After being stuck in traffic for 3/4 of an hour on the way, getting out of the car into the pouring rain, and feeling very out-numbered by the home supporters, I didn't think the afternoon could get much worse. Oh, how wrong I was.
It only took three minutes before Casey, the Alphington defender gave away a needless free kick on the edge of penalty area which was duly dispatched into the net, passing Tony Ali by way of a wicked deflection off of Casey that gave the keeper no chance. Around the 10 minute mark things should have been level after a great bit of combination play between Jason Warren and Danny Tyrrell
that culminated with Warren slipping the ball through only for Tyrrell to narrowly miss with the shot going wide. Only three minutes later the Alphington keeper made a terrible mistake after his juggling act went wrong, and the ball fell to the ground to be tapped in making it 2-0. The Alphas missed another chance before a great move by Axminster saw them run down the left wing to cross the ball in that was superbly headed in by Alex Wheatley to make it 3-0. The first half ended there, but the torment continued with what I can only describe as one of the worst pasties I have ever tasted!
In the first minute of the second half it was clear that Robbie Vaughan must have given the Alphas a rocket of a half-time talk as Danny Tyrrell steamed through to pull back a goal making it 3-1. Around the 60 minute mark the Alphas had a corner that swept in, was knocked back to the edge of the penalty area and returned into the danger area for Jason Warren to head home making it 3-2.
Some 10 minutes later, with the Alphas in the ascendency, Warren retaliated to an incident the referee obviously didn't see and was given a straight red card. This changed the whole complexion of the game as the shape seemed to go and it was only 5 minutes later before it was 4-2 to the home side after James Hartley was easily beaten for pace at the back allowing another simple goal to be taken. 5-2 was to follow in the 85th minute after another Hartley blunder in defence. Two minutes later it went from the sublime to the ridiculous when the Tigers slotted in a very well taken free kick to end the game at 6-2.
In summary, I can only hope both teams play better, and to their
true potential, in their up coming games.
Eds Man of the Match Mark Pepperell
All first team reports are written by and are the sole view of Russ Murch, they are in no way endorsed by Alphington AFC
