The Days Between
So it is on 11 October 2017 that it is time to start working on my U18. I already had a U18 manager and noticed that the board will now allow me to have a U18 AssMan, U18 Coach, and U18 Physio. I put out adverts and wait for the applications to roll in.
FA Trophy Draw Day! And in the Fourth Round we face…Aldershot at their place on 7 November. They are in Conference National so I think it’s safe to say we will not advance to the Fifth Round. But first up is Rochester United!
Southern Counties East
vs. Rochester United, 14 October 2017
Formation: 4-4-2 Standard (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, MR, MC r, MC l, ML, ST r, ST l)
Starting XI: Legg,
Johnstone, Day, Carroll,
Jefcoate,
Pearson,
Barlow,
Smith, Duckett,
Macey,
O'Donnell
Subs: Webb,
Maguire, Clark, Spearing,
Parker,
Jones,
Cullen,
McAdam, Martin,
Taylor,
Rae
HOLY COW! Off some beautiful passing Macey scores 14 seconds in!!! It took five passes to get it to him and the goalie was caught flat-footed. Wonderful stuff! His second one comes just before 5’, this time courtesy of Duckett. Five minutes later we’re up 3 off a corner, Smith launched it from just inside the 18-yard box and it hit the crossbar, went straight down and then back up and then fully into the goal box. In the 28’ Rochester are patiently looking for a hole in our defense when Smith intercepts a pass, hoofs it forward to O’Donnell on the right who crosses it perfect for Macey to get his hat trick. Game over, man! /PFC Hudson
Macey got a yellow just before half so with that and his three-fer I pull him at 50’ along with Jefcoate who got his yellow less than a minute into the second half. Aside from Rochester embarrassing Legg nothing much happens. Why oh why is my defense a mess?! He’ll never get a clean-sheet at this rate! Well, at 85’ something does happen, Taylor gets a score. Off a long pass. Nobody has permission to pass long. FM…shake my dumb head. And it happens again (long pass) 5 minutes later but this time the scorer is Rae.
POM: Eddie Macey (3 goals, 2 key passes, 1 chance created)
The Week Between
Finally! Our first week with just one game! The players are resting nicely despite me putting the training at Fitness with High intensity.
Southern Counties East
vs. Cray Valley, 21 October 2017
Formation: 4-4-2 Standard
Starting XI: Legg, Maguire, Day, Carroll,
Jefcoate, Pearson, Barlow,
Smith,
Duckett,
Macey, O'Donnell
Subs: Webb, Johnstone, Clark, Spearing,
Parker, Jones, Thompson,
McAdam,
Martin,
Taylor, Rae
Ohh fiddle sticks! Not even five minutes in and Smith needs to be pulled as he has a serious foot injury. Cray are playing a really narrow formation so after 10 minutes of nothing happening I tell the lads to Exploit the Flanks and kick Early Crosses. Ten minutes later it pays off with Pearson launching from deep and Macey getting on the end of it for a tight-angled goal off the keep’s hands. Not 4 minutes later Macey gets goal number two, this time on an early cross by Jefcoate. And at 40’ Macey gets the hat trick with a low pass from Duckett.
Our fourth goal comes at 52’ from a fluke play by Duckett. He’s about two-thirds the way into Cray Valley territory up against the left side and just launches the ball towards the goal and it goes in. I think it was a deliberate shot as there was no one near the goal to receive a cross. Our final goal comes when I have us set to Defensive but Maguire can’t help himself, sending a long lob forward to Taylor. At least we got a clean sheet for Chicken Leg!
POM: Eddie Macey (3 goals)
The butcher’s bill comes in. Smith will be out 12-14 days with pulled ankle ligaments. Fudge. He should be back in time for the Aldershot match.