Finches still looking for 1st win

Hi Chris,

Please find below my match report.
The first team came into their Midlands 2 clash with Stratford wanting to put into practice some of the things they’d worked on in training during the week. Games against Stratford are always close and physical encounters with both teams putting in 100%. The firsts applied their game plan in the first half perfectly, but with the finishing touch just missing at key moments. Good forward play by Chris Jones, Ian Bradley and Richard Saunders wasn’t rewarded with an all important opening goal. Stratford were restricted to odd opportunities from long ball breaks, but didn’t trouble the first team defence commanded by joint man of the match winner Justin Thorpe. The tension in the game snapped towards the end of the first half resulting in the umpires yellow carding a Stratford player for a robust challenge, chasing back to stop Chris Jones through on goal. Craig Roberts picked up a two minute trip to the sin bin for a professional foul late in the half. At half time with the score at 0-0 first team management team of Jo Nightingale and Chris Roberts instilled in the team that sticking to the game plan will return results and they duly came mid way through the second half with a Stratford player kicking the ball off the line following a shot from Saunders. First team leading scorer Bradley stepped up to take the resulting penalty flick, he scored with a flick into the roof of the net. Almost directly from the push back the first team were two nil up with a cracking goal from Saunders. The game then became very stretched and joint man of the match George Jandu impressing with some skilful attacking play down the right drawing many a foul from the tiring Stratford defenders. A flurry of yellow and green cards changed the game further and Stratford scoring late from open play and a goal mouth scramble following a smart save from Alex Crow. The game ended 2-2, the firsts will be looking to get their first win next week vs Hampton at the Royal School next Saturday at 1.30pm.