THE ‘MONDAY POST’ MATCH REPORT
Yet again the 95ers had to scrape together 11 players for kick off I which included debuts for academy product Paul Mann, Big Dan at centre back and Yinka in midfield, with Rich due to make it sometime before the second half
Early Monday pressure told as Yinka got away down the left, leaving defenders for dead with his ball across the 6 yard box bundled in for an own goal to go one up. Not long after and Charlton found himself in space 20 yards out and placed a low shot to the far corner. The ball hitting the post in super slow motion, rolling along the line, hitting the other post and stopping, somehow trickling along the goal line without without crossing it. Out of nothing Red Star equalised with Tahir powering in a header from a corner. As defender Philpott told reports after the game… “It was a brilliant leap and finish to be fair, same as a previous goal he got against us. After that I tried marking him thinking an extra metre of height would sort it and he still beat me to the next corner but missed fortunately he missed.”
After the equaliser game was even, Monday looked dangerous in possession, Red Star looked dangerous on the break.
A few mins before half time Orozco played a ball down the left channel which Drane got on the end of, he laid the ball off to Mann who saw his first attempt saved but followed up well to scuff in to see the Monday deservedly 2-1 up at half time. Half time and the talk was to keep in down and play it and not to give them easy possession. This sound advice was wholeheartedly ignored and the 95ers were sucker punched twice in the first 10 mins to find themselves 3-2 down.
The Red Star third was a cracking effort from outside the box by Si over the top of Sir and bent into the top corner.
This was followed soon after by another two very good attacks by Red Star that resulted in absolute worldy saves by Sir Lee in the 95er goal. The first tipped onto the bar and the second tipped onto the post.
With only 20 minutes to go changes were needed and Colonel was reintroduced at left back, just behind Jones who had swapped wings at half time with Yinka.
Shortly after, Charlton got the ball just inside his own half, turned and threaded a perfectly weighted pass for Drane to run onto, having the legs on the centre back the Red Star goalie had come way off his line, Drane rounded him and tapped home. 3-3.
Soon after saw some good pass and move down the left side between Colonel, Drane and Jones…after a trademark mazy run, Jones looked up and perfectly weighted a shot over the keeper into the far corner from the edge of the box. 4-3.
The Monday tails were up and Red Star starting to run out of legs. Yinka soon got on the end of good move down the right wing winning a corner. He put a good cross in…several players tried to lash it clear before Dudley calmly got hold of the ball at the near post and finished well 5-3.
With minutes left Charlton picked Drane with another through ball….after a weave into the box he laid it off to Yinka who finished well into the bottom left corner. 6-3
A very good game played in great Corinthian spirit that saw 95ers recover thanks to some superb goal keeping, inspiring substitutions, great battling performances all round and some very good attacking football.
As Philpott put it in his post match press conference… “Four goals in last 20 mins was some effort against decent opponents and a great bunch of lads. Some useful debuts too so a good days work all round.”