4th Team Vs Stafford 4

The last match of the season against Stafford who are the champions of our league. The corresponding match in December saw a memorable 3-2 win for us away at Stafford. With only 4 members of the Old Wulfs team who also played in the December match, this was set to be a very different contest.

In their opening skirmishes Stafford attacked hard with play going through their centre midfielder who was playing very high, forcing Ed Carver who was playing centre midfield for us to play deeper than he wanted, leaving a big hole in midfield. With less than 10 minutes gone Stafford scored from a quick counter attack through the midfield. Andy Hamilton quickly reorganised our defence, dropping the sweeper and moving David Carver to take over from Ed, man to man marking the Stafford midfielder, the Old Master taking over from the Young Pretender! This changed the game, with the Stafford playmaker not getting the ball and playing deeper and deeper as the game progressed.

Old Wulfs attacked well up both wings and had several shots on goal, it was a keenly played half with both teams playing hard and fast. With about 10 minutes to go in the first half Stafford scored a slightly fortuitous goal. Old Wulfs continued pressing hard, finishing the half dominating the play but not the score line.

After a rousing half time team talk, the second half saw us attack even more vigorously. With about 5 minutes on the clock Rikki Lally did a magnificent aerial from well inside our half landing about 2 metres from Stafford’s D, Sam Colman ran onto it and struck the ball home before the keeper knew what was happening, our goal of the season! We piled on the pressure with Sam Colman, debutant Seb Ricketts and James Tippins all coming close to scoring. Rikki had several short corners well saved by the Stafford keeper who had a good game. Our midfield of David Foster, Ed Carver and Sam Colman all worked tirelessly in the second half keeping the pressure on Stafford right until the end. Stafford had relatively few attacks in the second half, and did not have 1 short corner in the whole of the game.

Sadly we did not score a second goal, but another day we could have had a hatful. Although it was disappointing to lose to have played so well against the league champions was uplifting.