|
Post by ceefer on Dec 10, 2016 18:12:19 GMT
|
|
|
Post by ceefer on Dec 10, 2016 18:13:30 GMT
That sounded like hard work and luckily brilliant work by Lloyd doing a Houdini & a Steve McQueen rolled into one.....
Where would we be without him?
|
|
|
Post by hermannsays on Dec 10, 2016 18:48:30 GMT
As the teams shook hands, it was glaringly obvious that Marine were a small side. One of the centre backs looked to be conceding 6 inches to K so I expected him to receive some crosses.
The lads were knocking balls around right up to kickoff and perhaps that helped a bright start. But our bright start came to a shuddering halt when Stopforth gifted them a penalty - he miscontrolled on the edge of the box and then slid in to try to remedy his error. The ball was slotted home and we were treated to time-wasting at every opportunity - players rolling around and a left back who dried the ball in his shirt for a minute each time he got a throw. It's a ball, not a newborn baby coming out of a bath! It was going to be a painful watch for sure.
While K continued to do well after their penalty and Marsden got off plenty of attempts, the other midfielders were struggling- first touch, passing, movement... just wasn't the level we expect to see from them. K was winning flicks but no-one was gambling to run beyond to latch on to them, players overplayed when (maybe I mentioned the height thing already) an early cross would surely create a chance, and when a couple of balls finally came in from the left Felix really needed to make a box run as the opposite wide player but never did, so balls into a decent area came to nothing if they went over K.
25 minutes in and Montrose was booked for diving in front of the Main Stand. Meanwhile Lloyd went down dramatically in the box twice but was neither booked or awarded a penalty. It was all a bit confusing. 35 minutes in and we should have been 2 down but thankfully their shot was poor and went to an offside player (Obi) who tucked the ball away. A few minutes before HT, Lloyd worked a crossing chance and put in a ball with enough air on it for K to use his height and strength - GOAL. But in added time we conceded what many fans were claiming was an offside goal - the highlights will show it but my instinct was our defence went to sleep, held a bad line/body shape and were simply between by a ball flicked on to a player who gambled.
So, yet again, we had gifted a team goals and were going in at half time at home behind. Not good.
The lads came back out and Lloyd and Felix were switched onto opposite sides and clearly told to get in and around K. Felix was now gambling, running beyond K. Not that I ever doubted JG wouldn't have noticed, but good to see the lad taking instruction.
However, it remained frustrating until their #4 decided to commit a reckless foul on Marsden. Some refs would have given yellow, but ultimately it was a poor tackle from behind about 40 yards from Marine's goal - totally senseless and if I was a Marine player I would be giving him a slap in the changing room for that one. Even though Marine really weren't very good at all (and we were playing equally poor), this did have a big impact on the game. They soon looked tired through the extra work they were doing and a bit desperate in some of their other tackling. With 20 minutes to play, Felix and K were removed for Amis and Ball, and Lloyd was sent back to the left. Along with Dux we had width again while Minihan was working hard on the right.
But it took us until 5 minutes from time to draw level. The pressure told and we won a freekick central to their goal, about 20-22 yards out. Lloyd took it - GOAL. He looked over to the Pop Side at the restart holding his badge. Within 2 minutes he darted into the box once more and was fouled. He stepped up and finished off the game. 1 assist, 2 goals and he didn't even play well. I don't usually LOL but LOL.
The game ended quite humourously with them complaining we were time wasting and with their #8 mocking Lloyd's height. #8 was perhaps 5'10 but I guess he feels like a giant in the Marine team. It was all a bit embarrassing and ultimately tied in with the mentality of time-wasting after 7 minutes and getting a man sent off for no reason when they were winning.
We were poor today but the mentality was better than theirs and the more days players have with JG, the more the mental strength seems to come through even the bad displays.
|
|
|
Post by hermannsays on Dec 10, 2016 19:33:01 GMT
|
|
|
Post by gazz on Dec 10, 2016 19:50:10 GMT
Another excellent report, H - I'm really enjoying reading them, mate.
|
|
|
Post by another_ruined_saturday on Dec 11, 2016 1:02:44 GMT
excellent report hermann. thanks
|
|