New Marske 0 Loftus Athletic 7
With the Grewgrass pitch waterlogged after all the rain, the match was moved down to the Sports club, to get it played. The wind was howling a gale across the pitch as the game kicked off, and the feeling was it was going to cause problems for the players.
The first few minutes were fairly even but the first real attack went to Loftus as they won a corner from a clearance by Jack. The ball came in and was chested down by Matthew, who seemed to dawdle on the ball instead of getting rid of it. This delay saw a Loftus player nick it off him and put the ball back into the box where a couple of desperate clearances were needed stop us going an early goal down.
Danny's won the ball from a Loftus player, but his through ball for Frank caught on the wind and ran through for the keeper. Loftus went back up the other end as an attacker got clear only for Dean to make a great save to deny him.
Nifty footwork takes him around a Loftus player
We were playing some good football, and Matthew robbed a Loftus player of the ball, sending the ball forward for Frank, who once again saw the ball reach the keeper before he could get a shot in. Some superb tackling kept the pressure on Loftus as we pushed at them to work an opening, but it wouldn't quite come, as Gregs shot went well wide of the goal as it caught once more on the wind.
On 12 minutes we came close to breaking the deadlock as Danny saw his shot hit the post. We were playing some good football despite the awful conditions the game was being played in. Despite being slightly on top on overall play, Loftus went in front on 15 minutes. A long ball was hit over the top, turning the defence, and as Jack tried to clear the ball as it dropped over his shoulder, the wind caught it and took it away from his foot, leaving a Loftus player free to lob the ball over the top of Dean. 0-1 to Loftus.
Our heads didn't drop which was pleasing, as we continued to try and play football, and the outstretched toe of a Loftus defender was all that stopped Frank being sent through by a great throughball from Danny. Loftus came close next as they attacked down the left, and Joe mistiming his challenge saw two Loftus players free with the ball. The shot came in and hit Ken who was stood near the post. I'm not sure how he found time to be near the post, as he spent most of the match fishing the ball out of the ditch!
Another corner followed to Loftus as we struggled to get it clear. The ball came in, and once again we struggled to clear it, a Loftus player didn't wait though as he wellied it into the corner. 0-2 to Loftus after 19 minutes.
Danny once more won the ball in the middle and sent Ben through. His shot was deflected out for a corner. The ball was delivered in, and Joe got his head to it first, but sent it over the bar. Another long ball by Loftus cleared David to send an attacker away, but Jack came in with a great challenge to break the attack up.
Putting pressure on the Loftus player while defending a corner
Frank attacking down the left found Conor, who picked out Ben, whose shot forced the Loftus keeper to drop the ball, but reclaimed it before any of our players could react. Even though we were losing by two goals, our general play was good. But could we get the next goal to put some pressure on Loftus? Two or three passes nearly sent us away, but last ditch Loftus defending managed to keep us out.
A free kick was awarded to us just inside the Loftus half, and Jack took it quickly to an unmarked Matthew, but his cross was a poor one. Loftus took the opportunity to break away and Dean had to be quick off his line to make a save, and the follow up shot from 25 yards sailed well wide of the goal. We finally managed to get a pass through to Frank the other side off the Loftus defence, but brave goalkeeping once again foiled him.
A shot by Matthew was deflected out for a throw as we looked to keep applying the pressure. Shortly after we took the ball off Loftus in their box, only for Ben to see his shot go narrowly wide of the goal. There really was nothing much separating the two sides, but still the goal wouldn't come.
Frank was nearly away when a Loftus player hit the ball forward, only for it loop back towards his own goal in the wind. A Loftus player just deflected it enough to stop Frank racing clear. It was very nearly a bizarre opening. Danny was having a great game in the centre, time after time taking the ball off Loftus players, only for the through ball to be intercepted with an outstretched boot and toe.
the little and large show
The ball came in from the right and Joe got in front of his man to put his header narrowly wide of the goal. Very close to a goal, just as well it didn't go in as it was at our end. As it happened it wouldn't have made much difference as from the corner, a Loftus player managed to get a clear header to make the score 0-3 to Loftus after 29 minutes.
Half-time: New Marske 0 - Loftus Athletic 3
Even though we were three goals down, our first half performance had been pretty good for large spells of the game, and we were hopeful the gale force wind might help us slightly in the second half. Changes were made as Ryan, Liam, Hubby and Jamie were brought on to replace Conor, Danny, Frank and Dean for the start of the second half.
Straight from the kick off it got worse, as Loftus ran straight down our right and unchallenged fired a shot from outside of the box, past Jamie into the far corner off the net. 0-4 to Loftus. Joe missed his challenge as Brandon broke clear, and it looked like he might get the fifth goal until Jack came across with a last ditch challenge, that forced the shot wide of the goal.
After the set back of the early second half goal, we settled down once more and tried to knock the ball around. A Loftus shot was blocked by Jack, sending the ball up in the air towards Jamie. The ball was moving all over, but Jamies handling was good, to stop the attack. It wasn't long before Loftus got their fifth goal though. A long shot went over Jamie and crashed onto the bar, leaving Jamie on the floor as it dropped back into the danger area. A shot in was blocked as the ball spun towards and back off the post, where Jack attempting to clear it somehow only managed to put it into his own net. 0-5 to Loftus.
A good chance to score from the corner but the header goes over the bar
Matthew was having an excellent game as he continued to battle and win the ball back for us. Johnny came on to replace David. Loftus were lining up outside the box waiting for the ball to drop to them, which it did, and the subsequent shot was block for a corner. We seemed to be stuck near our left hand corner for ages before Jack sent Ben clear with a long ball. He tried to find Ryan, however the move broke down, but we had managed to get out of our half.
Matthew next tried to pick out Ben, which he seemed to have done, but Ben could quite make contact to get a shot on goal. The wind was still fierce and a long clearance by the Loftus keeper was headed away by Jack. The only problem being the ball moved at the last minute again, and instead of making contact with his head it caught him right on the nose instead. Ouch! Bravely he had to make a another header seconds later, this time he got it right.
The wind was getting worse and very dark clouds were forming around the ground, making it even more difficult for both teams to play football. Loftus scored again to make the score 0-6. Or to be precise Jack claimed his second own goal of the game as a firece shot looked goalbound, and it certainly ended up that way as his attempted header flew past Jamie. Greg was subbed next as Danny came back on.
We were awarded a free kick on the left, that Danny took quickly, too quickly as it went well wide of the goal without testing the keeper. The goalkick was poor and fell to Johnny, but his shot went well over the bar. Some nice play by Matthew saw the ball played forward to Ryan, whose enticing ball into the box couldn't be capitalised on. Robert came on to replace Bash.
heads somebody wins
Ryan found himself clear, and his well struck shot was well held by the Loftus keeper. We were battling really well once more, but still the opening we were waiting for wouldn't come. The pressure we were applying saw Danny race forward with the ball going towards the keeper. As both he and the keeper closed in on the ball, the keeper took a nasty knock on the head. It was a ball Danny had to go for, and there was no malace in the challange, but the Loftus keeper was unable to continue playing. Brandon took the opportunity to replace him in goal.
A poor goal kick by Jack saw Loftus hit a shot that smashed against the bar, leaving Jamie on the floor. As a Loftus player came in for what looked like a simple tap in, Jack redeemed the situation by getting a block on the ball, eventually going out for a goalkick. A free kick was awarded to Loftus just outside our box as Joe handled the ball. This allowed Brandon to come up, but his free kick went sailing well wide.
Robert clattered into a couple of challenges, and obviously fancied it as he rolled his sleeves up for more. Danny sent Ryan clear on the right and his shot beat the keeper but also rolled agonisingly wide of the goal.
The players in the wall poised to close the ball down..not!
Two Loftus players free on the left picked the ball up and put the ball back at Jamie. He saved it, but the ball rolled away for what looked like a tap in. Instead Jack came steaming in and wellied the ball out towards the touchline. Amazingly the ball didn't even go out, just shows how bad the wind was. We thought we had finally got the goal we deserved, when Danny got away down the right, and dribbled past two or three players. Brandon had come out to the ball, as the ball was knocked across. One of our players struck the ball goalward and from nowhere, Brandon appeared, to collect the ball just as it looked as if it was in, with a very relieved look on his face.
As if the scoreline wasn't bad enough, the rain started falling to make the conditions even worse. Followed by what appeared to be hailstones. As Martin commented, all we need now is a plague of locusts! Well we didn't get the locusts, but we did get the goal of the game as a Loftus player picked the ball up about 30 yards out and wellied a superb shot that flew past Jamie into the top corner. It was the sort of goal that's worth the admission money, if any of us had paid admission money that is. 0-7 to Loftus.
A bit of a flattering scoreline, but as is usually the case with Loftus, they do take their chances very well.
Final Score: New Marske 0 Loftus 7
MOTM:- : Matthew Watts