North Region Superleague

With our last game way back on the 5th December and a few players missing, I suppoase a game agains the current League Leaders who have a 100% League record, probably wasn’t one we’d have picked for today !

The conditions were bloody awful, well they were for us watching anyway and as a result most om my match report ended up on Paper Mache !

Anyway,the lads started off really well with Norris getting  a pop at goal from 18 yards in the first couple of minutes. Over the next 15 minutes we really bossed the game with the midfield so much on to, Jas intercepted a pass and had a shot from outside the box. Then Dane took another ball from midfield, beat his man and laid it off to Willox but he took it too wide and the keeper smothered it, not him (no comments please!). Then yet another ball from Jas to Dane results in a shot the keeper di well to keep out, On 15 minutes we got a free kick around 25 yards out, it was put into the box where Norris’s backheader was only just wide. Unfortunately with all these chances we should have taken one and it proved costly on 20 minutes when a simple ball in from their right found one of their forward about 8 yards out totally unmarked and he just placed a simple header wide of Scott for the first goal.A bit of a blow but we almost responded straight away when Dane again got to a through ball and rounded the keeper but he was wide of the goal and his shot was cleared off the line by a defender. On 32 minutes we got another free kick this time about 20 yards out, gav had a pop but it was well saved out for a corner which came to nowt. In the next 5 minutes they were starting to get back some control in the middle after changing things and the right winger had 2 great chances to double their lead, twice when cutting in from the right but he messed both of them up, luckily for us ! Scott also had to make another great save and Derek then cleared another chance off the line before the half time whistle went.

The 2nd half was a real disappointment for us because the chances we were getting the the 1st half totally dried up and they were causing us real problems down the right. Scot made another great save on 55 minutes and really for the next 15 minutes it was a battle as everyone tried to fight the weather and the opposition. With 15 minutes to go , for me, the tuning point. We had a goal kick that didn’t get as far as the half way line and was immediately returned to their right where it was put into the middle and the 2nd goal went in. After that it went to ratshit ! We just seemed to lose the plot totally, time and again Sunnybank came down their right and their 3rd and 4th goals were easy. We even conceded a penalty with 5 minutes to go but luckily it was well off target. Ross did have a chance when the ball came in from our right in their box but it was scuffed well wide.

Really the lads did play well except for the last 15 minutes, maybe a goal in the first half would have been just reward for our dominance and may have put a different complexion on the game. But it wasn’t to be and we have to hope that a few faces are back next week to boost the squad against Hall Russells’

Match Stats

MAUD LOSE OUT TO A STRONG SUNNYBANK

This game kicked off in dreadful conditions, pouring rain and a very wet and heavy pitch. With this the first game played in six weeks it took both teams a few minutes to find their feet. First half chance fell to Norris of Maud but Sweeney in goals dealt with the danger. As Sunnybank surged forward Cowe in Maud’s goals pulled off the first of many great shot stoppers to deny them the lead. Maud attacked up field and good movement by McDonald and Willox created a chance for Maud but were rapidly closed down and the danger was averted. Maud won a free kick out on the right wing, crossed in by Middleton to Powell who didn’t connect from being under pressure by the Sunnybank defence. Maud missed a great opportunity to take the lead from a free kick out wide just inside the Sunnybank half, launched in by Middleton to Norris whose backward header flew just past the right side post. Finally in the 21st minute Sunnybank broke the deadlock when an attack down the right was finished off by a cross in to Fettes who had a simple header in past Cow to take the lead. Almost from the restart Ballard collected the loose ball, swept past the defence, rounded the keeper but was too close to the by line and the defence recovered enough to clear the shot off the line. In the 33rd minute Maud won a free kick just outside the edge of the 18 yard box. Middleton sent in a rocket of a shot which forced Sweeney into pulling off a fantastic save to deny Maud the equaliser. A poor clearance from Rae in the dying minute was recovered by a great save by Cowe in Maud’s goals.

From the restart Sunnybank forced a corner which was well defended by Maud and cleared. Greig of Sunnybank was using his pace well and was causing serious problems from Maud down the right wing. Play flowed from end to end with both teams trying to play good football in rapidly deteriating conditions. In the 75th minute Sunnybanks perseverance paid off when a mistake from Arthur allowed Greig to break out wide right. Cutting back in and fired in the shot straight past the helpless Cowe. The next two minutes saw keepers at both ends pull off some great saves to keep the spectators well engrossed in this game. With seven minutes remaining Sunnybank stamped their authority on the game as Maud switched off and allowed goals by the subs Steel and McAllister to put the game well beyond Maud. Overall a good performance by Maud in very difficult conditions who now look forward to next weeks game at home against Hall Russell United with a 2.15pm k.o.

Grahams Report