POSTAL ALC 0 - FEUGHSIDE 3 - AAFA Div2 - WEBSTER PARK - WED 13th AUG

4th game of the season saw Feughside visit Webster Park on another lovely sunny evening for football. Pitch looked great and perfect conditions to build on Saturdays encouraging performance and put to bed last weeks disappointing midweek result. Kierna and Euan missed the game through injury but the squad was healthy and the mood in the team was positive.

1 Grant

2 Scott S

3 Bruce

4 Steely

5 Alli

16 Luca

7 Doug

8 Alex

9 Harry

10 Phil

11 Sultan

12 Abel

6 Vinnie

14 Riddell

15 Duncan

16 Marko

17 Adam

21 Shaun

The game got underway with Postal trying to get the ball down and play football. Feughside were working hard to close us down and force mistakes. The first chance fell to Harry after 7 minutes as a good forward pass from midfield played him down the channel were he showed good strength but was a little wasteful in putting his looping shot over the bar. I 10 minutes Adam was brought on to replace Luca who was on the end of a bad late tackle and his ankle was too bad to continue.

Postal were slightly the better team in these early exchanges but as the minutes progressed, Feughside undoubtedly were coming more and more into the game. Their tactic of getting the ball  directly forward and working hard to force play in our defensive third was opposite to us trying to play football too deep inside our own half and not getting the ball played forward. On 25 minutes the turn in the game was cemented by a long ball being brought down by Steely who got caught in possession by the hard working forward who stole it from him and slotted home. 0-1

We had to roll our sleeves up and get back to playing our football but instead we got involved in a long ball game which suited Feughside much better. There was a passage of play were long ball after long ball was met by header after header and the ball was more in the air than on the ground. Unbelievable and really disappointing that nobody took responsibility to get the ball down and try to play football. On 40 minutes we finally started playing some passes and a good run down the right hand side from Doug say him tripped and a freekick awarded on the edge of the box. Good direct play. Doug stepped up himself to take the freekick and looked to have curled it in the top corner but for a great save by the goalie. Finally a shot on target and some urgency in our play.

There was a strange 3-4 minutes when the referee seemed to give foul after foul against both teams which everyone seemed perplexed by. This scrappy passage of play ended in a questionable corner being awarded for Feughside which was swung in towards the back post. Adam was beaten in the air by an attacker who headed goalwards. Grant managed to keep it out but his save fell to a forward one yard out who smashed the ball home. 0-2

Still time for one more passage of play when we strung a couple of passes together down the left which resulted in Alex sprinting clear and clean through. The defender swiped at the ball, missed and kicked Alex directly in the face. Blood everywhere and a yellow card for the last man challenge. Phil stepped up to take the free kick after a prolonged period of treatment but hit the wall and the half time whistle was blown. Luca, who had been taken off injured, got involved with he referee at half time and talked himself into a booking. CRAZY!

There were some strong words dished out at half time about concentrating on our strengths and injecting more urgency in to our play. A big reaction was required to get back in the game but if truth be told it was more of the same with Feughside in control, even when not in possession. We tried to get the football going but created zero chances and were not working hard enough to match the opposition's wok rate. Sully was booked on 52 minutes for chopping a boy down who had managed to run 30-40 yards without a challenge. Another example of not matching effort.

On the hour it was time for changes with Marko and Dunc replacing Sully and Phil and a change of shape to try and get more pressure higher up the park. The flow of the game continued though with Feughside out working us and the football we were trying to play not coming off and being devoid of any quality. Another change 5 minutes later with Abel replacing Scotty and another emphasis on getting higher up the park with five attacking minded players on the pitch.

On 70^th minute Doug was booked for rushing in to protect Harry who was kicked 5 times by the defence as he held up the ball but again it was just the opposition working hard and battling for every ball. A minute later and we finally got a shot on target from open play when the ball fell to Dunc  who found some space and had a good effort from 30 yards that the goalie had to be smart to save. Feughside were still the better team though and after some good play from the long ball got clear and appeared to be blatantly taken down in the box. Ref said no penalty which was a big let off. 75 minutes and Vinnie replaced Alli.

80^th minute and we finally made a good chance in the match. Bruce went driving forw2ard on the left after a corner had dropped to Steely and he had played an intelligent ball back over the defence. Bruce did really well to get in and get a shot away but it rattled the crossbar. This saw us playing in the final third and a series of freekicks in dangerous areas being awarded but Feughside were still defending strongly. Steely drove forward on the ball and looked to be taken down during this period but no penalty awarded. It wasn't just defending that Feughside were doing well though and we were caught on the break a couple of times, the second of which Vinnie was left with two at the back post area and was beaten which forced a good save from Grant.

Feughside had ridden the storm (if you can call it that) and really were on top again, battling hard for everything and not giving anyone time on the ball, even this late in the game. They put the icing on the cake when another long ball forward left it one against one just outside the box. A great touch took the defender clear and a great finish finished the game and gave the visitors no more than they deserved. 0-3.

What is it about Wednesday nights? Two midweek games this season and two performances which are woefully short of what we can achieve or should expect. Our energy and enthusiasm was massively outperformed by the opposition tonight and we got exactly what we deserved. Still really early in the season but we've got to get back to the drawing board and focus on what makes us a good team.