ABBEY LANE v HEELEY BOYS - TESCO CUP - 21/12/08

[Craig Millward]

ABBEY LANE v HEELEY BOYS - TESCO CUP - 21/12/08

ABBEY LANE (8) v HEELEY BOYS (4)
GOALSCORERS -KANE TORPEY (2), WILL MALLINSON (2), CODEY MILLWARD (1), MATT PETTY (1), SAM TERRY (1), JACK CHARLESWORTH (1)
MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD -JACK CHARLESWORTH

MATCH REPORT

Abbey Lane entertained C Division outfit Heeley Boys, and in a pulsating match came away with an 8-4 victory.
Abbey Lane were again missing influential goalkeeper Chris Pond who is still suffering the effects of a serious chest infection. up stepped left winger Jordan Marples-Douglas to deputise once again between the sticks.
Abbey Lane got off to a flying start where on 3 minutes a great ball over by MILLWARD found TORPEY in acres of space who in turn played a great ball behind the defence for MALLINSON to spring the offside trap and fire home. At this point Abbey Lane looked destined to run away with the game as they piled forward with chance after chance, but in doing so Heeley struck on the break with their pacey striker who took his chance well on 9 minutes. A change of game plan at the back was quickly arranged to try and stop the danger. With 14 minutes gone Abbey Lane restored their lead when an excellent powerfull run by CHARLESWORTH saw him play a great ball in for PETTY to fire the ball into the back of the net. Again Abbey Lane were having the lions share of the possession and should have gone further into the lead, but a lapse in concentration in the Abbey Lane defence on 17 minutes saw Heeley equalise with the same player punishing us again. The match would have been an excellent one for the neutral, but it was definately heart attack material for the managers. Abbey Lane took the lead again on 19 minutes when a great jinxing run and a lot of persistance from TORPEY saw him fire home at the second attempt. Abbey Lane kept up the pressure, and had finally got the hang of the lightening pace of the Heeley striker. On 30 minutes Abbey Lane extended their lead when a great run by TORPEY saw a tame shot fumbled by the keeper into the back of his own net. With little more than a minute remaining Heeley pulled another goal back to make the half time score 4-3.

A few choice words of encouragement at half time was needed to settle the team, and regain the rhythm we have become used to.
The second half started and with only 5 minutes on the clock Abbey Lane made the score 5-3, when a great ball played in from the left by DOUGLAS found MILLWARD just outside the area, he controlled, and lofted the ball over the advancing keeper. Heeley Boys were not finished with this game, and to their credit never gave in. On 9 minutes they were awarded a penalty for a mistimed tackle in the box, up stepped ex-Abbey Lane player FURNISS to fire home to take the score to 5-4. From this point on Abbey Lane stepped up a gear and took the game by the scruff of the neck, and on 20 minutes a good ball to MALLINSON saw him slide the ball home with style placing it in the keepers bottom right hand corner. With 27 minutes of the second half gone, Abbey Lane made the score 7-4. This time it was the turn of CHARLESWORTH to put in a powerfull run on goal, unleashing an unstoppable shot. This lad deserved a hat full of goals today for all his hard work and powerful running. With only 4 minutes remaining Abbey Lane under age player SAM TERRY rounded off the scoring where beating the defence for shear pace he slotted home at the near post.

This wasn't the prettiest of games to watch, and at times it was very frustrating, but one thing i can say about the team as a whole is they will never give up. Some of the passing today was absolutely top class, the movement on and off the ball was excellent, so really with the result at 8-4, i don't think their is a great deal to complain about.
We probably need to look at certain situations in training with regards to the faster players in the game, and how we need to identify the danger and deal with it as a team, rather than leaving it up to certain individuals in certain positions to deal with it. This is all part of the learning process for these lads, and it goes to show that every game is different, but you need to have game plans for every scenario so we don't come unstuck.
Well done lads, we are now through to the next round.