Tangerine Army Hit 5

It was back to league action this week, the visitors to the Sands Siro were Hartwell Forest Reserves who would have wanted to put right a few things from the last game that saw us run out 9-2 winners.

With the blustery conditions going against the boys in tangerine we started in quick fashion, attacking down the left-hand side through Walsh who was linking up well with Allen in the early minutes, as Allen tested the waters with the first shot of the game but his volley went high and wide.

A few minutes later and T.Littlemore had a dance in the middle of the field before playing a sweet through ball to Walsh on the left-hand side; he beat the defender for dust and crossed for Allen to put the ball into the net at the near post. 1-0

A couple of minutes later and the Sands men were on the attack again down the left, with the ball played across from Gavin to Allen who made no mistake with the volley this time and bang and the ball was gone, into the back of the net. 2-0

After an emphatic start, the team started to lose shape and rhythm and allowed Hartwell to come into the game a bit more, after a long throw by their midfielder the ref spotted something in the box and awarded Hartwell a penalty. Barker committed to his left, and despite getting an outstretched foot to the ball he couldn’t keep out the shot that was sent down the middle. 2-1

The next 10 minutes or so Hartwell put the boys under a bit of pressure but could not get past the formidable defence and their only opportunities were from set plays, which the defence and keeper were always equal to.

Soon the sands men were back on the front foot and as they had been all game they got some more joy down the left hand side, Walsh made the most of a confused Hartwell defence who hadn’t played to the whistle, he fed Harrison who took a couple of touches, made it look for all the world that he was going to miss the easiest of tap ins before expertly putting the ball in between the white sticks. 3-1

This team at the moment sure do love to score goals so it was of no surprise that from a beautiful through ball to Ellison who marauded into the box from the right-hand side, he was cynically taken out by the keeper leaving the ref with no option but to award the penalty.
Hilliker stepped up for his second penalty of the season and somehow the scuffed bobbly penalty that was destined for the top left-hand corner, end up creeping in the bottom left corner, but a goal is a goal they all count and that’s 2 goals from 2 penalties now for the defender.
That was the last action of the half, 4-1 half time

The game resumed for what would turn out to be a rather subdued half of football with little of note happening as the game was played mainly in midfield with no team really creating much.

However 5 minutes into the second half, Best was fouled whilst on the attack down the right-hand side. Allen stepped up to the plate, with his left foot, he put Mr Whippy, walnut whips and any whips featured in shades of grey series out of business as he took over the “whip” trademark as the ball ended bang in the top left-hand corner, a great hit to get the first non debatable hat-trick of the season. 5-1

And that’s where the goals stopped, in between then and the full time whistle it became a series of who could fall over the funniest, started by Best who fell whilst trying to get the ball off the keeper, then by Dent as he tried to make up for the worst shot in the history of Sunday league which ended up to be an amazing pass, he ran into the box did some kind of attempt to do a Di Canio but got tangled up in his own legs and fell on his back, swiftly followed by Heard who went in for a meaty tackle and somehow ended up doing the world’s greatest superman impression ending halfway up the grass verge on the left hand side of the pitch.

And that concludes all the action from the second half, full time 5-1
Another win and another barrel of goals with plenty in the tank for next week.