Match Review
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AGFC 3 vs. 6 Cardiff Optometry
Date: 30-Oct-2009
Venue: Treforest
Goals:
Alex Beresford
2
Craig Boote
1
(For other team: 1)
Dave Miller
1
(For other team: 1)
David Morgan
1
Man of the Match:
Chris Hughes
Report:
There were bad omens in the air as the teams warmed up: two quality AGFC players were wearing red: Booty had switched allegiance to turn out for his work team; Dave the Miller got his first taste of playing for the opposition and the men in red were frothing at the mouth with the sniff of revenge. Several AGFC players also found themselves playing somewhat out of position to accommodate the switches. To make matters worse, Enda the Engine was suffering from acute hyper-knacker and was carrying an injury, to boot.
Still, the legendary AGFC spirit shone through, with a makeshift back division of Huw, Enda, TonyB and Andi gamely holding the skillful Optom forwards at bay. Chris played a big part, too, as he made several smart saves during his 40 minute stint as keeper. Nil nil after 15 mins, but suddenly the pace quickened as Fraser moved forward with purpose and Alex shadowed him, taking care to stay onside. Fraser knocked the ball forward at pace, Alex picked it up, went outside the Optom left-back, cut inside and placed a firm shot to the keeper`s right from just inside the box. Optom sneaked an equaliser but shortly afterwards Fraser broke free 40 yards out put through by a class pass from midships. One-on-one with the keeper, his shot was saved, the ball rebounding to Morgan outside the box who ran onto it and drove it through a crowd into the bottom corner-- a rather misleading 2-1 to AGFC at half time.
Five minutes into the second half, the AGFC forwards had pushed Optom back and Alex, putting the centre backs under pressure, nipped in to pinch a backpass. With a clever touch, he made space in the box and smashed it across the keeper into the far side-netting...great finish. But the scoreline flattered the boys in green with the Optom midders and forwards finding more and more space as the AGFC boys (and men!) tired. With wave after wave of determined runs from the reds, the inevitable happened; an Optom attacker let go a speculative shot from outside the box which looped over replacement keeper Huw leaving him with no chance: 3-2. With TonyB at left back struggling to see, let alone tackle, a camouflaged Booty (his red and white stripes blending perfectly with the green and blue Treforest background), and with Rich, Enda, Simon, Jamal, Chris and Andi spending more and more time on the back foot rather than the front foot, the game slipped away.
Four goals were leaked in the last half hour and the only consolation for AGFC was that Booty and DaveM (who both had a cracking game) scored two of the six, so at least it could be said that AGFC players got 5 to the tally of 4 by the fit and lively Optom lads. Another plus point was Chris`s performance: did a fine job all game and got a well-deserved MoM despite playing in two completely different positions (keeper & defence).
In last season`s equivalent fixture, Optometry were leading 3-1 before AGFC stormed back to swamp them with a seven goal second half salvo (5 from Rich) so the scene is set for a high-octane return sometime later in the season!
Reporter: Tony Beresford