Match Report AA4 v QP 01/06/14

A game of football is supposed to last 90 minutes, this one didn’t.

The starting lineup was Flanno in goal, Joe Adams (RB), Fergal (LB) with Wynton and Wes the surprising (CB) combination.  Midfield of, Sean (RM), Tinder and Niall in the centre, Alex (LM)and Marty and Dan H up front.

Subs,  Chris Hamilton, Dan Byrne, Ewan

When we lose, we really do it well, and usually quite quickly, but this collapse was even more pronounced than the earlier humiliations at the hands of Loko, and Maccabi.  QP aren’t a bad side, but they surely couldn’t have believed they’d have the game wrapped up in the time it’s taken to write these eight lines.

On more or less their first attack it was 1-0,  panic in the box and Wes superbly slots it into the bottom left hand corner, for a great own goal and a marvelous start for QP.   The ref advised us later that even if Wes hadn’t stuck it in his own net, he was about to blow for a penalty against Fergs who was trying to get a closer look at the QP forwards shirt.

Two minutes later, Fergs tried again, and this time the ref did blow for a penalty,  0-2.

That takes us about 8 minutes into the game so far, we’ve achieved nothing but shoot ourselves in the foot twice.

Then we managed two whole minutes without conceding a third goal.  Striker breaks into the box, unchallenged, shoots, and it’s 0-3.

11 minutes and it’s effectively game over.

We had a couple of chances during the first half, and played ok football at times but the chances just aren’t falling for us, or maybe, no-one else possesses a defence that is broached as easily as ours at the moment.

Dan Hogan almost scored, but the keeper made a good save.

Then wonder of wonders, self-appointed vice-captain Niall did a bit of a baby giraffe impression and bounced through a couple of tackles and ended up in front of goal and finished into the bottom corner.  1-3

Alas this wasn’t the comeback of the century, and from a straight forward free kick into the back post,  QP made it  1-4 with a simple tap in from 2 yards.

Half time team talk consisted of a couple of incredulous comments such as “We’re playing the better football”,  “We’re playing better than last week” and the all-time classic “It’s better to stick the ball in your own net than allow someone else to do it” – though to be fair, that last one did make everyone laugh for a couple of minutes whilst everyone took turns to spout football clichés in the vain hope that they might teach us how to defend.

2nd half consisted of us trying hard but getting nowhere, Niall probably had the best chance with a gilt edged header from six yards, after great work from Marty and Sean down the right, but it spun off his shiny head.

Then QP scored again to make it 1-5.