Match Report
Match Report - 03 Sep 2011, Old Modernians Football Club 3rds beat Old Centralians Reserves
Cents ……..0
Mods ………5
T. Stenger
J. Lazenby
M. Campbell
S. Astall
A. Binns
There was a buzz around the Cookridge area on Saturday morning and you could taste the optimism in the air as pre-season is over and forgotten for another year and the new season rolls in and takes its rightful place in the forefront of the minds of fans and players alike.
Mods made the short trip to West Park to take on Cents side who would must have had a sparkle of optimism themselves going into their first game of the season. Any sparkle they may have had was soon extinguished when after only 3 minutes Tommy Stenger made the run from midfield beyond the striker to latch onto a left sided cross from Andy Shirley beat the keeper to the ball and nodded it home, sending the travelling support into raptures.
The Mods continued to cause their opposition problems with their shape and tempo, and when the skipper Jodie Lazenby won the ball in midfield he drove forward and unleashed a dipping shot that beat the keeper, looping in the roof of the net giving the visitors a 0-2 lead. The difference of between the side could have been greater when left winger Mikel Keeney to time off from berating Andy Shirley to “Be aware of that man” to jinx past an opponent, cut inside an let fly with an right-footed effort that had the Cents keeper beat but the crossbar came to the rescue for the home side.
Young stopper Sam Lawson came to the rescue of his team mates shortly before the interval when he smartly saved low down to his right, tipping an effort round the post to keep the locals at bay and ensure the goals against column remained a healthy zero.
The second half began much as the first did, The Mods were pressing high up the pitch and forcing errors and were soon rewarded when Keeney’s swashbuckling run ended with a low cross from the left which was unselfishly “flicked on” by Stenger’s diving header and Matty Campbell showed any youngster a thing or two about great wingplay to hit the back stick and finish so emphatically the ball did not need to hit the back of the net.
Shortly after the break impressive full back Ryan Kerr had to be replaced due to a knock picked up while making one of his tackles. But if the Cents winger had hope for an easy time once Kerr departed he would be disappointed. Dave ‘Bruce’ Willis entered the fray and slotted in to the tight knit back five with consummate ease.
0-3 up and the with game getting away from Cents, Sam Lawson was called upon again to stop even a hint of a fightback when he managed to get a toe on a deflected effort that looked to be spinning in to the near post. As Cents became more and more desperate they began to get balls in the box early and forced freekicks in dangerous positions. “The Golden Triangle” of Lawson, Lunt and Ashton, flanked by the newly introduced Willis and stalwart Shirley managed to deal with deal with the majority of these aerial bombardments with little cause for drama or concern against a very physical attacking line up from Cents.
With the game becoming stretched, Hicky decided to change thing up and replaced Mikel Keeney and Dan White with Stu Astall and Adam Binns, with these fresh against a tiring Cents defence it did not bode well for the home side.
Ryan Leadbitter almost capped his display with the goal it deserved when he connected with a powerful header, only to see the keeper pull off a worldy save from point blank range to tip the midfielders effort over, via another contribution from the crossbar.
As the game entered its final moments the promise of goals the introduction of messes Astall and Binns bared fruit as first Stu Astall coolly finished from close range following a cross from the right, before turning provider himself sliding in Binns who effortlessly completed the rout.
After the final whistle the manager was keen to praise his side but did not want to get carried away. They will certainly face tougher opponents than they played here toady but he remains pleased with the teams performance. Any while it must be stressed that it was rounded team performance, he could not hide his delight at the performance of striker Dan White, who was rewarded with the Managers Man of the Match Award.
Old Centralians Reserves 0 - 5 Old Modernians Football Club 3rds