New Marske 0 Richmond Town 2
The main problem with games this time of the year, is the very low sun you tend to get, that is if the sun is out at all. For this game it was, and to make matters worse we must have lost the toss as we were starting the game kicking into the sun.
Once the game started, Richmond were straight on the attack pushing us back, and we were struggling to get ourselves moving at all. The first person to fall foul of this was Joe who got robbed of the ball just outside our box. Attempting to put things right, he lunged at the ball in the box, and with a loud boot on shinpad type noise, the attacker was felled. The worst possible start wasd avoided however as the referee didn't think it was a foul, and played the game on.
Richmond came straight back at us again, and Andy was forced to clear the ball over our own bar from almost on the touchline. We were struggling to get moving and challenge for the ball as Richmond turned up the heat. In fact if I didn't know better you would have thought half the team had just got out of bed. The corner came in and was cleared outside the box, only for a Richmond player to hit a shot that smashed onto the bar.
Looks like the centre back has finally shrugged off the gymnast that was stood on his shoulders
After four minutes we managed to get out of our half for the first time, when Johnny broke down the left, sending Frank through. A timely challenge came in to force the ball for a corner. From the corner the ball went straight into the keepers arms, not the first time in this match for both sides.
Richmond won another corner, and as the ball came in, it was cleared by Bash, straight into Conors face, causing the game to be held up for a couple of minutes. Shortly after play resumed Richmond won a free kick on the right. The ball was played in and cleared off the line three times in quick succession, twice by Jack and then out for a corner, I think by Dean.
After 15 minutes the pattern of the game hadn't improved much, but we were starting to get a few more challenges in. The other side of that was some pretty awful passing by us. A long ball by Richmond was gathered by an attacker, seemingly well in an off-side position. The referee thought otherwise and played on, but luckily for us he drove his shot over the bar.
A flicked header by Greg sent Frank away, but the Richmond defence got a challenge in and put the ball out for a throw. From the throw, Johnny was sent clear and his cross went straight across the box without anybody getting close to it. Frank was starting to get half chances to run on to, but in most cases they were going through to the opposition keeper.
An attempted clearance goes right in the kisser
Richmond upped the tempo again and put our defence under real pressure with some superb passing, first hitting the post and seconds later shooting narrowly over the bar. We were getting a bit of a battering at this point. Bash seemed to be limping from a really good challenge he put in during the move that hit the post. We started to battle a bit more and Andy sent Johnny clear. Unfortunately he couldn't make anything of the chance.
Richmond were finding a lot of space in behind David on our left and Bash's attempted clearance from one of those crosses fell safely into Deans arms. Richmond were finding lots of space and time in the central area as we failed to pick their men up, which in turn gave them space to pick out the passes they wanted. After 25 mins Joe came off and Dougy went on to replace him.
Things started to even up a bit and we started to hope we could get to half time all square, which would mean Richmond would have to cope with the low sun in their eyes. It wasn't to be though, as Richmond attacked down the left on 31 mins. Dougy looked as if he was going to clear the ball, only to see the attacker get away and put a cross into the box. The ball was parried out by Dean and wrong footed Jack and a Richmond player. It looked as if we might get away with it again until a second Richmond player followed the ball in and put it into the net. 0-1 to Richmond.
Another corner straight in on the keeper, this time from Richmond
The game burst into life in the final couple of minutes with tackles raining in from both sides, and the referee having to talk to players on both sides. An attack by us was broken up by Richmond as a long ball was pumped forward. David attempted to cut it out but missed it, leaving two Richmond players clear. The shot when it came in went outside the post, keeping the scoreline the same. Hopefully if we could ride our luck until half time we could regroup for the second half.
As it happened we couldn't last out, as on the stroke of half-time, a ball forwards found a Richmond player on the left inside the box. He coolly put the ball past Dean. to make the score 0-2 to Richmond.
Half-time: New Marske 0 - Richmond Town 2
Even at two down we were still hopeful of a second half revival with the sun in the eyes of the opposition, as the shadows lengthened even further.
As the second half is about to start, the shadows lengthen
The second half started much like the first, but after a couple of minutes we started to push Richmond back. But could we get an early goal? The answer was no. Ryan nearly got on the end of a ball, but instead it travelled back to the keeper. Liam came on early in the second half to replace Johnny who had had a quiet game after his man-of-the-match performance the previous week.
Frank looked to be through when he was cynically fouled just outside the box. Jack lined the free kick up, and realising he couldn't get it over the wall and down opted for power instead. The ball struck a Richmond defender and was eventually cleared. A Richmond shot came in, that looked to be no problem for Dean, however he didn't quite come for it and ended up parrying it to the feet of a Richmond player. As the shot came back in, Dean closed him down and ball ricocheted clear.
Andy was the next player subbed, as Ben Hubbard made his first appearance since breaking his wrist/arm. Richmond drove into the box evading two or three challenges until Jack came across with a powerful block, to send the ball out for a throw. We were still struggling to get any rhythm to our game, and it showed as players whinged on to the referee for some of his decisions, but to be fair, from the touchline he was having a pretty decent game.
the free-kick hits against a Richmond player on it's way through, and deflects back out, its there somewhere
Richmond were getting a number of free kicks, but defensively we were dealing with them without too much of a problem. Ryan was the next player replaced as Ben Leaper came on to replace him. Finally the chance we had been waiting for appeared. A clearance by Jack by-passed everybody and sent Frank away. He was totally clear, but whereas in previous games he buried the ball, this time it went narrowly wide of the goal.
Straight after that chance, another ball went through to Frank, but he couldn't quite get to it before the keeper claimed the ball. He was showing his frustration, and on another day could possibly have been booked by referee for dissent. The game stopped for a minute while Dougy got treatment for an injury, but no matter how you looked at it, we were struggling to get any impetus to our game. Dougy was unable to continue and Matthew came on to replace him.
The pattern of the game continued as Richmond pushed forward, with us either putting in a half-hearted challenge or worse still none at all. Richmond were getting chance after chance , but weren't taking them, either through poor finishing or Dean in goal.
One-on-one with the keeper, this time it wasn't to be
It was like watching Middlesbrough against Liverpool the previous weekend, as soon as the opposition got the ball we stood off them and let them have time and space in which to play. A great tackle by Jack stopped another Richmond attack when the attacker looked like he was through, with David following up to clear the ball.
Another great save by Dean followed as he appeared to get himself stuck in no-mans land, but the Richmond player couldn't lift it over him, and instead Dean made a great save but conceded a corner. At the very end of the game a brilliant double save by Dean stopped Richmond adding to their tally. A long ball to Frank saw him nearly get clear but the keeper just managed to tip the ball away for the final action of the game.
Make no mistake this was an awful performance by us, possibly the worst of the season (apart from Kirk Merrington). Unless we show more endeavour and a will to win against Loftus this coming weekend we could be onto a hiding. How many of you lads are going to stand up and show us what you can really do? Hopefully all of you.
Final Score: New Marske 0 Richmond Town 2
MOTM:- : Dean Lownsbrough