Cleeve Town 4 Vs Wrington Res 3
Everyone’s favourite second team in 1995 was Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle who played some lovely football with the philosophy of ‘we will score more than you will’. However, their title challenge hit the rocks when they lost 4 – 3 at Anfield having led throughout the game. If you include the A teams result last week, that is three weeks running we have lost 4 – 3 having led with less than 15 minutes remaining. This leaves any chance of challenging at the top of the league hanging in the balance and coach Phil Williams shaking his head.
Having won against the same opponents at home last week, the visitors started brightly and with Louis Rouvais (Pictured) running the show from just behind the strikers they dominated even though playing up the slope. A typically battling run and challenge by Adam Caufield in center midfield won an attacking free kick. Joe Moore delivered a perfect near post cross with plenty of pace which Louvais planted into the net. Wrington grew in confidence and played some good football but this was not the same Cleeve Town as last week. Bolstered by Clayton Mat, Aaron Horner and Joel Bayliss, the home team contained plenty of individual talent which occasionally threatened. The busy Bayliss, playing up front on his own, turned his man and fed Mat who ran through to level the scores.
Wrington responded with more good football and Captain ‘Dutch’ Holland led the way with a strong run. Interchanging passes with Thomas and Faulkner before beating the keeper at the near post with a powerful strike. There is no doubt it was a good goal, but when your central defender talks about ‘doing the keeper with his eyes’ it is ‘gilding the Lily ‘ a little bit.
Wrington deserved their lead but yet again, leading into half time, they let it slip as danger man Mat was given acres of space on the right to run through unopposed. His cool finish undoing all the hard work of the first 45 minutes.
However, now playing with the elements, there was little doubt that Wrington would come again. Nick Curtis (playing like Philippe Albert in defence) exchanged passes with Callum Briggs whose long ball was expertly controlled on his chest by Joe Moore. His slide rule pass allowed Paul Faulkner to race clear. With shouts of ‘SHOOT’ ringing out he unselfishly squared the ball to give Tommy Johnson a simple tap in. With Wrington looking to protect their lead and beginning to tire, the game became untidy with lots of aimless high balls as Cleeve struggled to make headway up the hill. Micky Edmunds replaced the influencial Louvais and showed a few flashes of class but Wrington could not kill off the game and started to sit back. Wrington had a scare when James Williams in goal saved low down to his left against the post from a rare attack but the points looked safe. That was until a long hopeful free kick saw that man Mat rise above everyone else to head in his hat trick, and then from no where, a long range strike for his fourth to totally turn the game around and break Wringtons’ hearts with only minutes left.
It is easy to say that the visitors lost to a fine four goal individual performance from Christian Mat, but in truth as in previous weeks, having done so much hard work they should never have surrendered a game they should have won. It is also 36 goals conceded in 11 games!
Kyle, TJ and Louis might have to play like Ginola, Beardsley and Ferdinand for Wrington to mount a challenge from here……………but ‘I WOULD LOVE IT’ to be proved wrong.