FUNNY OLD GAME, 31-05-2009

MYS BLACKS 5 EASTHOUSES 4 31-05-2009

It really is a funny old game. Youngstars were outplayed for the first 15 minutes and went 2-0 down, and then wobbled badly in the last ten to concede two more. Fortunately, in between, they dominated the game, created a bucketful of chances and scored enough of them to sneak home.

We were very lethargic in the early stages and allowed Easthouses to dictate the pace of the game with some weak tackling. We were also playing too far up the pitch and allowing the visitors' midfield to sneak in behind us and create opportunities. Twice, we left Cammy Brown badly exposed and twice, we conceded to go 2-0 down for the first time in months.

Callum flashed a shot wide as we came back into the game, then Seth and Lloyd worked a neat move, but the keeper blocked Seth's angled shot from close range. We got back into the game when Scott followed up his own shot to slide the ball left-footed across the keeper and into the corner of the net. We were back on level terms soon afterwards when Seth flicked the ball home neatly after a goalmouth scramble.

The turning-point of the game came just before half-time when Easthouses broke away quickly and looked certain to score before Cammy Brown dived at an attacker's feet and saved the day.

This allowed us to go in at half-time on level terms and we started to really dominate the game. Lloyd was powering forward from midfield and picked his way through after a pass from Blair before finishing neatly, then set up Callum who lashed the ball home superbly. Seth and Jack missed very good chances to put us further ahead and later, Seth lashed the ball against the bar from close range after a lovely move involving Lloyd and Brandon.

Cammy Brown made a brilliant save, diving to his left to claw the ball away as Easthouses came back, but Jack then appeared to have made the game safe by bundling home at the far post to make it 5-2. David and Jason had held the line well in the second half and also played their part in moving the ball forward neatly, but Easthouses started to pile on the pressure and got one back when Cammy was unlucky to see the ball sneak through his legs. Youngstars had chances to seal the game but were made to sweat when Easthouses pulled it back to 5-4.

Fortunately, we held on until the referee in the flat cap blew his whistle - very softly.

Squad: Cammy, David, Jack, Blair, Lloyd, Seth, Brandon, Jason, Callum, Scott
Scorers: Scott, Seth, Lloyd, Callum, Jack