Match Report: Gunners FC 0 Legion Lions 7
A disappointing start to the new season for newly formed under-13 football team Gunners FC of Bloxwich with a below par performance at Leamore, based on their 6-3 friendly victory the previous week against Creswell FC.
First half
A bright start from the Gunners on a warm morning at Leamore Park on Sunday saw an early shot from Harry Fellows go over the bar. Visitors Legion Lions, from Short Heath, then turned on the pressure and forced a fine save from Dion Patterson in goal. This was quickly followed up with a goal from the Lions on 8 minutes but this was disallowed for offside.
Both sides were battling well with Leon Powell for the Gunners clearing the ball well. The deadlock was broken on 10 minutes with a mistake by the Gunners defence, letting the Lions in to make it 1-0. Dion in goal was under a fare amount of pressure making a fine save on 15 minutess which was cleared off the line by Gunners defender Joe Tennant.
Gunners were awarded a free kick just after and lost possession to the Lions who raced forward but shot wide. The Lions started to take control and broke away down the left resulting in their second goal after 18 minutes.
The Gunners’ heads started to drop and Lions scored again on 20 minutes but this again was disallowed for offside. On 22 minutes Harry Fellows fed the ball through to Gunners forward Jake Bailey whose shot whistled over the bar. Minutes later, after good work by Gunners’ Ryan Wain, Jake Bailey again shot just wide of the left post.
Both teams were now battling hard, especially in midfield with Gunners’ Jacob Kirwan and James Hale having their work cut out. But with time running out in the first half Lions broke away again resulting in their third goal on 32 minutes. Jacob Kirwan forced a fine save from the Lions’ goalkeeper just before the referee blew for half time.
Second half
More or less straight from the kick off the Lions banged their fourth goal from their first attack. The Gunners attacked from the re-start with James Hale feeding the ball through to Harry Fellows whose shot sailed over the bar on 39 minutes and the following minute shot again but wide of the post.
The Gunners started to press forward, with Ryan Wain forcing the Lions’ goalkeeper into action, pushing the ball around the post. Just after Ryan was again causing the Lions’ defenders problems and his shot was headed over the bar by the Lions’ defence.
The tables then turned and the Lions had another goal disallowed for offside, with Billy Cartwright in the Gunners’ defence holding the line well. But due to relentless pressure from the Lions they scored their fifth goal after 46 minutes from a good move down their right wing. The Lions then had another shot on 49 minutes just wide of the post and a header going over the bar on 51 minutes. Again a Lions move on their right resulted in their sixth goal after 52 minutes.
Gunners didn’t give up and their player of the day Ryan Wain forced a corner after some good work on the right. From the corner Gunners’ striker Michael Price’s shot on 55 minutes was cleared off the line. Were the gunners ever going to score? A foul on Harry Fellows resulted in another shot just going wide. Then on 58 minutes the Lions broke away and scored their seventh goal.
The Gunners tried in vain in the last 10 minutes, but could not put the ball in the net, albeit with Jake Bailey and Ryan Wain going close. Gunners defenders Leon Powell , Billy Cartwright and Joe Tennant soaked up a lot of pressure from the Lions’ forwards in the closing minutes, stopping any more goals being conceded.
Henry Jones, Jacob Kirwan, James Hale and captain Harry Fellows also battled well in midfield, and forwards Jake Bailey, Michael Price and Ryan Wain tried in vain but could not put the ball in the net.
The referee’s whistle could not come soon enough for probably the busiest man on the pitch, Gunners’ goalkeeper Dion Patterson, who produced some good saves and prevented the Lions from scoring even more.
On the whole there were a couple of good individual performances but the Lions finishing told on the day and the better team won. Next week, the Gunners are away to Wednesfield FC.
The Bloxwich Telegraph - incorporating The Bloxidge Tallygraph and Walsall North News. Founded 2006. 