Diggle FC
Results for Saturday 22nd Oct 2011
First Team lose 4-1 at Netherton
Reserve Team run out 6-2 winners at home to Shelley Reserves
‘A’ Team lose 4-1 away at Uppermill ‘A’
Brittania Sports 2 v Diggle FC 2 8/10/11
Another week, another game, players missing again, injuries, suspensions & retirements this week. Diggle made the scenic trip to Britannia Sports again in good time and even without the absent players, still with a capable team.
Unfortunately too many Diggle players turned up with the attitude it was going to be an easy game, and this was evident with the way the team started the game in the opening stages. With too many Diggle players looking dis-interested and as if they’d rather be somewhere else, the home side had been reading a different script and started the game very brightly and looked to go forward from midfield with alarming frequency, and dangerous with it. Britannia made a substitution due to an injury sustained to their striker within the first 10mins and from that moment the replacement looked like a man on a mission and with something to prove, and certainly took his chances, first prodding home when a wicked deflection fell into his path before doubling his tally when allowed to ghost in and convert an easy centre unchallenged. This was a definite slap in the face for Diggle and it wasn’t until this point that they suddenly woke up and knew it was, game on.
Diggle finally got going into the latter stages of the 1st half, but were unable to claw back the deficit before half time!
Half-time 2-0!
The Managers words at half time, started with an apology! An apology to the players who he’d selected but hadn’t actually turned up yet! The rest of the conversation was frank but positive and quite reserved bearing in mind the lacklustre performance he’d just witnessed. General play had to be improved and all 11 personal battles needed to be matched, if not won, if we were going to claw anything back from the game!
The transformation in belief was almost instant as a totally different Diggle played the 2nd period, forcing the home side back from the start & battling for every ball!
Tactical change brought on Ste Scoltock for Paul Wood early in the second half, injecting more pace into Diggle’s attacking width. On 60 minutes Dig striker Matt Taylor was tripped in the box after a good run, PENALTY! Ash Simpson grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot ready to bury the memory of his penalty mis-demeanor last time out. This time he made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way. Diggle’s tail was now up and it was they who looked dangerous when they went forward. A great run by Scoltock just lacked the finish it deserved as he took one touch to many in the box, and it was Scoltock again who had a flick on turned around the post by the home keeper. With 10 minutes remaining Diggle drew level when acting wing back Paul Swallow went un-noticed in the opponent’s area before nodding in a cross into the corner of the goal. (Swallow scores an incredible amount of goals with his head, for a slight fella. Lessons to be learnt by you taller guys)
It was going to be a frantic final 10 minutes, with both teams giving it everything they had, with Diggle nearly nicking it in the 88th minute when a loose ball on the edge of the box fell to Simpson who’s curling shot looked in all the way, before the home keeper frantically scrambled across his line before finger tipping the ball out for a corner.
Full-time 2-2.
Team:
J Pooley ,P Swallow, M Lees, N Boote, D Cheetham, D Tomlinson, J Macfarlane, P Wood, P Jones, A Simpson, M Taylor, subs. S Scoltock , R Devy,
Goals;
A Simpson – 60 mins
P Swallow – 80 mins
For further information about Diggle Football Club click here.
