WESTDYKE 2 - POSTAL ALC 3- FRIENDLY - 21/11/2020

TEAM - 1. J.McGrath 2. S.Carter 3. S.Stuart 4. S.Clark 5. M.Steer 6. R.Lamb 7. S.Robertson 8. M.Hunter 9. L.Mewse 10. P.Frampton 11. N.Cain 12. R.Insch 14. S.Cotovici 15. A.Taylor 16. L.Beattie 17. R.Law

OPPOSITION MOTM – N/A

Covid friendly number 7. This week versus Div 1 East side Westdyke away at a sunny Lawsondale.

Postal continued their recent trend of playing friendlies against higher league opposition. This weeks Opponents finished in the lower half of the First Division last season but a difficult encounter was on the cards on the large astroturf pitch as Lawsondale.

Postal welcomed back McGrath in goal, Steer, Beattie, Cotovici to the squad and handed a debut to Ritchie Lamb in midfield.

The first half was fairly even but as Postal got used to the larger pitch they probably finished the stronger of the two young teams and were looking particularly dangerous on the counter attack against the Westdyke 3-at-the-back.

On two minutes Postal had a half chance to score. Mewse played the ball through to Frampton who got a shot away from just outside the box but it went just wide of the keepers right hand post.

Frampton had another half chance from distance 5 minutes later from just outside the box, again, but it lacked any power and the keeper easily collected.

Nairn Cain was working hard on the Postal right and it was an excellent interchange between him and Liam Mewse on 15 minutes, near the right hand corner which saw the ball worked into the box to Robertson who got his shot away from just inside the box, but the keeper saved.

Cain was involved in another good move on 24 minutes when Lamb found him with a good pass in behind the flat Westdyke defence. Cain raced to the byline and got a cross into the box where it was met by Mewse who did well to get his shot away from a tight angle but it unfortunately hit the cross bar and out for a bye kick.

On 28 minutes, Clark found himself unmarked in the box when a corner came in. With the ball landing on his head unchallenged the big man sent it over the bar. Should really have found the back of the net to be honest.

A minute later and Westdyke took the lead. McGrath, in goal for Postal, looked to have slapped a through ball out for a corner off the toes of the incoming striker. Unfortunately for Postal the ref deemed the keeper to have swiped the legs of the striker and gave a pen which was duly converted. Looked very soft from the sidelines it must be said. 1-0.

Law, on for the injured Robertson, had an excellent chance to equalise on 33 minutes when a cross into the box found him unmarked about 12 yards out at the back post. Unfortunately for Postal his strike hit the bar and away to safety.

It was all Postal at this point as Westdyke looked as if they were trying to sit in and defend what they had. On 35 minutes a nod-on from Lamb over the top of the Westdyke defence found Mewse. The striker got his shot away early but the keeper made a good save over the bar.

Postal did equalise a minute later though when Frampton collected the ball on the edge of the box, as he had done earlier in the game, but this time his low shot from distance sneaked under the keeper and into the net. 1-1.

Just before half time, Clark had another headed effort from a cross. This time he did a lot better with the connection but it just went by the post.

HALF TIME – WESTDYKE 1 - POSTAL ALC 1

All of the 4 remaining subs came on at half time.

Insch (on for Frampton) on the left up front, looked really affective straight from the beginning of the half and it wasn’t long before he had put Postal in the lead with as good a goal as you’ll see all season.

Insch started the move deep in his own half. He collected the ball after a one-two with Law (actually more than a one-two to be fair with a blind flick inside by Law), drove into the Westdyke half and smacked one high through the keeper’s hands and into the net. Superb team, and individual goal. 1-2.

For whatever reason, Westdyke started to try and play the ball out from their own 18 yard box which was playing into Postal’s hands as they continually won the ball back to create chance after chance. Beattie was battling hard with Taylor mopping up anything that got through.

On 21 minutes another long shot from Postal’s Law went just over the bar.

Cotovici should have scored on 28 minutes. After a good run by Insch down the left, the ball eventually found it’s way to Cotovici on the 6 yard box. He did really well to turn his man but with only the keeper left to beat he shot directly at the Westdyke stopper. Should have scored really after doing all the hard work.

He had an almost identical chance a few minutes later but when that was spurned it looked like he wasn’t in luck today. Thankfully when he got his third chance on 34 minutes he made no mistake when he was played into the box and did well to keep his composure and slip it past the keeper for his 3rd of the season. Well done. 1-3.

On 38 minutes Westdyke were given a lifeline back into the game when Carter tried to clear the ball in the box but kicked one of the strikers in the chest. The ref gave a pen which was converted. 2-3.

5 minutes later and the ref awarded the 3rd pen of the match. Mewse did really well to race onto a through ball in the box and with the keeper racing out, if Mewse could get a toe on the ball first there was always going to be the danger the ref would give a pen. Which he did. Again, a soft pen but probably correct on this occasion. Mewse dusted himself down to take the kick but the keeper saved.

Overall, this was easily Postal’s best performance of the season so far. The attitude and effort was excellent (as it has been since the Lads Club game) but the quality of play today (a complaint levelled against the squad last week) was particularly impressive on a much larger pitch than we have been used to. Well done. Keep it up.