Another thoroughly deserved win

Team Sheet : Coby, EthanR, EthanT, Isaac, Jasper, Lewis, Oliver, Rui, Stanley, Thomas

After a strong performance last week, could a still under-strength Iguanas build some momentum?

Mason, Travis, Sam and James were all side-lined today, though it was good to see Mason on the mend and supporting the team (and Travis not near any plant pots this morning!).

With just ten players available, the manager had just a single sub’ to work with, so some re-jigging of the formation was required, along with a lot of mention during the team talk of the boys needing to dig deep. And so it would prove.

Oliver, Rui, Isaac, Coby, EthanR, Jasper, Lewis, EthanT and Thomas opened proceedings. The Lions started with a bit of intent from the kick off, but the Iguanas handled it well and gained the upper hand for what would prove to be the majority of the first half.

An early Iguanas corner was delivered well by Rui, but unfortunately nobody could meet the dangerous ball. Jasper and EthanT showed early attacking intent, forcing another corner, which Lewis met in the middle this time, forcing a save from the Lions’ keeper.

As the Lions tried to clear their lines, Rui was showing calmness and strength in the centre of defence, collecting the ball and feeding it neatly with some quality passing. Thomas and EthanR then picking up on the through balls to apply pressure.

The Lions did manage a few breaks, but an Iguanas’ player was on hand at all times to shepherd them out play.

After one such break, Oliver took a very quick goal kick, a few of us on the side-lines urging him to take his time, but he’d obviously seen something we had not. The hastily hit goal kick found its way into the Lions’ half, Thomas picking up its travel nicely. A quick 1-2 with EthanT then saw Thomas run in cleanly on goal. Steady as you like, Thomas put the ball past the Lions’ keeper’s right-side to open the scoring.

Trying to create a break of their own, the Lions pushed well from the restart, but Coby and Rui were on hand to kill the danger. What started as a Lions attack was then quickly converted into more pressure on their half, EthanT and Thomas linking well, but not converting this time.

A better break from their opponents meant Oliver was called upon to make a solid save from close range, having to recover quickly to get the ball safely in hand. Trying to play out from the back, Rui was given no room to play by quickly advancing Lions’ attackers, so calmly (a word used a lot in my notes from the first half) played the ball back to Oliver. Oliver remembered that the back-pass rule now counts this season, and delivered a nice ball up field.

EthanT again picked up on this move, this time linking with Jasper. The speed of the Iguanas’ moves was starting to frustrate the Lions, and Jasper was brought down for a free kick in a dangerous position. Rui teed up the kick and fired it perfectly into the top right of the goal, only for the referee to make him take the kick again as he hadn’t blown his whistle. This gave the Lions additional time to set themselves, and the keeper tipped the next effort out for a corner this time.

The Iguanas continued to apply pressure in a very commanding spell. Thomas and EthanT were proving especially problematic for the Lions, creating decent breaks from the middle of the pitch, and forcing the Lions into some frantic clearances.

Whenever the Lions did manage a break, Isaac was showing a lot of strength and awareness to both make decent tackles, and then control passes out of the Iguanas’ half to start more pressure. EthanR was also always on hand to help out with both defensive and attacking duties.
Stanley came on for Jasper.

Stanley was quick into the action, picking up on a ball from the Iguanas’ half, and feeding Lewis through on goal, however a Lions’ defender again managed to get the ball out of play. Stanley took the throw in, and Lewis controlled a bouncing ball well, his shot going just over the bar.

Then a setback. A Lions’ break was ushered out for a corner. The corner was floated in well, but as can sometimes happen, a stray Iguanas’ hand saw the whistle go for a penalty. Oliver dived the right way, but the kick was well-struck and, totally against the run of play for the half, the scores were levelled.

The Iguanas didn’t let this get their spirits down. They pressed again from the kick off, but the Lions were showing a little more confidence in attack now, though still not managing to break the line, Rui performing a cracking defensive header. Another Lions’ break was ushered out for a goal kick. Oliver fed the ball wide to EthanR, who released EthanT into the Lions’ half. He dribbled the ball brilliantly past a few players, round the keeper and had just enough space to put the ball into the top right of the goal.

From the kick off, the Lions pressed hard and in numbers. They were a little too quick in this move, and managed to see the ball past the Iguanas’ defensive line. The initial shot from the right was saved by Oliver but he couldn’t fully smother the ball, it deflecting past him and into the path of another Lions’ forward. It looked like there could have been a case for offside, but with the speed of the play it was difficult to say for sure, so the goal stood.

This would now be a test for the Iguanas. They had dominated the half until now, and yet the scores were level. They could have been frustrated at this, but didn’t show it. Thomas pushed up the pitch, forcing a corner which eventually went dead. A strong goal kick from the Lions saw the ball move rapidly towards the Iguanas’ half, but Oliver met the ball and the onrushing attacker nicely to stop the move.

A bit of a midfield battle followed with both teams struggling to hold the ball and create a solid attack, until EthanT intercepted a Lions’ pass, and again used fantastic footwork and speed to beat a couple of defenders and the keeper, and to take the lead once more.

The Lions could do no more this half. The half-time whistle blew just as Oliver collected an errant ball.

A dominant half for the Iguanas, but tough as the score-line was no reflection of the strength and quality of their play. What would the second half bring.

Half time.

Oliver, Rui, Isaac, Stanley, EthanR, Jasper, Lewis, EthanT and Thomas started this half.

Again, the Lions were quick onto the attack from the whistle, forcing an early but harmless save from Oliver. And in this half, we would see the frustrations from the Lions build, with the first of a number of free kicks being awarded to Rui. Followed by a couple of further awards in the Lions’ half from fast breaks by Thomas and EthanT. The boys should take it as a compliment that the only approach that worked in slowing them down were fouls, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

Whilst the Iguanas were strong once more, they weren’t having proceedings all their own way. A solid Lions’ attack saw the ball crossed in from the right, and the ball put home by an attacker on the far side of the goal. However, it would now be the turn of the Lions to have a goal ruled out, this time for offside.

The game was much more even during this spell of the game, with neither side able to especially control the game for a good ten minutes.

Coby came back into the mix for Stanley.

He and Isaac then demonstrated the same strength and speed in ensuring Lions’ attacks rarely came to anything that they had shown in the first half. On the one occasion that the Lions did break through, the Iguanas’ recovering defenders forced an early shot from outside the box which Oliver saved neatly.

The lack of substitutes for the Iguanas was now starting to show itself a little. The team were digging deep, but attacking runs weren’t quite coming off and placing the same sort of pressure on the Lions as we had seen in the first half. As an example, EthanT ran through the centre of the field, but this time the Lions’ keeper just managed to make the ball before a final kick could see it home.

Another Iguanas’ free kick from just outside the box – we had more free kicks in this one game than we had all last season! – was taken sweetly by EthanR. The shot was stopped, but in another sign that fatigue was kicking in, no Iguanas’ player was alert to the rebound, which allowed the Lions to clear the ball, and the danger.

One of the pieces of advice from the manager was now sinking firmly in, however. If the Iguanas were feeling like they’d be unable to cover their own defensive line, they had been told to hold off pressing too deep. Coby, Isaac and Rui were all heeding this advice, which meant that whilst attacks weren’t happening as frequently as in the first half, the team were in little danger of losing their lead.

Thomas had a couple of promising moves thwarted by the Lions’ keeper. And then some brilliant inter-play between Thomas and EthanT saw the two attackers in on goal. Thomas looked to square up for a shot as the Lions’ defenders bore down on him, but he calmly and selflessly squared the ball across to EthanT who pushed it past the keeper for his hattrick.

This spurred the Iguanas on, and the teamwork that is a hallmark of this team, ensured the Lions didn’t really trouble the Iguanas’ goal again in the game.

Lewis battled for the ball, and made a couple of breaks up the left wing. The Lions got back into their box to match the Iguanas’ numbers, but the crossed balls were very dangerous. Jasper just had one touch go wide, and Thomas was close to converting a couple. Coby, Rui and Isaac continued a brilliant, high defensive line, making sure their goal wasn’t threatened. EthanR supporting everywhere on the pitch once more, to help release the ball and put the Lions on the back foot.

A final foray into the Lions area saw the Iguanas very nearly score a fifth, but tired legs and minds kept the score as it was, and a well-earned win was in the bag.

This was another very strong performance by the team. The first half was excellent, even if it didn’t yield the score-line it fully deserved (both goals against them were mishaps that the team should, and did, forget about).

The second half was tougher, with our lack of bench strength showing. That said, even during the second half, there was perhaps only 10-15mins where the Iguanas didn’t look especially in control. But they dug deep, and worked well together as a unit to avoid any further goals being conceded.

It shows that the team have a solid squad and can cope with a bit of adversity. We all now just want to see what they can do when at full strength!

Iguana of the Match : EthanT – hattrick hero. And not only did his goals change the game, so did his battling for the ball throughout the full 90 minutes.