Southgate Adelaide III 2 - 3 Hertford VI

Southgate Adelaide III 2 - 3 Hertford VI

Somehow I wasn’t surprised to be told that Adelaide were doubling up three of their first team against us, but we stood up to the challenge and in the end it produced a good close game that we might even have won a little more comfortably.

Despite a slightly unbalanced squad of 15 (Aodhan and Andy dropped back very effectively to make up numbers in defence) the subs rota worked smoothly. We played a good attacking game, moving the ball smartly through the midfield and using plenty of width, finding lots of room and time to pass around Adelaide’s veteran back four. I had my heart in my mouth a few times as midfield ploughed forward in numbers and Adelaide’s ‘guests’ regularly counter-punched down the middle, but we smothered their efforts with some disciplined and patient with no more damage than a few short corners which rarely produced any danger.

Around 25 minutes Graham found himself unmarked and unchallenged after a long corner, strolled into the D as the defenders backed off, and curled the ball neatly through a forest of legs and into the corner of the goal. Adelaide pressed forward for an equaliser, leaving even more space behind their midfield, and on the stroke of half-time Ewan picked up a cross on the post and tucked away the rebound after the keeper got to the first shot. Within minutes of the restart a sparkling multi-pass move from left to right and back ended with Chris Dean helping Ian’s shot past the keeper and we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves 3 – 0 ahead.

They pulled one back with 20 to go, as play continued to swing from end to end, but with their guests more and more desperate to dribble through us, short corners came thick and fast. With 7 to go they scored again, and we dug in for the final siege. Yet another short corner produced a scoop which Clive blocked, and Andy thumped the falling ball safely away on a high trajectory away over the touchline – for which the umpire rather harshly gave a penalty. Unsportingly, Adelaide sent one of their 1st team guests up to level the score – and with poetic justice he hit it wide!

No goals this week, but a first class performance from our front three of Kash, Chris Duncan and Ian, well backed up by Chris Dean and DPJ. No Div 9 defence should feel safe….