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Post by gazz on Aug 31, 2023 10:07:04 GMT
Cheers for another excellent update, Duds.
It does sound as if the boys will struggle to get goals this coming season, but hopefully one or two players will step up from Midfield to get on the scoresheet. You never really know until the season starts, so fingers crossed they can hit the ground running.
A great touch from Destiny to come back for the farewell of the two legends, and good luck to him at his new club - he sounds like a really classy bloke, mate.
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Aug 31, 2023 18:59:14 GMT
Good luck for the new season, Duds.
Have fun in the sun.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Sept 13, 2023 20:22:35 GMT
So the season is now two games old, sorry about the slight delay but going back to school after a ten week break is mentally very challenging! I’m not looking for sympathy (I don’t need or deserve it!) just explaining my tardiness!
We started with a home match against our closest rivals in terms of distance Vélez-Malaga. They were a big side physically and looked ‘hard’. We lined up with five of last season’s core playing. Awana probably would have played but he injured his wrist in training. We matched them well across the pitch and even managed to clip the post through Amin, however clear opportunities were almost non existent. Vélez had the best chance with five minutes of the first half remaining a shot from the left hand side of the box was finger-tipped away by Benito in goal.
The first twenty minutes of the second half were quite painful to watch as we were second best across all areas of the pitch, however they failed to really test our goal. Once more a fingertip save from Benito (for the cameras!) was the closest they came. As the game wore on we came more into the match and with five minutes to go a header from Issa (at 1.97m almost the same height as super Kev!) looped over the keeper. We leapt from our ‘seats’ unfortunately the ball bounced off the bar and away to safety!
Full time score 0-0
As predicted goals will be an issue this season. Hopefully Issa will be our answer…
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Post by gazz on Sept 14, 2023 6:12:21 GMT
So the season is now two games old, sorry about the slight delay but going back to school after a ten week break is mentally very challenging! I’m not looking for sympathy (I don’t need or deserve it!) just explaining my tardiness! We started with a home match against our closest rivals in terms of distance Vélez-Malaga. They were a big side physically and looked ‘hard’. We lined up with five of last season’s core playing. Awana probably would have played but he injured his wrist in training. We matched them well across the pitch and even managed to clip the post through Amin, however clear opportunities were almost non existent. Vélez had the best chance with five minutes of the first half remaining a shot from the left hand side of the box was finger-tipped away by Benito in goal. The first twenty minutes of the second half were quite painful to watch as we were second best across all areas of the pitch, however they failed to really test our goal. Once more a fingertip save from Benito (for the cameras!) was the closest they came. As the game wore on we came more into the match and with five minutes to go a header from Issa (at 1.97m almost the same height as super Kev!) looped over the keeper. We leapt from our ‘seats’ unfortunately the ball bounced off the bar and away to safety! Full time score 1-1 As predicted goals will be an issue this season. Hopefully Issa will be our answer… Was the score actually 0-0 or was it really 1-1, Duds? I'm not trying to be a smart arse, mate, it's just that there's no mention of any goals in your report yet the game finished 1-1. I'm honestly not being pedantic, mate, I'm just confused. |
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Sept 14, 2023 8:13:18 GMT
A draw is a draw, Duds. One point in the bag.
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Post by gazz on Sept 14, 2023 9:50:22 GMT
A draw is a draw, Duds. One point in the bag. Very true, mate - it's a solid start. |
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Post by dudleyhatter on Sept 14, 2023 17:07:38 GMT
So the season is now two games old, sorry about the slight delay but going back to school after a ten week break is mentally very challenging! I’m not looking for sympathy (I don’t need or deserve it!) just explaining my tardiness! We started with a home match against our closest rivals in terms of distance Vélez-Malaga. They were a big side physically and looked ‘hard’. We lined up with five of last season’s core playing. Awana probably would have played but he injured his wrist in training. We matched them well across the pitch and even managed to clip the post through Amin, however clear opportunities were almost non existent. Vélez had the best chance with five minutes of the first half remaining a shot from the left hand side of the box was finger-tipped away by Benito in goal. The first twenty minutes of the second half were quite painful to watch as we were second best across all areas of the pitch, however they failed to really test our goal. Once more a fingertip save from Benito (for the cameras!) was the closest they came. As the game wore on we came more into the match and with five minutes to go a header from Issa (at 1.97m almost the same height as super Kev!) looped over the keeper. We leapt from our ‘seats’ unfortunately the ball bounced off the bar and away to safety! Full time score 1-1 As predicted goals will be an issue this season. Hopefully Issa will be our answer… Was the score actually 0-0 or was it really 1-1, Duds? I'm not trying to be a smart arse, mate, it's just that there's no mention of any goals in your report yet the game finished 1-1. I'm honestly not being pedantic, mate, I'm just confused. All that proof reading of words and I didn’t even notice the wrong score! Thanks Gazz, have now adjusted it. |
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Post by gazz on Sept 14, 2023 22:40:33 GMT
No worries, Duds. That's still a solid start, and something they can hopefully build on.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Sept 14, 2023 23:35:04 GMT
Game two was away to UCAM, who we beat on penalties in a preseason outing at their rather nice stadium. Issa is on loan from them so was unavailable for this fixture, Awana again was absent from the starting line up. This showed two changes with Santi Luque coming in for Raul Rojas and Del la Lama (Dalai Lama to us) coming in for Amin. A little unfortunate for the two guys replaced as I felt they did well against Vélez.
Yet another feast of attacking football (not) characterised by our own match report as a ‘physical match up contesting for control of the centre’ a couple of chances for either team but with neither keeper really being put under any pressure, saw half time reached with the score as always at 0-0.
Whilst El Palo huffed and puffed clear cut chances were missing, in the 67th minute they were to pay as a free kick on the left was flicked into the net at the near post 1-0 to UCAM. We pressed thereafter and had a couple of half chances. Brought on (shh)Ito to no effect. Final score 1-0. To be honest, away to a team who almost got promoted last season and losing by one goal is not a disaster in my eyes.
Next up we play Marbella away, last season against them we exchanged a pair of home wins (I’d take that this season!) They have won both their games so it will be another challenging game against a third of the preseason promotion favourites! In an interesting note San Roque de Lepe make the seven hour plus journey to La Union in Murcia and kick off is at 11am on Sunday! Good job spanish fans don’t really do away days!
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Post by gazz on Sept 15, 2023 8:31:07 GMT
Excellent report, Duds. As you say, the 1-0 defeat is a decent effort against a team that was almost promoted last season.
Let's hope the lads can find their shooting boots against Marbella.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Sept 21, 2023 17:20:56 GMT
Rolling on down the coast to Marbella last weekend saw a relatively short hop to visit our rivals from last season. Prematch statistics were clearly in their favour. Having won both their opening games and scoring five goals in the process. What would pan out this time?
Well we named a similar starting eleven and annoyingly the subs bench didn’t appear on any of my usual sources!
After weathering an initial early stage of pressure from the opposition, without them really creating any dangerous moments we sprang forward well and full back Cobo blasted well wide and high at the near post, shortly after Amin had a good chance to score from 10 yards out and should have done better placing it wide. From then to half time was a fairly even affair with Benito making a couple of routine stops for us.
Half time once again 0-0, what would happen after the break? Would we break free of the shackles and end their winning record? Or would we go behind and then send on (shhh)ito to make it all better?
Five minutes after the break all was revealed, we failed to clear a ball at the back and after a scramble the very spanish sounding Jack Harper slotted home from close range (Vélez in our first match had Charlie Dean in central defence!)
Therefore we duly sent on (Shhh)ito who contributed as much as ever, that is to say diddly squat… We continued to plug away creating some half chances but not really testing their keeper. The closest chance came when Roberto Sierra hit the post.
Final score 1-0. An improvement on last year’s 2-0 scoreline but still no goals and we are three games in now!
Next up home on Sunday against Orihuela who are bottom of the league like us with only one point. But they have scored twice, sandwiched between us are Cartagena B who are our next league opponents. These two games will give us a real measure of how this season will play out.
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Sept 21, 2023 18:06:09 GMT
Always tough stepping up a league to play with the bigger boys (see my latest WF report).
Chances will come against other teams. Onward and upward Dudds
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Post by gazz on Sept 21, 2023 19:44:48 GMT
Always tough stepping up a league to play with the bigger boys (see my latest WF report). Chances will come against other teams. Onward and upward Dudds Absolutely this ↑↑↑ They will come good, Duds - it's a marathon, not a sprint! |
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Post by dudleyhatter on Sept 21, 2023 19:50:13 GMT
Always tough stepping up a league to play with the bigger boys (see my latest WF report). Chances will come against other teams. Onward and upward Dudds Jajaja. I have read your walking football report and also written onwards and upwards! Great minds |
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Sept 22, 2023 9:46:40 GMT
Take your time to get used to playing at the higher level, learn lessons from the early dropped points, and then go on a stupendous run from mid-autumn. It's called 'doing a County'!  |
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