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COMPETITION: RYMAN YOUTH LEAGUE
DATE: THURSDAY 6th APRIL 2010
HORSHAM YMCA YOUTH 1 – 4 LEATHERHEAD YOUTH
Apologies for using the oldest football cliché in ‘the book’ but this was most definitely “a game of two halves”, the first probably the worst of the season and the second possibly the best (definitely for striker Kieran Lunn)
Leatherhead were to have another successful trip to Broadbridge Heath where they had beaten Horsham Youth last month but for the first 45 minutes another victory seemed most unlikely as they barely strung 3 passes together all half. Having started quite promisingly Leatherhead were stopped in their tracks when the flood lights failed after 3 minutes and it was 15 minutes before the game could be restarted...
After the unscheduled restart the game was more even with the home side providing the better moments of a pretty dire half because they were showing far greater commitment in midfield and trying to press the Leatherhead defence who were having to soak up far too much pressure albeit fairly comfortably...
Apart from three good long throws from Paul Moran, a through ball from Max Bayeux that Ross Salisbury just failed to reach on 18 minutes and a Joe Goodman header just over the bar from a 28th minute corner YMCA’s defence were never really tested in the first half.
The home side nearly took the lead with a strong header after 30 minutes but Lee Shipp pulled off a good save to temporarily save his team mates blushes... However 5 minutes later they did take the lead when following a partially cleared corner their left winger ‘crossed’ the ball straight back in to the danger area only to see it loop over everyone and in to the top corner of the Leatherhead net.
The immediate response from the visitors was disappointing, they failed to raise their game or create a single chance to level the scores and only another good save by Shipp tipping over a long range effort in the 45th minute prevented YMCA going in two up!
Leatherhead’s dressing room at half time gave their management team the much needed opportunity to reshape, regroup and probably read the Riot Act to most of their underperforming team...
Well whatever was said it certainly had an impact as the players came out for the second half fired up, pressurising YMCA all round the park and looking like a competent youth team rather than a bunch of schoolboys kicking a ball about...
Pressurising the home defence right from the restart Leatherhead were rewarded with an equaliser from their 3rd attack in as many minutes when Salisbury scrambled the ball home from a couple of yards out and this was to set the tone for the rest of the half.
Leatherhead were now playing a much more controlled passing game with greater movement all round. YMCA certainly didn’t fall apart but they were struggling to contain their opponents who were now playing at a much higher tempo and from one of many Leatherhead forays from midfield George Murphy came very close to putting the visitors ahead after 59 minutes.
The last 30 minutes were to be a ‘golden half hour’ for Leatherheads striker Kirean Lunn, starting when he put them ahead after 63 minutes latching on to a Bayeux flick to outpace the YMCA centre half and slot home in the bottom left hand corner of the stranded Horsham keepers net. Six minutes later Zac Jacquart, who had taken a number of good free kicks throughout, very nearly made it 1-3 but his strike hit the base of the YMCA goal
Leatherhead were now completely controlling the game and when centre back Andy Higgins halted a rare YMCA attack after 72 minutes with a big tackle and put Salisbury and Lunn in down the left it was Lunn who finished the move with the goal of the game cutting inside his marker and coolly firing in his second to make it 1-3.
YMCA were finding it increasingly difficult to live with the pace of the game and in particular striker Lunn so it was no surprise when in the 84th minute one of a number of clumsy attempts at stopping him inevitably resulted in a penalty being awarded. Lunn picked himself and the ball up and got the nod from regular penalty taker Goodman to take the spot kick which he duly thumped into the top corner to complete his hat-trick. 1-4
Another good long range Jacquart free kick from the right that dipped just over the bar in the dying minutes nearly produced a 5th for Leatherhead but given the lack lustre performance in the first half they were very satisfied to chalk up their biggest league win of the season which puts them into 3rd place with a chance of finishing 2nd.
It is quite fitting that their final match is against unbeaten league leaders Lewes who were their first opponents of the season but they will need to play well for 90 minutes if they are to get anything from that game...
MOM: Kieran Lunn for a great second half hat-trick which is no more than he deserved after many good displays this season
Team: Lee Shipp, Jeff Osei-Bonsu (rep 82), Andy Higgins, Jeremy Osei-Bonsu, Paul Moran (72), Joe Goodman, George Murphy (rep 75), Zac Jacquart, Ross Salisbury, Kieran Lunn, Max Bajeux,
Subs: Dave Burton (72), Josh Smith (75), Robbie Lake (82)
Scorers: Salisbury, Lunn (3)
Report by David Hedges