This was a patchy performance, with sloppy moments punctuated with some excellent free flowing one touch football, but it is testament to our progress that we should win comfortably despite not being at our best.
For the players to develop we must be honest in our assessment and strive for greater consistency within the 90 minutes and two or three individuals must pay more attention to the detail and work rate required in their position. It is particularly frustrating when they cannot sustain a level of performance from match to match. They know who they are and must address this issue before it's too late.
We again started well and took the lead from yet another near post corner. Our success at these dead balls is a massive string to our attacking bow and is reward for the time spent on the training ground. It is amazing that even in our most free flowing attacking displays how many of our goals are scored from set plays. The list is almost endless.
On this occasion, Rory's flick was saved by Josh Pope, Owen Kessack struck the post with the follow up but Adam Marriott was alert enough to scramble the ball home from inside the six yard box. These finishes please me more than some of his specialities as they are the kind of bread and butter goals that can make him a great goalscorer rather than just a scorer of great goals.
We looked equally dangerous from open play with some incisive movement and one touch passing but our finishing was high, wide and not very handsome! The first culprit was Jack Eades after a perfectly timed diagonal run, and then Rory McAuley in the same inside left channel. Both players opened their bodies but failed to hit the target with their right footed strikes.
Rory had left his shooting boots in West Earlham but still provided his usual drive and presence from the middle of the pitch. Wherever you play him, he will always contribute and his versatility may be a double edged sword for him but in my opinion, it makes him an invaluable member of any squad. His passion, commitment and infectious winning mentality shouldn't mask his ability either.
Darryl Coakley also deserves praise for his fantastic application, which, having made four starts in the first team this season, is a fantastic example for the scholars. His use of the ball in the first half was exemplary, over any distance with any technique. He really does have a magical left foot.
On another day, Maz would also have added to his tally but he was once thwarted by Pope and then scuffed a disappointing shot with the whites of the posts in his sight. Our worst spell of the half was ended by the referee's whistle for the break, which came at an opportune time. We had become sloppy with our defending, especially on our right flank, and possession was being conceded too readily in our half. We also looked vulnerable to the counter attack by not reacting quickly enough in transition by either failing to hunt the ball or recovering our shape with sufficient purpose. Thankfully, these problems could be sorted out in the sanctuary of our own dressing room without having paid the price of conceding a goal.
We set the tone for the second half by starting on the front foot and Maz doubled his and our tally with another close range strike from Owen Kessack's cross. Having started the move, he showed the desire we are always preaching to get across the defender for the crucial touch. The game was all but put to bed when Maz drew a foul in the box for another penalty, which Luke Berry duly dispatched.
As soon as Maz has a defender on the back foot, you know they are in trouble. He has such good feet that he can trick opponents into believing they can win the ball only to move it a split second later so they make contact with him. In this mood, Maz looks every inch the prospect that excites, rather than infuriates, us all so much!
Despite a below par afternoon, Jack Bailey should still have scored twice but failed to make proper contact with a Jack Eades cross and ballooned the ball over when 1v1 with their keeper. With the points secure, we were able to give two players some minutes following weeks of rehab from their respective injuries. Jonathan Thorpe, aka JT, almost marked his comeback with a spectacular goal but his 20-yard swerving shot struck the top of the crossbar, whilst Liam Hughes also made a welcome return to the action. With so many matches to come in all competitions, their return is a massive boost.
Talking of which, next week will provide our squad with a massive test. We have a Ridgeons League Cup fixture at March Town United on Tuesday and then an FA Youth Cup tie at Rothwell, who are no mugs, 24 hours later. Our priority may be Wednesday but we have to put a team out on Tuesday and, even with the senior players, it means that four scholars must play just to field an XI.
Nolan, Justin and I may be literally on the bench! That would still only leave us with 11 players for the night after, so whichever way you look at it, our progress in the FA Youth Cup will be compromised. Unfortunately, despite being able to do so in the past, we are not permitted to put the Ridgeons League Cup back to another date. It won't get any easier if we get through with the next round of the FA Youth Cup scheduled for the week in which we play at Mildenhall in the league.
With the qualifying rounds of the FA Youth Cup, Ridgeons League and Cup fixtures, we will have played in every midweek and weekend since the start of the season. We accept that a demanding schedule goes with the territory but having to play two games in two days seems a trifle harsh. Getting through the next couple of weeks unscathed will be a massive challenge and a test of everyone's professionalism. We are also desperate to get Chris Tonks and Jack Igglesden back into training, so we can have a full complement of players for the first time this season.
It seems that we are putting a few noses out of joint with our results this year and last, so much so that teams in the Ridgeons League have tried to have us thrown out of the FA Youth Cup, citing the fact that CUFC do not run a youth team as CRC are a separate club. We have successfully defended this position but realise that we will have to close ranks and try to defy the odds.
Team:
Davies, Bevan, Coakley, Carr, Hudson, McAuley, Eades (Hughes 80), Berry, Bailey (Thorpe 70), Marriott, Kessack (Johnson 65)
