
(Group
stage Game 3)
We
started this game in a very positive manner and were somewhat dumfounded when we
found ourselves 1-0 down midway through the game. It was harsh to concede as
we had until this point been the better team and from the reaction of the
players afterwards it was obvious we were in no mood to let this one slip by
without a fight.
After
conceding the goal I brought off Aaron and Ryan and replaced them with Cameron
and Jack to give us a more direct approach. We didn’t have to wait long
before we got our deserved equaliser. Scored by Matt just a few minutes from
time, he latched on to a through ball and placed it low past the keeper.
With no more real chances falling to either side the game finished honours
even. FT1-1
GAME 4 -
(Group
stage Game 4)
This was
our last group game and even though we had 7 points from 9 already we still
weren't sure of qualifying for the knockout stages. A Rovers win would see
them move above us to top the group while at the same time putting us 2nd
with Warmley A still to play Bishport.
I told
the boys at the start that if we didn’t concede then we are through. I asked for hard work and a good team ethic and they responded fantastically. It’s fair to say that Rovers were having the better of it in this game but they were finding us in no mood to let this slip without a fight. Time and time again we would foil and frustrate them and just when it looked like we were going to get the point to secure top spot, Rovers found the net
with about 30 seconds to go L leaving us
dependant on the results from within the other groups. It was hard on Frys as
we had worked hard to compete but overall Rovers maybe “Just” deserved it. FT 1-0 Rovers
|
Final Table (Group A) |
||||||||||
|
|
Team |
W |
L |
D |
F |
A |
P |
GD |
|
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
9 |
+7 |
|||
|
Warmley A |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
+3 |
|||
|
Fry
Club JFC |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
+3 |
|||
|
Abbeymead |
1 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
+1 |
|||
|
Bishport B |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
-13 |
|||
|
|
||||||||||
Quarter Final
! (Pitch 7) then pitch 1 then eventually pitch 3!!!
1st call Frys v Nicholas Wanders
2nd call Frys V Bishport A
3rd call Frys v
4th call Frys V Bishport A
5th call Frys v
After
what had seemed an eternity we eventually kicked off our QF against Bristol
Rovers B some 21/2 hours behind time, an unfortunate event on pitch 6 also
did nothing to help the (“Dis” :-/ )organisation of the tournament and after getting the boys
ready once more it was at last kick off J .
Before
this game I had again plumped for a
We
started off this game very well and grew in confidence as the game progressed. We were unlucky not to take the lead early on when Charlie had shown good flair
to beat 3 players and play one inside to Cameron who was unlucky to see his
effort deflected for a corner. Cameron then had another chance as Ashley played
him through only to see his delicate lob get stuck in the grass and a defender
manage to stop it on the line and clear to save their day. We had a few more chances
but with luck seemingly against us Rovers B held out to take this tie into a
penalty shoot out. (5 each and then
sudden death)
Rovers
win the toss and opt to shoot second.
And so to
the action in true “Premier Manager” style ;-)
Charlie
steps up for Frys, Strikes ………….and it’s in of the post J
(1-0 Frys)
A Rovers
player then steps up to find our keeper Oliver doing the Dudek
shuffle along his line, Or was he?
The
Rovers player steps up to strike the ball and there is a cry from the crowd
that the keeper is off his line and the ref instantly blows his whistle as the
shot heads clean into the net, No Goal the ref says! and
orders a retake explaining to the protester that is now complaining it should
be a goal that it was his protest that made it a retake and that he cant have
it both ways!
So the
same player again steps up,
Strikes…………. GOOD SAVE OLI!
J (0-1 Frys)
Jack
steps up for Frys, Strikes …………..and it smashes in of the bar J
(2-0 Frys)
Rovers
step up for pen 2, Strikes and again Oliver saves brilliantly J (0-2 Frys)
Louis
steps up for Frys, Strikes………..Blazes it wide :-o
(2-0 Frys)
Rovers
step up for pen 3, …………………….Strikes it in to row
Z J (0-2 Frys)
Ashley
steps up for Frys to put us through, Strikes………………….Blazes it wide :-o (2-0 Frys)
Rovers
step up for pen 4 knowing a miss puts them out, Strikes ……….…and it slips under
Oliver’s dive, Unlucky Oli (1-2 Frys)
Cameron
steps up for Frys 5th and last penalty,
strikes…………………………..GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
Frys are through and into the semi finals once more
FT 0-0 (Frys win 3-1 on pens aet)
Semi - Final -
Rovers “A” V Frys (Pitch 7) No 6!
Tired but
not beaten we again changed pitches to find our opposition being Rover “A” once
more. They had beaten us earlier in the day 1-0 and while they didn’t do it
convincingly they probably had deserved it so this was going to be a tough one.
I decided
to stick with the previous games 1-2-1-2 formation to keep us a little more
direct and with the added bonus that it was a more familiar role to the one we
normally play. We had been too defensive earlier on in the day and this had
been the main reason for allowing Rovers A to pen us back for much of the
encounter. I was keen to avoid the same mistake twice.
The game
played through at an expected high tempo with chances falling to both teams early
on. Cameron went close for Frys with a shot that hit the wrong side of the
post and the clearest of the first 5 or 6 minutes.
Rovers
then had a chance to take the lead. A great strike from their striker only
brought about a better save from our keeper. Oliver again not for the first
time today, saved us with an outstretched leg to stop the ball dead and keep us in it.
Frys then
had their best spell of the game as Aaron picked up the ball and played it
along the line and into space. We quickly made up the ground to support and to
try and make this game ours with shot after shot raining in from around the edge
of their box.
Rovers
however held firm and with just 90 seconds to go grab the only goal of the
game. A loose ball breaking clear to one of their strikers and with little
resistance he struck it in to the bottom corner to give them another 1-0
victory L
Unlucky Frys, we played a much better game this time and it’s a shame we
didn’t get our rewards.
Player of the tournament
OLIVER
SHARP
Managers overall view
Again we
lose out in a semi-final but again I have to say im
not overly disappointed. Sure it would be nice if we could break the hoodoo we
seem to have at this stage but again I take the positive in the fact that we
keep getting this far. We lost out narrowly to very good opposition who were
turning others aside at times. I don’t think we should be disappointed as to
me it’s another step forward and lesson in “experience” of which will give us
plenty to build on for the season ahead.
There are
several more positive notes that I could bring you but the pick of the best was
certainly Oliver’s fine display in goal. In only his first season as GK he is
clearly developing in to a great shot stopper with this being one of the main
reasons we are proving to be tough opposition ourselves. If anybody was to
question that, then I would just point them to the penalty shoot out. To do the Dudek shuffle just out of the blue like that was pure
genius and shows the great character he is.
Well done Oliver,
Today’s **STAR MAN**