It feels as though we play one week and then go without the next at the moment – but it was back to football for County Reserves today and it was the visit of Chadderton EDS in the Manchester Football League Cup on the cards for this one. We travelled to them a fortnight ago and came away with a credible 0-0 draw so we knew that today was going to be another good battle. There were problems a-plenty for Wayne and Brian though as the injury-list and unavailable players are mounting up – with the likes of Matty on holiday, Alex Williams a week away from fitness and Liam Haycock out for the season and Tom Robinson impressing the 1st-team that much last weekend that he was called up again today- we were going into this one with only 13 players. But as Wayne reminded them as they started to arrive, we have to play the 11 players that are facing us regardless and there was enough in this changing room to at least cause them problems…
As the lads warmed up, the mood was good but it was obvious that the visitors had brought a completely different squad over with them for this one – as there were many different faces to the ones we faced a fortnight ago. Again – we play who we play – and it is about what we do that matters. They came back in and the starting 11 was announced – seeing us keep the 4-3-3 shape we’ve been favouring lately – that meant Pomf was in net with Rav and Shaun keeping their places at full-backs. Back came Robbie Holt and Gatesie – skipper for the day – at centre-half and with the midfield seeing us opt to go with Ste Palin in between youngsters Jude and Callum, there was a youthful look in there. It was good to see Yatesy and Ricky back and they joined Nathan as a front-three and with Josh and Bradders to choose from if we needed to change things, we were set. The lads made their final preparations and before we knew it, we were out there and playing into the wind for the first 45. The whistle went and the action began – and what a good game it turned out to be…
Within the first 60 seconds the away side nearly took the lead – and it was a superb header from our Robbie that nearly got it! The ball came into our box and ignoring Pomf’s call, he decided to head it clear – only to see the ball smack against our bar and back into Pomf’s hands. Wow! What a start that could have been…
We started to get our foot on the ball now and on 4 minutes we saw our first real chance – and it was a really good one. Rav won the ball well on the right and fed it into the feet of Yatesy who turned his man well and sprayed the ball into the space in front of Nathan. He charged into the box and as their keeper came out, we all begged him to lob it – and he duly obliged only to see the ball fly over the bar and away from danger. We knew we needed to convert our chances today and that there was a really good one…
Our midfield were doing well in the battle and whenever we did get the ball forward, they were supporting the forwards at all times. With 10 minutes gone, we got the ball into the space behind the back line and Jude was onto it like a whippet. He slid in to get to the ball just before their keeper and as it went forward, the home fans held their breath. But there just wasn’t enough power on it and as they slammed it away from danger, the chance was gone. At least we were seeing the ball in good areas now…
But on 13 minutes it was the away side that took the lead and there wasn’t much we could have done about it really. The team in red had attacked down our left but our Shaun had defended it well and put it out for a corner. As the players jostled for position, the Chaddy lad swung his corner in and as the wind took it, the ball swerved straight over Pomf and right into the opposite top corner. We would have needed a player about 7feet tall to stop that. 0-1 and we had work to do now…
The County lads continued to work hard and a couple of minutes later, we had another chance to score but the play was pulled back for offside. Callum had worked well with Jude in the middle of the park and at exactly the right moment – in our eyes anyway – he played it clean through for Ricky to run at goal. But the referee saw it differently and as he blew his whistle, the chance was gone.
Long balls over the top seemed to be the way the opposition wanted to play and so far, we had coped well with them – but with 20 minutes gone, another one saw their striker running through. Gatesie just missed his tackle but it looked as though Pomf was going to whack it clear, the ball rolled under his foot and left their man with an empty goal to simply slot the ball into. 0-2 and we were making this hard for ourselves now…
Then came a passage of play whereby the away side were doing all the pressing and all we could do was resort to niggly challenges and giving away silly free-kicks. Wayne and Brian urged their lads to keep their cool as we needed all of them available for next week as well – and we seem to forget to play football when we play like this. That said, the visitors had already be awarded three yellow cards before the 40 minute mark so that showed the type of battle it was out there. Our young midfield were competing well and with an average age of just over 17 in there, the coaches were pleased to see how well they were doing. And just before half-time, they were heavily involved in our best chance of the game so far. We won yet another challenge in the middle third and poured forward in numbers. The ball found it’s way to Ricky and he cut it onto his right-foot before drilling a shot in from 20 yards. It looked like their keeper just about managed to get his fingers to it to divert onto the bar and away – but the referee didn’t see the great save and awarded a goal-kick to them. Was this going to be one of those days? We hoped not…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY RESERVES 0-2 Chadderton EDS
As the lads came in, they looked dejected – so the first task of the coaches was to remind them how well we had done. Both their goals they had got far too easily and if we had taken our chances, the score-line could be very different. Wayne urged his lads to keep pushing forward and with it being a cup game, there was nothing to lose. We decided to go to a 4-4-2 to offer more numbers in the middle of the park so Jude and Callum stayed central with Ste pushing out to the right and Nathan dropping slightly on the left – and with the drinks drunk and the words of encouragement ringing in their ears, they were back out there ready to get back into this match…
The second period started with the team in blue on the front foot and as we searched for a way back into it, we were pushing them further and further back. There was a funny moment when in a moment of quiet, all that could be heard was the referee shout to Shaun ‘all you do is moan about nonsense’ and it drew a laugh from the faithful home fans – and a couple of minutes later those laughs turned to cheers as we got a way back into the game. Robbie won a great tackle just inside his own half and as he surged forward, he went past at least three of the players in red before looking up and picking out a glorious pass to his brother Ricky just outside the box. He drove forward and with composure, he tucked his shot away nice and low to give their keeper no chance of stopping it. The County players ran to the Holt brothers to celebrate and with just under 40 minutes to go, we were definitely back in this. 1-2…
Scoring a goal seemed to galvanise us and we were on top now – with Callum still playing with a maturity well above his tender years. Just past the hour mark he shrugged off a couple of challenges as he burst through the middle and he slid the ball into Yatesy who struck a good shot but could only see it smothered into their No.1’s chest easily. It was us doing all the running now and if we could get that next goal, who knows what else could happen?
The next chance saw the ball cleared long by the visitors and Gatesie controlled it well before striding forward and from all of 35 yards out, he struck a venomous shot that looked destined for the back of the net – until it whistled just past their right-hand upright. This was good stuff now…
Chadderton were riding the storm up until now and we decided to change things a bit by bringing Bradders on in place of Nathan and as the game wore on, that next goal was going to pivotal into whose name was going to be in the hat for the next round. The away side had a great chance to increase their lead only for some resolute defending to thwart them. They attacked in numbers and with their player clean through, we all thought he’d score – only to see Chris make another fine save to keep it out. The ball fell to their No.10 and as he shot towards the bottom corner, there was Gatesie appearing from nowhere to clear it off the line and the chance was gone. Superb defending by the pair of them but signs that if we forgot to defend as well as attack, they had enough about them to make us pay…
Ricky and Callum then joined forces to cut their defence open with some great passing and movement and as the ball popped up to Callum’s right foot, he struck a great shot that looked like it was going in the bottom corner – but again it flew agonisingly wide of the post and out for a goal-kick. We were getting the chances still that’s for sure…
With Wayne and Brian toying with going for it and switching to a 3-4-3, they were made to rethink their plans – as the next move saw us draw level! More good work from Jude and Callum saw them work the ball around the Chadderton midfield and all they could do was bring down the blue shirt for a free-kick about 30 yards from goal on our left. Young Callum put the ball down and as the players lined up around the penalty spot, he swung in a delicious cross that caused mayhem in their defence. Up jumped Ricky and Yatesy – along with their defenders – and all we know is that the ball nestled in the back of their net to put the score-line level at 2-2. That’s all that matters – not who scored it – and as the lads grabbed the ball and ran back for the re-start, it was all to play for again. What an effort from the County lads…
To see the confidence that our two 16yr olds were playing with in the middle of the park was superb – and they were immense out there today – and with 69 minutes gone, once again they were involved as they moved the ball to Yatesy who in turn fed it into the run of Ricky – and he burst past their centre-half and shot with his weaker left foot to see their keeper make a comfortable save low to his right. Yatesy then started to cramp up – he had done a lot of running for an old man let’s be honest – so on came Josh and on we went in search of the winner. But we were pushing up a lot and that was leaving us a little open at the back – but hey ho! It’s a cup game and Wayne and Brian were urging their troops forward at every opportunity. Rav then megs his man right in front of the Chadderton bench and even they cheered that – and as the seconds ticked away, the dreaded penalty shootout was starting to looking like a real prospect…
But with 83 minutes gone, the fifth goal came – and it was the visitors that got it despite a world-class tackle stopping them initially. With us pouring forward, those gaps became wider at the back and a long-ball over the top saw their striker surge towards goal. Having a couple of yards on Gatesie, it looked as though he would smash his shot home and as he pulled his leg back to shoot, across came our skipper for the day to make a great tackle and divert the ball away for a corner. The box filled with players and as the ball came curling in, we managed to head it clear but only to their player who struck his shot with gusto only to see it flying wide – until Gatesie’s boot got to it and hammered it past Chris’ flailing arm and into the roof of our net. What a sucker-punch after that fantastic tackle. 2-3 and we had about seven minutes or so to pull this back now…
Needing a goal desperately now, we went to a 3-4-3 that saw Robbie push into the middle and Rav and Shaun squeeze in closer to Gatesie but soon after, we saw a nasty moment when for the second time in the game, Rav shouted for a challenge but one of his own players took him out – only this time it saw Gatesie’s boot connect with his eye and as he went down, our captain knew it was a bad one. Wayne ran on the pitch and there was claret everywhere – with a nasty gash just above his eye-lid – and it was clear that his game was over. Back on came Ricky – who had come off for Nathan earlier – and with the game ticking towards it’s finale, only a goal for us would see it to penalties…
It wasn’t to be though and although we won a corner with 20 seconds to go, we just couldn’t force the ball over the line and when the whistle went, it was Chadderton who were progressing into the next round. There was nothing to be ashamed of here though as with a really young squad we had pushed them all the way and winning the second-half 2-1 showed that we have the quality to hurt the big-hitters in this division. The handshakes were done with respect and as the goals started being dismantled, that was that for another Saturday…
The coaches praised their troops as they got changed and informed them that they had given a really good account of themselves out there. The switch to 4-4-2 really had helped and that second half showed that when we focus on the football, we can be a really decent team. That has to continue again from minute one next Saturday – when we host the resurgent Old Alts Reserves to the County Ground – and we will be looking to go one better than the drab 1-1 draw at theirs in early October. Those two points dropped could be a big factor in where we’ll finish this season so we need to be on it from the start if we want all three points. The lads will be up for it though don’t you worry about that…
Thanks to those of you that came out to cheer us on this afternoon – it’s always much appreciated – and we hope to see you again in seven days’ time…
That’s cup football done for another season – but at least we can concentrate on that still unbeaten league record now eh?
#UpTheCounty!