Kirk Merrington 8 - New Marske 3
After the excellent performance last week, the management team gave the same players the vote of confidence by starting with the same line up, the exception being Jamie in goal as Dean was away on holiday for this game. Although for some unexplicable reason KM appeared to not have a match ball and we ended up using OUR training balls. Truely bizarre. The decision to start with last weeks team looked as if it would pay dividends, when after 2 minutes Frank dribbled through the defence, but he could only hit the side netting with his shot.
The early pressure was all ours, and a second chance came from a free kick on the left hand side near the touchline. Johnny crossed the ball in, and Jack found himself with a free header, that he unfortunately put over the bar. After this initial positive period of play KM came back at us, and a shot over the bar was followed shortly after with another shot that crashed against the cross bar.
our second early chance just headed over the bar
The pressure told after 12 minutes when poor attempts at clearing the ball on our right saw the ball fall to a KM player, who placed his shot inside the far post. 1-0 to KM. We were looking a shadow of the team from last week, but should have had the equaliser when a brilliant clearing header from Jack midway in his own half, cleared the whole KM team to set Frank away. The shot saved initially by the keeper, came back off a KM defender into the keepers hands. Johnny appealing for a back-pass got a right telling off by the referee.
After 17 minutes KM increased their lead. A couple of decent clearing headers were followed by a poor one from Dougy, that fell straight to a KM player who took his chance and buried it. 2-0 to KM. We tried to get back into the game down our left, with Ryan picking out Liam, whose weak shot didn't trouble the keeper. A similar result happened shortly after as Frank weaved through the defence before hitting a weak shot at the keeper.
After 22 minutes we made our first change when Greg came on to replace Liam. We forced another chance down the right as Frank once more got another shot in, this time held no problem by the keeper. Conor broke through the KM defence but found himself with a chance on his left foot. He obviously didn't fancy it and turned back away from goal and the chance was lost. The missed chances proved costly as a long ball forward fell at an inviting height for a KM attacker to volley the ball over the top of Jamie. 3-0 to KM.
the Kirk Merrington player is crowded out
Worse was to follow when KM got a free kick on the left. The ball was hit in, and Joe attempting to clear the ball only succeeded nodded the ball goalwards, leaving Jack stranded behind him, as a KM player ran in and chipped the ball over Jamie. 4-0 to KM. Just as I was thinking it couldn't get any worse, it did. KM attacked down the right, the player avoiding a couple of challenges cut inside and buried the ball past Jamie. 5-0 to KM. With a couple of minutes to go until half time, Johnny was substituted as Danny came on.
KM continued pressing as we desperately wished for the half time whistle. We were continually giving the ball back to KM with poor length clearances, as a one-on-one with the keeper was missed, before KM hit the post with a shot. We couldn't string a couple of passes together as players panicked and sliced the ball all over the shop. Eventually our wishes came true as the half time whistle blew. That was probably the worst half of football we've played since the mauling by Nunthorpe YC last season. At least second half we would be kicking down the hill.
Half-time: Kirk Merrington 5 - New Marske 0
Players not talking to each other caused us a problem within a minute of the restart, when Joe got a knock on the head, I think from a challenge by Greg, even though the very point was made at half time by the management team! After a stoppage of a couple of minutes, Joe couldn't carry on, and was replaced by Bash who slotted into his normal right back position with Dougy going more central.
our second half come back starts
On 38 minutes we got the early goal we needed when Frank put the ball into the net. 5-1 to KM. This was followed after 42 minutes when Ryan chipped the keeper from the left hand side from a great pass by Conor. 5-2 to KM. KM were under a lot more pressure now we were kicking down the hill, and their attempted clearances were going all over.
It looked like we had won a penalty a few minutes later, but the referee decided it was just outside the box. It was in a superb position, as Danny lined up to take it. His shot crashed onto the bar and bounced around as KM managed to scramble it clear. The penalty we thought we should have had came in a couple of minutes later, when great work by Conor forced the ball to Frank who was felled in the box. He got up, dusted himself off, and buried the ball in the corner of the net. 5-3 to KM.
The game had totally turned on it's head and KM were struggling to get a hold of the ball. But could we keep the pressure on? The answer was no, as Dougy decided to foul a KM player inside our box rather than stand him up. The resultant penalty gave Jamie no chance. 6-3 to KM. Even now there was enough time for more goals to be scored.
at least we had more possession of the ball in the second half
Another free kick was awarded to us, once again in a superb position. This time Ryan had a go at it, but just floated the ball into the keepers arms. The game evened out as both sides pushed to get the next goal, but it was a far better second half performance from us. A ball from Frank to Andy saw Andy try and lob the keeper. It nearly came off, however the keeper just managed to hold onto the ball.
A couple of corners for KM saw them push us back but as he had all game, anything in the air was cleared by Jack, with the final shot by KM being watched out of play by David as it went past the post. Another free kick was awarded to us, quite a bit further out this time, that Jack took and laid the ball forwards to Danny. He put a good ball in, but nobody in the box attempted to attack the ball for New Marske.
We were having much better possession, as Ryan tried to dribble his way through three KM defenders, to no avail. KM were next to break quickly down the left, it looked like another shot on goal about six yards out until Jack produced a great challenge to repel the shot and concede another corner. Andy was taken off to be replaced by Matthew. The corner was taken and Jack made a couple of more headed clearances, with the second going for yet another corner. From this corner, Dougy cleared the ball but got a knock in doing so. After treatment he was back on his feet again.
battling for the ball
The KM pressure was mounting, and another powerful shot towards goal looked like it was going in, until Jack headed it away for another corner. This one ended up in Jamies arms to give us a bit of a break. KM had got their composure back and we were struggling to get hold off the ball. KM attacked down the left, and the attempted shot was horribly screwed wide to the left hand side were a KM player shot, only to see the ball bounce back off the post.
Conor was the next to be subbed, as Robert came onto the field of play. Some increasingly dodgy decisions by the referee were finally topped off when he awarded a penalty to KM. Everybody was completely baffled as to why, with nobody seeing any sign of infringement, including their lads I assume as nobody appealed for anything. The penalty was subsequently despatched to make the score 7-3 to KM. That really was as poor a decision as I've seen this season.
and again
A high ball in from Danny was taken brilliantly by Frank who couldn't get a shot in, as the ball trickled past the keeper with nobody following in. Bash was tenacious with his tackling as KM tried to attack but were stopped. The final goal of the game came down the left as the KM player rounded Jamie to make the score 8-3 to KM, for the last meaningful action in the game.
If we had played the first half like we did the second, I'm sure the score line wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad. Roll on next week against 21st Allstars B. Time to get our pride back I think.
Final Score: Kirk Merrington 8 - New Marske 3MOTM:- : None