Croxley (Home)

							Man of the Match
							Starting Team
							GK	Pratt, Lawrence
							DL	Konkoly, Zoltan
							DR	Kendal, Jon
							DC	Powell, Adam
							DC	Palmer, Tom
							MR	Wilson, Pete
							ML	Gunning, Tom
							MC	Baxter, Scott
							MC	Kumar, Will	S2
							F	Gray, Allan
							F	Wyatt, Rich	S1
							S1	Harris, Steve
							S2	Lanham, Danny

Date: Saturday 17th March '07         
Time: 10:30                                             
Competition: League
Location: Home (Boggymead Springs)


St Albans Romans                            5 (3)     
  Gray (2)
  Wyatt
  Gunning
  P Wilson
 
Croxley Baptist Church                   1 (1)     Conceded on 79' due to injury
  


Match Report 

This week’s match was a game of one-and-a-half halves, due to an unfortunate injury to a Croxley defender.

Captain Kumar returned to a starting line-up, which also saw Wyatt start alongside Gray and Konkoly filling-in at left back for the absent Potter.

A calm start saw few chances, but the first goal came after 11 minutes when the Gaffer’s decision to drop Harris for the garrulous Wyatt paid off. A poor through ball from Gray was made to look good by the fumbling Croxley ‘keeper, who pushed the ball into the path of the Teesside goal poacher. A tap in. 1-0

A series of good saves from the Croxley goalkeeper made up for the earlier mistake and after 20 minutes a speculative effort by the Red’s forward from 35yards saw its way past the scrambling goalkeeper to make it 1-1.

In a game filled with an unusually high number of headed chances from the Roman’s attackers, the next 5 minutes saw another good save from the head of Konkoly and then a well lofted corner from Baxter was met by the unmarked Gunning to make it 2-1.

On 29 minutes a cheeky back-heel from Grey put Baxter through on goal. A miss-hit shot across the face of the goal arrived at the feet of Wilson who tapped the ball into the empty net for the third goal.

The remaining 15 minutes saw a few chances from both sides, with a little more pressure on the Roman’s defence from a mostly lacklustre Croxley side. However, the home side were lucky to go into the break having only conceded one goal after an unbelievable miss at the back post from the Croxley midfielder.

Half time. 3-1

 
The team talk was calm and any worries of a Croxley comeback were quickly extinguished when after 51 minutes a flick on from Gunning was struck on the volley at the edge of the box by an acrobatic Grey. A great strike to make it 4-1.

In the 58^th minute good work on the left and a cross whipped in by Konkoly was met at the far post by Gunning who was able to play the ball towards the goal and a waiting Grey who calmly tapped the ball in.

5-1 and apart from a Kumar getting booked for a display of frustration towards the linesman and a brief appearance from Lanham, not much else happened until the 78^th minute when the pace of Wilson took him past the Croxley right back who fell awkwardly to the ground and seemed to be in a lot of pain. A brief diagnosis from Grey made it clear that it wasn’t good news.

The Croxley team conceded victory to the Roman’s after a lengthy wait for an ambulance.

Quotes of the game:

Whittaker “Ah man. I’ve set my watch to 45 hours, not 45 minutes”

Lanham “This is my girlfriend - Graham”

Wyatt “You know what might be good? My glasses”

Paramedic “It looks like that’s popped back in”. Injured Croxley Defender (looks towards the Roman’s striker) “Is that alright with you Allan [Gray]?