Vets 1 sets record straight after last week’s disappointment

TEAM:

Sejersen

4-4-2

Eriksson, Morris, Waite, Yves

Sami, Yearsley, Lewis, White

Guttierez, Bannon

SUB:

Freddie, Riley

Vets 1 sets record straight after last week’s disappointment

After last week’s poor start to the season, when we played OK but created few chances & lost 2-1, Vets 1 were particularly keen to give the home fans something to cheer about at the season’s first home game. With Captain Carl absent, it was left to Brian Lewis to mastermind the tactics – opting to put Sami Shiono at right midfield and Dean Bannon up front, and leaving the rest of last week’s line-up unchanged. A late change in referee meant that a Besace sub took the whistle, but did a very fair job in a relatively clean game.

The first half saw a slow start with Vets 1 playing the ball around nicely on the floor - Yves Pierquet and Tony White combining nicely on the left, and Simon Yearsley & Brain Lewis working together well in the middle. Besace’s most useful player was well covered by Sami, with Morris and Eriksson looked comfortable markers at the back. Although we dominated possession, we found it difficult to create many clear chances. A surging Yearsley from midfield provided a very useful target for crosses on a number of occasions, but this aerial pressure did not manage to produce any goals. Then shortly before half-time, we got the all important breakthrough. A mistake by their keeper allowed Dean to intercept a poor pass, and lob the ball comfortably over the now stranded keeper into the net. 1-0. Relief all round, because it was already clear that Besace were happy to defend in numbers.

Starting the second half already one goal up gave us a sense of confidence that was perhaps missing last week. Yearsley and Lewis continued to dominate midfield, and Sejersen continued to have a quiet afternoon. Five minutes into the second half, we got the vital second goal that more or less confirmed the 3 points. A neat pass into Mike Guttierez on the far right of the box saw him jink inside nicely and then lob the goalkeeper expertly with his allegedly weaker left foot. 2-0. This skill was particularly appreciated by those in the South Stand (Bar), who could see that the keeper was in fact less than 6 yards off his line. Buoyed by the 2-goal advantage, Vets 1 then took off the excellent Sami in right midfield – later voted Man of the Match – in order to give Yves the chance to push further forward, with Chris Riley coning in at left back Dean was also taken off to rest his hamstring, enabling Freddie Dehombreux to make his first appearance of the season. Within a few minutes, the lead had been extended further. A neat combination between White, Yearsley & Freddie allowed the latter to set the ball up nicely for Yearsley who buried the ball defiantly in the back of the net from 6 yards out. 3-0.

A few minutes later came the negative point of the game, when Guttierez clipped their left back’s heel clumsily as he came surging over half way line. The guy was totally incensed and had to be held back while the ref gave Mike yellow. In reality, Mike may have done the guy a favour because he was heading swiftly into that part of the pitch being patrolled by Johann Eriksson. Enough said.

Rather than bicker further or fall apart, Besace pressed forward in the hopes of pulling back a consolation goal. Of course, this left more open spaces, and Yearsley, Guttierez and Pierquet all had good chances to extend the lead, but failed to hit the target, and Lewis had an excellent left foot shot blocked as it was destined for the bottom corner. In the end, Besace got their consolation, when an otherwise redundant Tommy Sejersen was beaten by a shot that deflected off Waite’s last ditch block and looped up over his head from the edge of the box.

All in all, it was a comfortable win and a result which will give us confidence for the coming weeks to pick up where we left off at the end of last season. Roll on La Lorraine next week.

Ends