Match Report: Bad day at the office for The Mikes
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The Mikes 0-3 Kirby Muxloe |
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Saturday 27th August 2011 |
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Baker Joiner Midland Football Alliance |
The Mikes endured an utterly forgettable afternoon at The Trevor Brown Memorial Ground as they turned in their worst performance in a long time and were comprehensively beaten by visitors Kirby Muxloe.
The Mikes did start brightly and Joe Smith played in Stuart Capaldi but the striker couldn't take the ball in his stride and the chance was snuffed out. Lyndon Weller then played in Simeon Tulloch down the right and his dangerous cross was headed over his own bar by Mathie. Tulloch's flag kick was flapped at by keeper Holyoak but skipper Neil Watkins could only direct his attempted lob wide.
On the quarter hour, the visitors' Lewis Gibbons burst into the inside right channel, but his right footed drive flew over Chris Gibson's bar.
Holyoak was looking shaky in the visitors goal and he dallied with the ball at his feet outside the box. Capaldi closed the stopper down and he could only scuff the ball forward. Tom law sent the ball back towards the empty net from 35 yards, but the ball flew a foot over the bar.
The Mikes went behind on 25 minutes. Tulloch played the ball back to Gibson, but the Mikes keeper's kick flew straight to Hill. The midfielder's first time pass released Verrall on goal and he made no mistake as he coolly dinked the ball over Gibson as he spread himself.
The goalscorer then proved his worth at the other end, with an excellent clearing header ahead of Watkins from Harry Donaghey's teasing free kick after Tulloch had been felled.
The Mikes worked the ball into the inside right channel and Capaldi got there ahead of keeper Holyoak, but his touch took him wide. He set the ball for Kirk Smith, but his attempted chip towards Tom Law was blocked for a corner.
The resultant kick was cleared and Donaghey was penalised on the Kirby Muxloe right. A testing free kick was cleared by Gibson as he took ball and his own colleague Joe Smith, conceding a corner in the process. Watkins was then penalised for handball midway in The Mikes' half. The ball was floated into the box, where Barratt looped a header goalwards. Gibson was equal to it however, tipping the ball over.
Darby had a chance from the corner but couldn't get a clean contact on his header, but the ball wasn't cleared and Barratt then headed wide.
The Mikes had an opportunity when Weller's chip was flicked on by Joe Smith. Capaldi cleverly headed the ball past Mathie, but slipped on the greasy surface at the vital moment as he looked to advance towards goal. Back at the other end, Plummer raided down the left and sent over a very dangerous cross that Watkins did well to head behind for a corner. Verrall met the flag kick firmly, but Gibson reacted smartly to beat the striker's header away.
The visitors then had a golden opportunity to extend their lead two minutes before the break. As the ball was played into the box, a visiting striker completely missed a flick on and the ball bounced off Ben Usher's arm. Although The Mikes defender was at point blank range, the referee decided it was deliberate and pointed to the spot.
Verrall's composure from the spot didn't match his earlier strike, and Gibson dived to his left to save comfortably. Watkins then lined up a free kick some 30 yards from goal right on half time, but his effort flew well over.
Half Time: The Mikes 0-1 Kirby Muxloe
The second period started as a midfield battle and it took 10 minutes for a meaningful effort. Team mates Darby and Hill clattered each other as they slid in on Donaghey, with the ball running to Kirk Smith. His effort from the edge of the box was deflected behind for a corner. Tulloch's flag kick bounced off the outside of the post, with the officials somewhat debatably ruling that the sprawling Holyoak had got a touch.
Darby then benefitted from a fortunate rebound, but Gibson saved his low effort comfortably.
It looked like game over on the hour as the visitors added a second. Usher may have been fouled as he looked to shepherd the ball behind, but Verrall wasn't waiting around and squared the ball for strike partner Gibbons to stroke home.
It was looking like one of those days for the The Mikes as the visitors seemed to be enjoying the break of the ball, summed up when Barratt tried to play a ball in behind the home defence, but the ball bounced off another team mate and fell for Barratt to send in a 25 yard volley which Gibson got down sharply to his right to save.
Andy Lewis then released Joe Smith into the inside right channel. He advanced into the box but his right footed effort was straight at Holyoak. Donaghey then received a short corner from Tulloch, but the full back's shot was deflected wide by the visitors massed ranks.
It definitely was game over with a quarter of an hour to go as The Mikes were caught pushing bodies forward in an effort to get back into the game. The impressive Verrall found himself one-on-one with Gibson in the inside right channel and he proved that his earlier penalty howler was merely a blip as he clinically stroked the ball just inside the far post.
The visitors were understandably happy to bring men behind the ball to defend their lead to ensure there was no way back for The Mikes. Kirk Smith headed wide from a Tulloch free kick and substitute Jozsef Jakab hit the wall with a stoppage time free kick, but The Mikes failed to seriously threaten all afternoon as they were comprehensively beaten. The visitors fully deserved maximum points for a professional away performance characterised by no-nonsense defending and incisive movement and forward play.
Full Time: The Mikes 0-3 Kirby Muxloe
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THE MIKES | ||||||
Chris Gibson, Lyndon Weller, Harry Donaghey, Ben Usher, Neil Watkins (c), Andy Lewis, Simeon Tulloch, Joe Smith, Tom Law, Stuart Capaldi, Kirk Smith. Subs: Matt Hawker (Lewis), Jozsef Jakab (Law), Jay Petty (Capaldi), Tom Stevenson, Sam Pekun. |
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KIRBY MUXLOE | ||||||
Holyoak, Goodman, B Law, Gibbons, Mathie, Hohn, Barratt, Hill, Verrall, Darby, Plummer. Subs: Stratham, Cooper, Pacey, Wilson |
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