We've only got Mosaic again off the back of last weeks 6-0 thumping. We've only got eleven men again, one of which is an off-sick-all-week-with-flu-like-symptoms Gary Stevens. We do have Tom Winstanley stepping back into midfield to give it some know-how, and the long awaited return of the much missed Saj Latif (albeit playing slightly out of position, just in front of the back four).
The game plan is to, as much as possible, shut them out, get through the game, cut our loses, and wait for next week. We've gone for a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation, with James Clarke as the lone front man.
10 min in, before the game has really found its flow, they score from a corner and, again, we could be in trouble. Except we're not, it turns out that we do ok at this shutting them out malarkey, there's even points, several in fact, where we're on top of the game and they have to work hard to break us down. Half an hour in and James Clarke makes the most of a goal mouth scramble following a corner, the score levels at 1-1.
They are terribly ruffled, no doubt expecting another walk over, only to be faced with a very resilient and competent (not to mention, valiant) opposition.
The second half continues in this same vein with us having to work hard and concentrate, but still giving them a real game. They had no chances to speak of in the second half, except, of course, two long shots... which both went in. They got both of these goals in the last 20 min.
The final score was 3-1, and we can choose to be frustrated that this score doesn't represent the game entirely fairly, or we can choose to be proud of the way we played and the way we worked to avoid what was potentially another pounding.
A special mention does need to go to Gary Stevens who, despite being poorly, was fantastic. Nothing got through him and he made good contact with everything he went for. This was recognised by the opposition who awarded him man-of-the-match.
Mosaic FC 3-1 Wakefield Baptist Church.
Monday 26 November 2007
WYCT - Mosaic FC (Home) 17.11.07
What to say, what to say, what to say? We've been struggling of late with injuries, the number of available squad players is reduced massively by this. We face this unknown team with just eleven of us. When i say unknown, what is known is that Mosaic is a big Leeds city centre Church which is very popular with students. What that says to me is that they will have a large group of youthful players to draw a team from - which could mean trouble.
Did i mention that the eleven players we fielded compiled of Danny Hayton making a tentative return from dislocating his knee, James Walker playing with a metatarsil he broke mid-week, and a midfield comprising of two out-of-position defenders? I didn't? Oh well then, let me assure you that the strength of our team wasn't quite what it could've been.
They arrive, and when i say 'they', i mean 'they' - there were loads of them! Not only this, but they were all brilliant. They just played right through us, partly because of how good they were and partly because of how off pace and out of position we were. We had Tom Winstanley in goal, who made several brilliant saves, but this was not enough, they still managed to score 6 goals. Meanwhile, here am i, normally recounting who scored our goals so that their efforts can be accurately recorded here, with nothing to say - no scorers.
Wakefield Baptist Church 0 - 6 Mosaic FC.
Did i mention that the eleven players we fielded compiled of Danny Hayton making a tentative return from dislocating his knee, James Walker playing with a metatarsil he broke mid-week, and a midfield comprising of two out-of-position defenders? I didn't? Oh well then, let me assure you that the strength of our team wasn't quite what it could've been.
They arrive, and when i say 'they', i mean 'they' - there were loads of them! Not only this, but they were all brilliant. They just played right through us, partly because of how good they were and partly because of how off pace and out of position we were. We had Tom Winstanley in goal, who made several brilliant saves, but this was not enough, they still managed to score 6 goals. Meanwhile, here am i, normally recounting who scored our goals so that their efforts can be accurately recorded here, with nothing to say - no scorers.
Wakefield Baptist Church 0 - 6 Mosaic FC.
Wednesday 14 November 2007
League Cup - Chapel A Celtic (Home) 10.11.07
First things first - they showed up, and the game was played. The league cup is a knock-out cup so, we win and we're in the quater's, we lose and we're out! Oh yeah, we're the underdogs (perenially some might say), they are in the premiership, not 'The Premiership', just the premiership; the league above us.
Listen, i'm gonna cut to the chase: we lost and we lost 6-1. This is bad news, and whilst i may have blown the drama of reading this for some, there's still a lot to be said about the game. The energy, effort and commitment we demonstrated was exceptional! The temprament we played with was impeccable too, which is a real big deal given some of the tantrums and petulance we've leaked thus far this season. For all those things we can be very, very proud of ourselves!
What cost us the game was, not only an organised opposition who were fairly fluid and responded quickly as a team to things, but also what this led to for us. We seemed paniced in possession, unable to control it or pass it in a measured fashion. As i've already said, we did work damn hard to regain possession, but with it we seemed hesitant and in two minds.
Though off the back of a 6-1 defeat it may seem ridiculous to say; the defence were tireless, the six goals are not down to them or our keeper (Matt Lewney working his chops off again), but rather down to that mystical law that "anything can happen in the cup". At half time we were 2-1 down (thanks to an unquestionable and unsavable James Clarke volley) and 15 min into the second half we had no choice but to push forward and try and create an equalizer, since technically we were already out of the cup by then. We switched from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2, shortly afterwards they scored a third which really put us under pressure. Whilst we threatend a lot, we didn't convert, and our desperation in pushing forward left us open to counter attacks at the back. We switched formation again to a 4-3-3, but to no avail.
It was good to see Danny Hayton make a come back for 20 min, he was looking well, and it was good that even in the face of a five goal defecit we did not stop pushing.
These however, are the facts: we are out of the League Cup, while Chapel A Celtic proceed to the quaterfinals, we wish them all the best.
Wakefield Baptist Church 1-6 Chapel A Celtic.
Listen, i'm gonna cut to the chase: we lost and we lost 6-1. This is bad news, and whilst i may have blown the drama of reading this for some, there's still a lot to be said about the game. The energy, effort and commitment we demonstrated was exceptional! The temprament we played with was impeccable too, which is a real big deal given some of the tantrums and petulance we've leaked thus far this season. For all those things we can be very, very proud of ourselves!
What cost us the game was, not only an organised opposition who were fairly fluid and responded quickly as a team to things, but also what this led to for us. We seemed paniced in possession, unable to control it or pass it in a measured fashion. As i've already said, we did work damn hard to regain possession, but with it we seemed hesitant and in two minds.
Though off the back of a 6-1 defeat it may seem ridiculous to say; the defence were tireless, the six goals are not down to them or our keeper (Matt Lewney working his chops off again), but rather down to that mystical law that "anything can happen in the cup". At half time we were 2-1 down (thanks to an unquestionable and unsavable James Clarke volley) and 15 min into the second half we had no choice but to push forward and try and create an equalizer, since technically we were already out of the cup by then. We switched from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2, shortly afterwards they scored a third which really put us under pressure. Whilst we threatend a lot, we didn't convert, and our desperation in pushing forward left us open to counter attacks at the back. We switched formation again to a 4-3-3, but to no avail.
It was good to see Danny Hayton make a come back for 20 min, he was looking well, and it was good that even in the face of a five goal defecit we did not stop pushing.
These however, are the facts: we are out of the League Cup, while Chapel A Celtic proceed to the quaterfinals, we wish them all the best.
Wakefield Baptist Church 1-6 Chapel A Celtic.
Monday 5 November 2007
WYCT - FROG FC (Home) 3.11.07
This is a fixture some of us have REALLY been looking forward to since the announcement of today's opposition's existence. Not only do they have a ridiculous name (an acronim from initials on a bracelet worn by a minor Christian sub-set, standing for 'Fully Reliant On God'), nor is the fact they're from Dewsbury (making this game virtually a derby) particularly the reason. No, the reason is one man. The reason is Neil Bentham.
Neil had been part of WBC FC for about 3 or 4 years where he played mainly in midfield, but also as an attacker and even occassionally in goal. Hence some of us were relishing the opportunity to play against him.
Once again we find ourselves playing with just 10 men. This is the third time this season we've found ourselves this state; last week, against Yorvik, Gary had diagnosed himself as acutely unable to walk, and so limped off with a damaged hamstring, leaving us down for the final 15 min or so. There was also the first game against St. Michaels where, for the final 20 min, we were down to ten men. Today however, is the first game we've started with only 10 men - correction - 10 heroes.
Once again Matt Lewney is looking sharp in goal and proping up our brave 3-4-2 formation.
Ric Neale is playing in a role unfamiliar to him as centre mid-fielder. It's a role he may request again since he scored his first ever goal for us. The way he tells it, he ran the full length of the pitch and connected incredibly to score a magnificent volley from the half way line.
Did you spot the hole in his story? "full length of the pitch...halfway line". Whichever way you cut it, this goal is one he'll be dining out on (and probably singing songs about) for a long while yet.
In the second half there is a goal in their favour but James Clarke makes sure that the game is ours with a header making it 2-1. We now have three points from two games in the group stage of the WYCT.
They were green with envy.
They were hopping mad.
Wakefield Baptist Church 2-1 FROG FC
Neil had been part of WBC FC for about 3 or 4 years where he played mainly in midfield, but also as an attacker and even occassionally in goal. Hence some of us were relishing the opportunity to play against him.
Once again we find ourselves playing with just 10 men. This is the third time this season we've found ourselves this state; last week, against Yorvik, Gary had diagnosed himself as acutely unable to walk, and so limped off with a damaged hamstring, leaving us down for the final 15 min or so. There was also the first game against St. Michaels where, for the final 20 min, we were down to ten men. Today however, is the first game we've started with only 10 men - correction - 10 heroes.
Once again Matt Lewney is looking sharp in goal and proping up our brave 3-4-2 formation.
Ric Neale is playing in a role unfamiliar to him as centre mid-fielder. It's a role he may request again since he scored his first ever goal for us. The way he tells it, he ran the full length of the pitch and connected incredibly to score a magnificent volley from the half way line.
Did you spot the hole in his story? "full length of the pitch...halfway line". Whichever way you cut it, this goal is one he'll be dining out on (and probably singing songs about) for a long while yet.
In the second half there is a goal in their favour but James Clarke makes sure that the game is ours with a header making it 2-1. We now have three points from two games in the group stage of the WYCT.
They were green with envy.
They were hopping mad.
Wakefield Baptist Church 2-1 FROG FC
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