ClaretAndBlueBlood
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Battling the Spartans...
With the sound of my team talk still ringing in their ears the lads took to the pitch,it was the biggest game we as a team had faced up to this point. We were hosting Blyth spartans, this years surprise package in the BS North and current league leaders. I told the team to just go out there and play with out fear. We were 2 leagues below them we were under no pressure to win just go out and play like i know you can and we'll do well I knew it..
Well the lads went out there and really competed and the first half was 50/50 and all level at 0-0. Blyth just about edge the half in terms of clear cut chances but we had our moments just needed to keep thing together in the final third.
The second half Blyth flew out of the traps and had a chance almost straight from kick off. We fired right back with 2 dangerous cross's from Toms and Garton one after the other. Hughes's frustration at lack of chances showed when he was booked for a clumsy attempt to reclaim a lost ball. The defenders in each team were the stars as they Blocked,intercepted,tackled,headed or simply hacked away any ball coming into the box. The atmosphere was great amongst the 1030+ crowd the temperature rising as heavy tackles went in and fouls started to creep into play. Boland played a lovely slide rule pass into the box ahead of Forrester but the Blyth keeper scrambled off his line and just won the foot race. We had gone past 60 mins and there had only been one real clear cut chance the whole second half, blyth's early effort. Since there had been a few cross's and through balls but the defence had snuffed out any chance stright away on both sides. Stirling wasn't giving me all he could given his obvious skill, so I took him off and gave another young lad Sean law a run out. Stirling had been playing regularly, but was still not giving his all for the club. I needed to show him his place wasn't a given. We had been dealing with everything Blyth were throwing, but they stepped up the pressure. It won them a corner. They swung it in and it met the head of Jones.....But it whistled just over the crossbar. That was close we'd have to start putting on a bit of pressure ourselves soon or the ball would be in our net sooner or later..Forrester was looking a big leggy and Garry had been moaning for playing time. So this was his chance to impress me.
We'd just gone past 70 mins and our fresh legs had lifted us a bit. Garry was closing down their defence putting them under pressure.He even played Hughes through who weaved into the left side of the box and chipped the ball across the front of goal. Toms took the shoot but it was blocked and laws followed up but that was blocked too and the attack fizzled out. Blyth countered deeney bombing down the winger..but Garton made a excellent slide tackle. The follow through caught deeney injuring him ending his night early as he hobbled to the bench. Blyth's heads dropped at one of their main performers on the night going off, and we smelled blood. Harwood played the ball forward to hughes, who played a brillent one two with Law and then took his first real chance and struck at goal.....But the excellent Knight was equal to it and clutched it gratefully to his chest.Blyth also had a change in stiker taking Ide off and putting smyth on. But we were still on top just about. Then the scales tipped further in our balance... striker Hall ran forward and attempted to run past our CB Dougan if he beat him he'd find himself in plenty of space, possibly enough to run on and have a shot on goal. Dougan timed his tackle well and slid and poked the ball away from him. Hall fell badly and had to come off,and Blyth had used all their subs...
It took a few minute for play to resume as he got treatment and left the field. We took the throw and went straight at them, Playing the ball to Law who attempted to hold the ball in just out side the D but had his legs took from under him by Dafter. Blyth were feeling the pressure and it showed with the rash challenge. Dougan took the free kick and aimed for the far post...but it sailed over everyone and harmlessly out for a goal kick. From Knight's goal kick Laws and Dafter jumped for the ball neither got the most of it and the ball rolled to Harwood. Before he could get the ball under control and look for a pass he was yanked down by the shirt by the sub Jones. From the centre circle Dougan crossed the ball to the left flank and Lb Pike. He took the ball back inside the pitch pulling the defenders into the centre. He took a short pass to Boland. Who played a sensational first touch through ball to Toms. Who'd carried on his run into left side of the box. He ran onto the ball completely free took a tiny touch to set himself and blasted off a shot.....GOAL!!!! It left knight with no chance as the thunderbolt bulged the roof of the net. We were ahead with a man up on Blyth now. The crowd had gone mad this would be the biggest win Colne had manage in a long time!. Since reaching the semi final of the FA vase back in 2004. Blyth tried to argue that the goal was offside in the midst of our celebrations but the ref dismissed it out of hand. I was too elated to be angry at their to frank stupid claims, as i knew what this could mean for us. A big tie with a league team could be on the cards in the next draw which would help us out no end.
Blyth fought back furiously even a man down, they pumped the ball forward and bombarded us with cross's but we continued to hold out. The fouls came thick and fast and it become end to end stuff neither team were giving up. We'd earned a throw in far up in their half and we'd just gone past 90 mins... Our attack fizzled out as Garry was caught offside. I then used my last sub bringing off the excelllent Dougan to provide fresh legs in defence. Young lad Phil Stevenson a former millwall trainee who I'd not long signed on a youth contract. This was his first run out for us. His freshness I was hoping would help us see this out. With not long left Blyth launched their last attack. Hamm bombed up the left wing pike slid in and took it out for a throw in. They took a long throw in straight into the heart of the box...Garton took no chances and headed it out for a corner. Last roll of the dice Hamm whipped the corner in....Boland didn't mess about and hoofed it out of the box and for a throw in. Another long throw into the box..Harwood won the ball and cleared... but the whitle blew before Blyth could come back again. We'd done it!! I ran onto the pitch to celebrate with the lads. It was my finest moment to date as a manager we'd played a team 2 leagues above us and come out on top. Next stop the 'FA cup proper'!!!!
With the sound of my team talk still ringing in their ears the lads took to the pitch,it was the biggest game we as a team had faced up to this point. We were hosting Blyth spartans, this years surprise package in the BS North and current league leaders. I told the team to just go out there and play with out fear. We were 2 leagues below them we were under no pressure to win just go out and play like i know you can and we'll do well I knew it..
Well the lads went out there and really competed and the first half was 50/50 and all level at 0-0. Blyth just about edge the half in terms of clear cut chances but we had our moments just needed to keep thing together in the final third.
The second half Blyth flew out of the traps and had a chance almost straight from kick off. We fired right back with 2 dangerous cross's from Toms and Garton one after the other. Hughes's frustration at lack of chances showed when he was booked for a clumsy attempt to reclaim a lost ball. The defenders in each team were the stars as they Blocked,intercepted,tackled,headed or simply hacked away any ball coming into the box. The atmosphere was great amongst the 1030+ crowd the temperature rising as heavy tackles went in and fouls started to creep into play. Boland played a lovely slide rule pass into the box ahead of Forrester but the Blyth keeper scrambled off his line and just won the foot race. We had gone past 60 mins and there had only been one real clear cut chance the whole second half, blyth's early effort. Since there had been a few cross's and through balls but the defence had snuffed out any chance stright away on both sides. Stirling wasn't giving me all he could given his obvious skill, so I took him off and gave another young lad Sean law a run out. Stirling had been playing regularly, but was still not giving his all for the club. I needed to show him his place wasn't a given. We had been dealing with everything Blyth were throwing, but they stepped up the pressure. It won them a corner. They swung it in and it met the head of Jones.....But it whistled just over the crossbar. That was close we'd have to start putting on a bit of pressure ourselves soon or the ball would be in our net sooner or later..Forrester was looking a big leggy and Garry had been moaning for playing time. So this was his chance to impress me.
We'd just gone past 70 mins and our fresh legs had lifted us a bit. Garry was closing down their defence putting them under pressure.He even played Hughes through who weaved into the left side of the box and chipped the ball across the front of goal. Toms took the shoot but it was blocked and laws followed up but that was blocked too and the attack fizzled out. Blyth countered deeney bombing down the winger..but Garton made a excellent slide tackle. The follow through caught deeney injuring him ending his night early as he hobbled to the bench. Blyth's heads dropped at one of their main performers on the night going off, and we smelled blood. Harwood played the ball forward to hughes, who played a brillent one two with Law and then took his first real chance and struck at goal.....But the excellent Knight was equal to it and clutched it gratefully to his chest.Blyth also had a change in stiker taking Ide off and putting smyth on. But we were still on top just about. Then the scales tipped further in our balance... striker Hall ran forward and attempted to run past our CB Dougan if he beat him he'd find himself in plenty of space, possibly enough to run on and have a shot on goal. Dougan timed his tackle well and slid and poked the ball away from him. Hall fell badly and had to come off,and Blyth had used all their subs...
It took a few minute for play to resume as he got treatment and left the field. We took the throw and went straight at them, Playing the ball to Law who attempted to hold the ball in just out side the D but had his legs took from under him by Dafter. Blyth were feeling the pressure and it showed with the rash challenge. Dougan took the free kick and aimed for the far post...but it sailed over everyone and harmlessly out for a goal kick. From Knight's goal kick Laws and Dafter jumped for the ball neither got the most of it and the ball rolled to Harwood. Before he could get the ball under control and look for a pass he was yanked down by the shirt by the sub Jones. From the centre circle Dougan crossed the ball to the left flank and Lb Pike. He took the ball back inside the pitch pulling the defenders into the centre. He took a short pass to Boland. Who played a sensational first touch through ball to Toms. Who'd carried on his run into left side of the box. He ran onto the ball completely free took a tiny touch to set himself and blasted off a shot.....GOAL!!!! It left knight with no chance as the thunderbolt bulged the roof of the net. We were ahead with a man up on Blyth now. The crowd had gone mad this would be the biggest win Colne had manage in a long time!. Since reaching the semi final of the FA vase back in 2004. Blyth tried to argue that the goal was offside in the midst of our celebrations but the ref dismissed it out of hand. I was too elated to be angry at their to frank stupid claims, as i knew what this could mean for us. A big tie with a league team could be on the cards in the next draw which would help us out no end.
Blyth fought back furiously even a man down, they pumped the ball forward and bombarded us with cross's but we continued to hold out. The fouls came thick and fast and it become end to end stuff neither team were giving up. We'd earned a throw in far up in their half and we'd just gone past 90 mins... Our attack fizzled out as Garry was caught offside. I then used my last sub bringing off the excelllent Dougan to provide fresh legs in defence. Young lad Phil Stevenson a former millwall trainee who I'd not long signed on a youth contract. This was his first run out for us. His freshness I was hoping would help us see this out. With not long left Blyth launched their last attack. Hamm bombed up the left wing pike slid in and took it out for a throw in. They took a long throw in straight into the heart of the box...Garton took no chances and headed it out for a corner. Last roll of the dice Hamm whipped the corner in....Boland didn't mess about and hoofed it out of the box and for a throw in. Another long throw into the box..Harwood won the ball and cleared... but the whitle blew before Blyth could come back again. We'd done it!! I ran onto the pitch to celebrate with the lads. It was my finest moment to date as a manager we'd played a team 2 leagues above us and come out on top. Next stop the 'FA cup proper'!!!!
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