MATCH REPORTS
Match reports brought to you by Gaffer Goat.
MORTIMER FC (H)
Going into the game, we knew this was going to be a tough contest. Mortimer would have finished in the top 2 had last season finished, and the other team up there have since disbanded. However, we went into the game on both a high and a low after the last result.
This game turned out to be a frustrating one for me. Mortimer took the lead after 30 minutes, with a stroke of luck. We didn’t clear our lines and a shot from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection of our defender and beat the keeper. 0-1 down at the half but well in the game.
We had a couple of forced changes due to injuries but managed to grab an equaliser through a beautiful header from Joe Hales, supplied by an Iain Graham cross. Shortly after, we gifted Mortimer a silly penalty and it was dispatched with no mistake.
By this point, our keeper Tom had lost his head and talked himself into the sin bin. Jack Tapscott took the gloves but could t keep out Mortimer’s - 1-3. It looked like an uphill task now but Jack got out of goal and drilled a low shot home to put us right back in the game, before Sam Foster hit the post.
With not long to go, we went all out for a point but Mortimer caught us with a swift counter to get their fourth and end the game.
Nevertheless, it was promising that we gave a strong side a good game and we go again. 3 points incoming next week...!
SOUTH READING (A)
Well, where do we start with this one!? Certainly a match full of positives and negatives. After a slow ten minutes, we really started to play our football and were well on top of the opposition by the half time break, with a solid 2-0 lead.
I said to the boys at the half that if we could get a third goal, that would probably kill the game off. We got that third goal and it all looked good. I rolled on a double substitution and suddenly things went wrong.
The home side got a sloppy goal and then scored again immediately straight after. At 2-3, we were suddenly on the rocks and soon after came a third.... and unbelievably a 4th. We’d lost a 3 goal lead in 15 minutes.
Don’t get me wrong, South Reading are always a decent side and a tough opponent, but conceding 4 in 15 is scandalous.
Credit to the boys, they dug deep and we scrambled home an equaliser with the very last kick of the game. And although I’d probably have taken a point away to a strong outfit in dire conditions, it’s gotta feel like 2 points dropped.
Onto the next one.