Gowers 1st XI 2 Crown & Goose 0
Renton
Chittenden Ossack Glyn Stiefel
Gladstone
Durrant Lucas Duggan
Medley Kelly
Windy with sheeting rain,
KO 20 mins late and….
the ref didnt turn up – great start.
Although that didn’t stop Gowers having a good strong opening start, passing the ball round, keeping possession and generally dominating the game.
Renton excellent in his area, with good calling and sweeping up, helped the back four control any potential threat from Crown & Goose (C&G).
And throughout the first half, the Gowers midfield dominated their opposite numbers, and played the ball superbly at times, through the C&G team, switching the play cleverly.
Chances then came down the right channel with Medley, performing his most effective manoeuvre – control, turn, and take on the defender with pace – which, at our level, inevitably works a treat.
Similarly, Durrant found the by-line well on a difficult surface and Gowers were unlucky not to be ahead at the turn.
Patience, perseverance and composure have been the 1s best assets this season, and they all shone through again in the second half.
It was the interchange play of Duggan, Gladstone and Lucas that opened holes in the C&G team, and those three were integral in keeping the momentum going….
After 15 mins, Kelly upfront, who had been relatively quiet for him, latched onto a “cheeky” flick-on from Medley – and found himself one on one from an angle with the keeper, 12 yards out – and with a bullet finish inside the keepers nearpost, Gowers took that all important 1-0 lead.
Good but unfortunately, that’s when all the drama began….
65 mins gone - Durrant subsistuted for Klinger.
67 mins - Medley injures his ankle, no other sub, so he stays on but hobbling the rest of the game..
75 mins – Medley scores after reacting well to loose bobbling ball in the area. 2-0 Gower.
78 mins – Stiefel gets crunched by ball across the box, when C&G striker takes his leg without any ball…… Ouch. Stiefel cant continue and has to go off. Gowers have no other sub still.
80 mins – C&G pressure starts to pile on with Gowers basically down to 9 fit players on the pitch.
82-85 mins – Gowers defence and midfield defend superbly with some last ditch tackling and proper digging in, notably by Glyn (to the rescue).
87 mins – C&G centre-back picks fight with his own striker, after he
cusses him, and after lots of “proper”…………pushing, both players are sent off by ref (who was one of their squad).
And so it finished with 10 Gowers versus 9 C&Gs,
4 of ours injured, and all 12 completely exhausted after playing a hard match in difficult conditions.
No two ways about it. This was an excellent victory for Gowers 1st. It wasn’t always pretty, especially in the 2nd half, but yet again we out-battled and out-played our nearest rivals, and ended 2-0 victors again. 4 points clear at the top.
Man-of-the-Match = Honestly most difficult one of the season, because the
team was the one so good today.
Debut from Renton was flawless. The back four have conceded one goal in 5 matches, and all are giants, playing brilliantly as a unit. The midfield combined really excellently, with Gladstone always playing sensibly and classily, enabling Duggan and Lucas, to push on forward and do serious damage , which they certainly did.
And the two boys upfront – a permanent thorn in any defenders side.
For me, im going for
Duggan –
who was trying out a position for the first real time, and went on some silky skilful runs and opened up the left side superbly.
Again, well done to all. Every single one of you are legends and on course to take this title down baby. Loving it.
Complete weekend off next week for both 1s and 2s as teams we are due to play – had to re-arrange.
See you all Wednesday training and then Thursday, at the Cuban.
Phil Glyn
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Submarine – 1 Gower 2nd XI – 1The first league outing for the Gower 2nd XI ended in a hard earned 1-1 draw. It was always going to be a challenge, a 10am early kick off combined with playing on the large astro 3G pitches of Market road against a seasoned opponent.
Gowers lined up with Moore in as a cover-keeper, Dens-Treen-Wall-Howie across the back four, Sumner-Jon-Nick-Flesh in midfield and Toby and Luke up front. The nascent team started brightly, looking secure at the back and attacking along the flanks with both Dens and Howie overlapping with intent. Chances were few however, the best being a diving header from Toby that was narrowly over the bar. In wet and miserably conditions the battle for midfield supremacy saw much of the half being witness to a series of breakdowns and messy passing. Eventually Submarine went one up; their tall striker won a header from a corner that cannoned in off the Crossbar via Dens, who was slow in reacting.
1-0 down and an unfamiliar Gowers midfield was losing possession too easily forcing pressure on the back four. Soon after a Submarine surged into the box, cut back and hit a lopping shot that bounced back off the crossbar. That aside the defence was holding firm and Moore was forced into only one easy save for the duration of the 90.
Half-time was a chance for the team to really get together and show both determination for the team to win and clarity of vision that would get it there. We started the 2nd half without ‘the wall’, who injured his back defending the Gower goal, cue Howie moving to centre and Sam coming on at RB.
The second half saw a much improved performance from the team and I am truly proud of each and every Gower for working so hard for the 45. Suddenly we were winning every 50-50 and sweeping up any breakdowns in play. Pressure soon built on the Submarine goal, Toby had two decent dribbles through the heart of the opposition that ended in shots hit right at the keeper, yet he showed a touch and purpose to his play that will serve him well in his Gower future.
Gower corners built and Treen, the white-Desailly, came close to making it 3 in 3 with his head. He subsequently hurt his back and struggled for the remainder but never looked like letting the team down. With Howie supreme at the back alongside Sam who showed great tenacity, the defence continued to be untroubled. Fleshie swapped flanks with Sumner and suddenly came into the game, with 5 minutes remaining he cut in from the left and drove a powerful curling shot into the top right of the goal. It was, quite simply, a brilliant goal worthy of the team he follows and a deserved product of such team endeavour. Although Dens has to clear from the line in the last minute, Nick, one of the midfield engine rooms, came close to winning it.
So 1-1, and a good show of teamwork from the developing Gower 2nd XI, it is said that every great journey starts with a few small steps and some were taken in the right direction this ninety.
MoM- Howie: A tour de force of passion, organisation and strength. A credit to his team mates.
