As our match reporter was elsewhere on the day we publish the report written by D.Watts on the Maltby Main FC website.
Another excellent run out and game for thirteen lads. All contributed to a good game. Goals from Clark Greaves and Robbie Foster who now has three in three from pre season gave us a two nil win.
Possession and chances wise Main had the most against our neighbours, but neither really created lots. It was a game really to kick off a Swallownest charity and Remembrance Day for Chris Lill and that went very well, so the day for everyone was a success.
We had a great minutes applause for Chris to start with. When the game got going it was a bit of a slow burner regarding good chances. However Main had some good possession in the right with Morton Foster and Fairhurst combining well a few times. The first shot on target came from Fairhurst and would have required saving as it was going to curl inside the post, but it hit Connor Cutts and ended a goal kick.
Pollard claimed an Evison free kick cross from the hosts, Rigby curled another over for us and successive Miner’s corners came to nothing.
The next shot on target was again us, this time a low hard hit driven free kick from thirty odd yards out but straight at the ‘keeper. Well struck though.
At HT it’s 0-0 and the game is there to be won for Main you felt. We’d had the lions share of possession and chances and had pounced on any of Swall’s errors and got the ball back. Swallownest has looked lively more down the centre with some tricky quick passing to get through but we broke it down.
We made two changes. Algar and Greaves on. It has to be said they changed it up a bit. After Radford had headed a free kick over; Greaves scored.
We halted a Swall attack, Cutts had the ball in the left back position. He looked up and played a very accurate 50 yard cross field pass to Clark wide right whose touch was as good. He was thirty odd yards out and off he went. Pace beat his man, he cut inside from the bi-line into the box; reluctant to tackle to avoid a foul he had chance to drill it hard and low under the keeper and home. 0-1.
Nine minutes later it was two. Robbie Foster had scored two in two and he made it three in three for pre-season. He has Clark to thank for his goal, he’d chased a ball down that looked to be going out for a goal kick. This put players out of position and Clark found Robbie with a cross to the edge of the six yard box to simply head home unopposed.
A comfortable lead now made way for various on off subs to be made to try out different things and give Will Eades a break who had an injury to his foot. We had a goal disallowed for offside, Swall put Alex Lill through but Jim Pollard got there first.
Our hosts will be disappointed they didn’t make it 2-1, as right on full time they found themselves on the edge of the box. It ran free for the forward to side foot place a shot inside the post but he put it just wide. From the goal kick the whistle went.
So we’d won our third game of the pre season and claimed a clean sheet, but one niggly injury to Will. Plus if you like, a trophy for the cabinet (we need a cabinet now).
Swallownest players got their first ninety in and will be better for it too. I don’t think they had any injuries to worry about. So they’ll be happy I guess.
Plus, the Swallownest FC as a whole and the Lill family had arranged a day to remember their son, brother and friend Chris Lill. They certainty got that right too and it was a success.
Therefore today has to go down as a win, win , win for all involved.
Man of the match Clark Greaves