After one of the worst Christmas periods for Football for as long as I can remember we found ourselves (finally) on Sunday playing the long awaited Cup Quarter Final. This fixture has been arranged and cancelled on 3 previous occasions. 4th time lucky.
The conditions were perfect, the pitch was good and we were desperate to get started and that exactly what happened. From the kick off we hit the game running, after 7 weeks of being starved of football I thought we might look a little rusty. Rusty was not the case, quite the opposite we looked cool, calm and polished. Godmanchester were left standing in ore of our performance.
The football was clinical, accurate passing, great control and clear communication; with all of this it wouldn’t be long before we tested their keeper. Test him we did, throughout the first half we must have had 20 shots on goal, what was on target was just soaked up by their keeper. Will finally broke through and hit the net in the 36th minute. The build up play down the left channel was outstanding and deserved a goal.
We broke for half time at 1-0, the boys were buzzing. We were all over this, there was no way they were taking anything from this game. We had pressured constantly for 40 minutes, Godmanchester had pressured for a moment or two; Laws of Logical, probability and Common Sense suggested we were on our way to booking ourselves a history making semi-final slot.
The second half followed the same route as the first; cool, calm and polished football. We constantly pressured and once again we were denied goals left, right and centre. Godmanchester didn’t look like scoring and although it was only one goal we were still ahead, nothing to worry about.
Then it happened……..after 35 minutes of the second half and with probably about 6 minutes to play somehow (God only knows) Godmanchester were clear of the defence and slotted a dropped ball home. I think they would be the first to agree and admit that lady luck was on their side, they happened to have a player where the ball landed and that was that. No skill required.
The game came to stop at full time at 1-1. 20 minutes further football. Nothing to worry about, we are the better side, looked the better side, appeared the fitter side and looked comfortable and in control.
Once again Extra time followed the same route as the normal time; cool, calm and polished football. We constantly pressured and once again we were denied goals left, right and centre. Godmanchester didn’t look like scoring and appeared to have settled for penalties.
Extra time concluded 1-1 and we all set ourselves for the dreaded penalty shot out. I was confident that we had nothing to worry about; we have plenty of cool heads and several sets of decent feet. So the plan was 5 penalties, 5 goals, job done, go home happy.
Unfortunately things don’t always go to plan. They set the standard and slipped their first home, we didn’t, they slipped their second home, we didn’t, they slipped their third home and so did we. Suddenly the pressure was really on, if they scored their 4th next penalty it was all over balanced against the fact we could not miss or again it was all over. They placed the ball and coolly place the ball in the net. The game finished 2 – 5 after penalties.
The team were clearly destroyed at the result, heads went down, I even thought a tear or two may appear (none did).
The boys should be proud of their efforts today; on any other day they would have walked off that pitch after scoring a dozen goals. They should take solace from their individual performances. They were all OUTSTANDING.
I was chuffed with the boys and the way they played today both on and off the pitch. They were respectful and professional in defeat which was quite honestly proud to see. The football was quite simply brillant.
It would be far too hard to single out any player today for Man of the Match, so today Nathan is awarded todays award. He was 16 today and was tortured on his Birthday by our defeat, it seems as good a reason as any other (He was clearly in the running for his outstanding efforts on the pitch, but don’t tell him).
Well the cup dream is over……………….or is it, next week we are away to Soham United in the Hillsborough Memorial Trophy, if we get through that game then the pressure of a second quarterfinal in upon us. The cup dream is not over it is just reborn.
12 played……7 won…….5 lost……….3rd in the league……..STILL LIVING THE DREAM. |
