Saturday 3rd September 2016

Wrington Rec

Wrington Reserves 3 v Locking Park 0

With all the effort from The Chairman and Committee to put on the Vice Presidents’ Day, the team were determined to put on a show and a whole hearted display from the team was rewarded with the first win of the season.

In only their second game of the season, Phil William’s team showed signs of settling into the new system and even more encouraging, they had learnt from the first game. Locking Park visited The Rec having started the season well but right from the start the home team dominated. With the combative midfield pressing and hounding the visitors into mistakes and Paul Faulkner settling brilliantly into the back three, Wrington used their possession to play football from the back. With James Williams looking very comfortable in goal, Chris Holland and EVEN Nic Curtis showed great confidence and were happy to play to feet and build attacks. With Louis Louvais and Tommy Johnson also working hard up front, chances soon developed. With Tommy Johnson pressurising the Locking defence, a panicky clearance fell to Louvais whose first time shot on the half turn lobbed the keeper and nestled expertly into the empty net. With Locking unable to respond, their frustration began to grow and a free kick resulted in Wringtons’ second goal. Man of The Match Joe Moore typified his quality with a pin point cross onto the head of Paul Burnett who did the rest with a precise header. Even when two up, the home side were still winning the 50/50 challenges and a typically biting challenge from Matt Lenny released Tommy Johnson whose finish was even better with an early curling shot which gave the goal keeper no chance. The half time whistle could not come soon enough for the visitors.

After the almost perfect first 45 minutes, with the rain now falling incessantly and playing up the slope, the second half was bound to be more even. With the emphasis on defending the lead, Wrington sat a little deeper and Locking grew into the game. Even with all Tom Lucas’s energy up and down the left flank, the midfield couldn’t get in support of the front men and all too often any relieving ball came straight back again. Although it never looked like the result was in any doubt, it took two world class saves from Williams, a block from Curtis, the bar and the cross bar to keep the clean sheet intact. Jonny Marsh, James Marshall and Danny McMullen provided fresh legs to see out the game. Although pleasing to see such a disciplined second half display, on another day letting the opposition back into the game may prove costly. There is obviously still plenty of improvement to come from this team. For example, giving a few silly free kicks away on the edge of the area only to see the already diminutive wall of Mike Clements duck out of the way of the resulting shot, didn’t really typify the rest of the game. Neither did Nick Curtis’s new found confidence when taking a free kick only to tamely present it to the oppositions centre forward which resulted in an uncharacteristic ‘volley’ from Captain Holland.

Another gritty performance will be needed next week away to Nailsea A whilst Wrington A have their first game of the year at The Rec against Selkirk United

Team: James Williams, Chris Holland (Capt), Nick Curtis, Dave Faulkner, Joe Moore, Mike Clements, Paul Burnett, Matt Lenny, Tom Lucas, Louis Louvais, Tom Johnson. – James Marshall, Jon Marsh, Dan McMullen