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Unfortunate start to the season for us. To go into the game with no recognised goalkeeper and come away with a narrow defeat is a good sign for the forthcoming season.
With Steve Peckham still away on holiday and Gino “Ginger” Gent injured with fluid (Carlsberg Export) on his knee there was a bit of a dilemma as to who to put in between the sticks on Saturday, until a little dickey bird informed me that a certain Mr Brockington was quite a good keeper, needless to say he didn’t let us down on the day and is a real team player for helping out in goal.
Nice to see spud turn up as well the moaning potato man even if he only lasted half an hour and before coming off.
Starting Line up was as follows:-
- Tom Brockington
- Marcus Young
- Luke Estick
- Steve Hunt
- Ian Lake
- Steve Fairchild ©
- Nathan Grimes
- Sam Haggar
- Jamie Gibbs
- Justin Densham
- Leon Hackworthy
SUBS
- Mark Bagwell
- Sammi Alli
- Russ Cram
- Dan Hayman
- Adam Hiscox
The game was a tight affair with nothing between the 2 sides only the poor finishing of the Alphas stopped us from being 2 or 3 goals up at half-time, instead we were 0-1 down.
The game started off quite brightly with Leon Hackworthy on the left a constant threat with his pace. Against the run of play Exmouth took the lead with a goal that was very disappointing from a defensive point of view nobody tracked the runner from midfield who went on to toe poke the ball past Brocky. That was there only real shot on goal in the first half where we had a good half a doze chances to take the lead we should have been 2 or 3 up at the interval at least, so to go in 1-0 down was disappointing to say the least.
With Alphington stalwart Steve Fairchild as reliable as ever at the back we were always in with a chance of getting back into the game. (Pay me that £10 later mate)
Half time team talk was fairly simple, keep playing the way we are and the goals will come.
Nice to see big Alan Smith watching from the sidelines even if it took him 3 years to cycle round the pitch to his nesting spot.
Surely enough 10 minutes into the second half we got an equaliser through the poaching instincts of Jamie “ I used to be quick you know” Gibbs. A ball was played through to Justin Densham by Steve Hunt Densham held the ball up, turned the defender “difficult to picture I know” and fired a shot at the Exmouth keeper who parried it into the path of Gibbo who poked home from all of 2 yards, this was no less that the Alphas had deserved.
We were right back in the game until a defensive howler from Marcus Young led to Exmouth’s 2nd goal and all but killed us off, all the heads went down, which is something that will have to be addressed for the next game.
We still created enough chances to be on level terms if not leading this match, Ian “Hightower” lake missed an absolute sitter from -2 yards, I think he actually headed the ball backwards rather than towards goal. Exmouth duly went on to score goals 3 and 4 and killed us off; although Sam Haggar did grab a consolation for us late on to make it 4-2.
We were beaten by a poor Exmouth side to be fair but if we play like that for the rest of the season I don’t see any problems at all in us gaining promotion from this division and even winning it.
Billy Elliot
For Sky Sports News
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