Surface: Astro
Status: Friendly
Location:
Result:
SQUAD
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Jebu
Chris Grist
Lee
Burnsy
Duds
Symon
Bash
John2
Dave
Stuart
Lee L
Chappell
Mark
Starting Formation and Tactics
The Internet Millers were without a host of the more experienced players so a 442 formation was adopted to keep a more stable feel to the team. As it was a friendly there was no real pressure to win the match and it was a good chance for some of the youngsters and newer players to get nearly 90 minutes together in their preferred positions. Leading scorers Burns and Jebu started on the bench as other striker Symon started in the net! In defence the impressive Mark commanded the heart of the defence alongside the experience of Dave. Chappel and Duds took up full back positions. In midfield Bash partnered young Lee who got a chance to show his skills in a centre midfield role. Out wide newcomer Stuart would provide width along with John2. Up front Chris Grist got a chance to start alongside another new player in Lee L. 2 subs were to be made every 15 minutes to get everyone a good amount of time.
First Half
The Millers started slowly as the team struggled to gel together. However, Mark and Dave at the back proved strong resistance for the opening 15 minutes and on the counter Lee L almost scored but lashed his shot wide when through on the keeper. Due to the slippy sandy astro surface you needed an immaculate first touch and balance to remain in control and the game drifted slightly as both sides struggled to get to grips.
IMFC were playing mostly on the counter in the opening 30 minutes but was getting caught offside too many times a little too easily. However, it was after 15 minutes when Burns and Jebu came onto the pitch into defensive roles the tides turned… against the Millers. Both battled hard in defensive positions with some commanding headers from Burns and good tracking by Jebu but ultimately it was two forward minded players in defensive positions!
Coventry
IMFC almost hit back with a shot on the turn by Chris Grist that came off the post. A few more half chances fell for the Millers but nothing great.
2 nil down at half time and young Lee in centre midfield was struggling with a bad toe injury. His usual control and composure was on display but due to the injury lacked that movement and bite in midfield. Bash worked hard in the centre of the park but was often outnumbered first half. Stuart and Mark was 2 of the better performers of the half equipping themselves well and looking steady throughout.
Half Time:
Second Half
A host of position swaps and subs at half time saw Jebu push up into centre midfield, after 60 minutes Burnsy was to partner him in the centre of midfield with Bash pushing out wide. Young Symon got a run out up front for the whole of the second half, partnering Lee L and Chris Grist throughout the 45 minutes. Lee had to come off with injury after 60 minutes so fellow Lee (Lorenz) dropped back to cover. Defensively Duds and Mark took command in the centre.
The second half was very much more the Internet Millers. Jebu and subsequently Burnsy started to get to grips with the centre of the park, getting a foot on the ball and spreading passes wide and into the forward. Defensively, Duds and Mark remained strong while Dave went in the net and did a great job.
SBA FC caught the internet millers once or twice on the break but nothing too threatening with Mark in particular playing well and clearing any danger. Lee L who dropped into full back was covering well anything loose that got in behind.
The problem was that the Millers couldn’t get the ball in the net. However, regardless of the score it was important that we kept to our ideals in this game and personally I believe Symon and Chris will have got a lot more out of this game then they thought. A number of well placed through balls saw the two young lads just miss getting onto the end of or getting called offside. However, its only experience that improves the timing of these runs and you could see an improvement as the game wore on. To be fair Richie Barker still hasn’t learned this yet and hes a professional footballer. It was a similar story throughout the whole of the second half as the Millers kept on knocking at the door but not getting a breakthrough.
The second half was epitomised in the final minute as the best chance fell to bursting centre back Duds one on one with the keeper, he blazed high and wide to the amusement of fellow IMFC players… back in defence Dudley…
Full Time:
Post Match Comments
So the winning streak comes to an end, just coming up short of 10 straight wins. To be honest this is no bad thing and given it was a friendly absolutely nothing has been lost. In fact quite the opposite, I believe a lot has be learnt from this game both for the team and individual players. We all knew going down to
However, the 11 that did turn up got a chance to enjoy a game of football. For example, Chappell who struggles to get any time in the side at all nowadays played a good 75 minutes and whereas he was absolutely shattered when he came off it was great to see him enjoying his football playing in a shirt he loves so much.
There was also the young lads up front who sometimes get limited time on the front line with both myself and Burnsy taking the no 9 and 10 shirts. I think they will be the first to admit that it’s a lot harder to be expected to get goals to change games, as opposed to coming on when the team are 3 or 4 up and brimming with confidence. I thought their timing was a little out on their runs from some good through balls leading to them being offside or no chance of getting in front of the defender. However, you could see these aspects of their game improving as the game wore on, learning where to be, how to lose a marker but still keep onside. Above all they gave 100% up there and at such a young age the aggression and timing will definitely come. It would have been easy to stick Burnsy or myself up front but I believe we did the right thing in letting the young lads try figure out a way past the defence. After all, it mattered not if we lost in a friendly.
At the back I have to give full credit to Mark. Hes joined up with us since comfort day but suffered a nasty injury. However, in the past games hes been solid as a rock having missed just a single game. I don’t think I can turn back the clock to my RB days of old but I enjoyed the 30 min run out there and Burnsy enjoyed it at centre back for a while. Granted we added more attacking power than defensive stability but we gave it our best shot! I felt much more comfortable in centre midfield albeit the amount of running needed is immense. Having played there for 5 years at school my old range of passes and forward bursts was still in the locker but the engine that people such as Gaz, Steve R and particularly Dan possess to get box to box went when I moved up front.
I also thought Stuart had a good game out on the wing in just his second game for us but overall I think Mark was man of the match for his defensive stability, particularly in the second half, which he brought to the team.
We have Millwall up next on Saturday 25th September down at Herringthorpe Stadium.. It will be a very different looking lineup with a lot of the experienced players up for selection. We are expecting a very large squad turnout so there should be plenty of support for the team in what is sure to be our toughest test by far in the league this season.
Jebu out….