We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season than the 8-1 we got seven days ago – but we knew that this one would be different as we’d already played today’s visitors in a pre-season friendly not many weeks ago. Eccles United Reserves came over that afternoon and saw us claw back a 1-3 half-time deficit to end up winning 6-4. Wayne and Brian could do with an easier afternoon this time that was for sure. Well – they didn’t get it…
There were changes to that team that started last Saturday – as Tom was with the reserves, Jude was away and Chris was back available – so we went with the 4-3-3 that saw us change the game the last time we played these and that meant it was a debut for Prince between the sticks and a back-four that saw Chris slot in next to Gatesie and in between Tyler and Harry. There were two changes to the midfield three – with Robbie Holt and Stephen sliding in to join Liam in there – and the front three picks itself at the moment. Matty Fearnley, Rav and Aaron made up the bench for this one and with the boss urging his troops to simply play the ball to feet quickly, they were soon out there ready to go. There seemed to be an air of arrogance to them for some reason though and that was made even worse within 53 seconds of the start…
Because that’s how long it took us to take the lead. We won the ball in the middle of the park and as Stephen – back on the pitch after his stint in net last week – took hold of it, he beat his man before releasing a great ball with the outside of his foot into the run of Yatesy. He cut inside his man and fed the ball into the path of Connor who was charging into the space. He got to it first the rest was inevitable – he clipped the ball over the advancing keeper and into the back of their net. 1-0 and less than a minute gone. In truth, that was the last time in the first 45 minutes or so that things knitted together…
That was due to us then forgetting how to play football – and we resorted to not working hard, not tracking back and making silly mistakes. For some reason we just couldn’t get going and on 14 minutes, the visitors made us pay when a long ball through the middle cut us in two and their striker had the easy job of taking it forward unopposed and picking his spot before rifling it past Prince and into the back of our net. It was coming and we now needed to snap out of this…
Liam was working hard to rally his troops and at times, it looked as though he was well outnumbered as Robbie wasn’t his usual self and it was Ste’s first game back since taking that knock at Whitworth Valley – and when given the time and space, their midfield were simply picking out passes with ease. Another long ball over the top caught us square again and it ended with the same result – as their striker once again had all of the time he wanted to pull his leg back and slam his shot past Prince and into the back of our net. 1-2 and was that the kick-start we needed? No is the answer to that…
We looked lethargic for some reason and it was showing as the Eccles lads were well on top now. We started to argue and point fingers at each other – rather than grabbing the bull by the horns and working hard – and on 35 minutes, they took full advantage yet again. The upsetting part about it all was that they were not even having to work hard to score goals and despite Prince making a couple of decent saves, he couldn’t stop them further increasing their lead with another neat finish from the edge of the area following more shoddy defending by us all. 1-3 and if we wanted to get back in this, then we had to score the next goal…
Having just been carded, Wayne decided to bring Robbie off and replaced him with Aaron slotting in the middle of the park and as the half drew to a close, it was the County coaches that were the happiest to hear the whistle for the break. There was work to be done here – and a lot of it…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY A 1-3 Eccles United Reserves
The lads were in the changing room as the opponents stayed out – and rather than shout and scream, Wayne and Brian tried to remain relaxed and calm. That simply wasn’t good enough. We showed within the first minute what results good football can bring – and then we decided that we’d change it and do our own thing. Get back to passing it. Get back to working hard. And get back to taking ownership. All of them could look at themselves and know it wasn’t good enough – so go out there and put that right. We did it before against these so let’s go and do it again. Wayne said he wouldn’t make any changes for the first five minutes so urged his troops not to be the one he replaced – and sent them back out there ready to put right the wrongs they’d just displayed…
And if we’re honest, they managed to do that despite taking nothing out of the game. Within the first three minutes of the restart, we’d reduced the deficit to 2-3. As he had done all game so far, Liam worked hard to win the ball back and as he surged forward, he left their midfield for dust. Looking up, he crafted a gorgeous pass out to the left to find Lewis up against their full-back. Roasting him for pace, our No.10 fed the ball into the danger-area and there was Yatesy to curl the ball past the arm of their diving keeper and into the opposite corner of his net. Another tidy finish – and evidence of how well we can do when we pass the ball. Was the comeback on now?
The game got a little fractious now as we looked for a way back into it and they defended well to protect what they had – but their No.3 saw his name taken for a dangerous looking tackle in their final third and we thought we had a good shout for at least two penalties but the man in the middle waved them away both times. This next goal would be crucial that’s for sure…
Matty came on in place of Tyler and Rav saw some action as he replaced Harry and as we kept huffing and puffing, most of the good work was coming from the team wearing their new kit for the first time. We thought we’d equalised on 72 minutes when Gatesie fired a superb free-kick from his half towards the corner-flag on the left and first time, Lewis volleyed a glorious cross into the front post – where Yatesy was free – but with the goal gaping, he could only hit his effort tamely straight at their No.1. Was that the chance? We weren’t going to get more clear-cut than that, that’s for sure…
And on 83 minutes, another moment of madness from their No.3 saw him going for an early bath when he decided to race across and swipe Ste’s legs from under him. The referee was left with no choice but to brandish his red card and although the Eccles players and coaches remonstrated, they also knew that it was a rash thing to do when you’re already ona yellow. But we couldn’t make the numerical advantage pay and as the seconds ticked away, it looked like we’d suffer defeat in only our second game of the season. That would be different from last season eh?
That’s how it turned out as well. Because try as we may, we just couldn’t get that elusive goal to clinch a point from this and as the whistle went, we knew that this hadn’t been good enough. The handshakes were done with respect and as the travelling fans celebrated with their heroes, the County players trudged towards taking the posts down. They only had themselves to blame. Top marks to the Eccles United contingent – especially for leaving the changing rooms impeccable again – and we wish you a safe trip home…
Liam was rightly awarded the PPSL Heating Man of the Match – followed closely by young Harry T – and as the lads got themselves changed, they knew. We need to pick things up and the first chance to do that is when we welcome Avenue Reserves to The County Ground next week. Let’s hope their first-team have a game on Saturday eh?
Back to the drawing board it is then. We have to listen and we have to play football the way we know best – as that’s what gets us the goals we so clearly have in this team. And that starts at training on Wednesday night. We’re better than this that’s for sure…
#UpTheCounty!
