22nd October 2016 - Cheadle Town 2 v 0 Prestwich Heys - After leading a fungus walk at Crompton Moor in Shaw I arrived just in time to grab a cup of tea and a Kit-Kat prior to the kick-off of this 1st Division match. I needn't have rushed as goal repairs prior to kick-off delayed the start by a few minutes and I could easily have fitted a piddle in just to be on the safe side on this ever chilling day. A good crowd was in attendance and a kind fella lent me is pencil to make notes - very decent sir!
The opening play saw Prestwich Heys move from the back and look mighty comfortable in doing so with Cheadle doing their usual scampering business and building up a good sweat. It wasn't long before the first chance came with a multi-pass creation of diamond formation ending in a sweet cross that was just knocked away by an alert home keeper. It seemed as though Prestwich were already tightening a soccer screw. An elbow dispute halted proceedings briefly with some banter between the fans not clarifying what went on - as per, one lot saw one thing, the others saw something completely different - it's called being bent I think. Personally I thought it was an innocuous occurrence and only hindered the game. We needed a goal to liven up the game and when Prestwich knocked in after some tidy in-box play it was with relief to Cheadle that the offside flag was waved - a theme that would continue thwarting any chance of the away side gaining a victory today. Derisive laughter was aimed at the Prestwich fans but was returned when Cheadle had an immediate chance that the striker nutted disappointingly wide. Heys passed and pressed, got the odd shot away with the Cheadle keeper making one low save to keep things all square. The post was also hit and a few openings were squandered, this time both teams being guilty of wastage. The final pass was the key, always falling short of the mark and letting the opponent off the hook. The half time whistle came, I was pondering my first 0-0 match of the season.
Kit-Kat finished, the much needed water leak taken. It seemed a shame to part with the liquid gold as it was the warmest thing in my chilled carcass - bah, bloody bah. Back in position and hopes high of an imminent breakthrough.
The second half and Cheadle came out reborn and should have been 1 goal to the good after a golden chance dropped to the ever dashing No 9 only for a shocking miss to ensue - cripes what a load of crap! Heys counter-punched, persisted in their slow build-up play with a couple of fine crosses aching for that much needed touch that just remained elusive - and so, still no goals. I spoke to soon, Cheadle's No 11 made a charge, slotted the ball inwards, another pass came and...a shout! Foul! Penalty given. Up stepped the starter of the move and wham, bam, thank you mam - Cheadle had somehow got the first goal and thrown the game upside down, arse over tit. Game ruddy on. No sooner had the penalty been sunk than the No 11 (Thabiso Magida) was off again, this time a shot was had and only the fingertips of the keeper kept things at 1 -0. Cheadle, now with nadgers on fire, pushed again, nearly broke clear but a last ditched foul saved the day for Prestwich and the yellow card given was fair but, on a different day, could easily have been red. 2 Subs for the away chaps and I expected a push to come, but unexpectedly Cheadle had two quick fire opportunities to extend the lead - one a break that was scuppered by an alert keeper who just managed to grab the ball from the attackers feet and the other a low seeking shot that just went wide. Despite Heys playing the better football it was Cheadle's hard work that was winning the day and, it appeared to me at least, that Cheadle wanted this one a whole lot more.
A delicious ball from Cheadle's No 5 nearly led to a second with the back flick and shot just not coming to true fruition. Still Prestwich played with the same style, but were constantly caught in the cobwebs of offside and so the home keeper was barely troubled throughout. Cheadle were now asserting authority and after an intelligent free kick was knocked down the wing, the cross came and a tap in for the industrious No 9 (Michael Sherrington) was fine reward and put pay to any hopes Prestwich had of a comeback. The final run down to the clock was much more of the same and when the whistle blew there was only one team in charge. Man of the Match for me was Cheadle's No 5 (Liam Tonge) a steady player, not in his usual position but always thinking ahead and supplying some good quality and who seems to read the game darn bloody well.
FINAL THOUGHT - Imagine entering a fruit machine arcade. Spinning the reels at one is Quasimodo, rotating the fruits at the other is Claudia Schiffer. The coins flow, the symbols whizz by, nudges are had, win streaks won - but it is the hunchback that cleans up and the model loses all. Here we have a case of the ugly doing better than the beautiful and so, reflects, in some part, what went on today. A team may play the better football but if they don't do the dirty work as well as the other team it may well have no pay out at the end. Think on!
No comments:
Post a Comment