EAST PECKHAM JUNIORS

20th September 2008 - East Peckham Juniors 0 - 2 Roselands

Starting Lineup

				Nichols
	Tom Revell		Meager		Ryder		Tony Revell
	Hayes		Lardner		Jennings		Willett
			Jagelman		Howell

Substitutes Used

Sam Miller > Dave Meager, Ollie Scott > Brett Howell, Liam Payne > Jordan Willett

Report

Having not lost a league game throughout last season, Juniors poor start to the new campaign continued with their second successive defeat.

The game started quietly with the two teams evenly matched until the 10th minute when the away side took the lead through bad luck on Juniors part.  As the Roselands corner was half cleared, the midfielder chipped the ball back into the box, Nichols called and came to claim and although Tony Revell attempted to duck out of the way, the ball still clipped his head taking it away from the keeper and dropping right at the striker’s feet, leaving him with an open goal from 5 yards out.

The goal was a sucker punch to Juniors and heads began to drop.  Within 5 minutes Juniors had been forced into a change in central defence due to injury and  Roseland’s doubled their lead.  A long through ball lead to a race between the attacker, the defender and the keeper, with the striker just reaching the ball first (having appeared offside) and finding the far corner.  The goal was flagged offside but the referee’s decision was to allow the goal anyway.

The second goal seemed to spark Roselands into life and they came with attack after attack, with Tony Revell making a goal line clearance straight from a corner.

Juniors attacks in the first half were sporadic, and the only real chance of note fell to Howell but his header failed to cut the deficit.

As the teams went in at half time, last year’s Div 2 Champions were looking despondent, and manager Meager had a lot of motivating to do.  Ollie Scott came on in midfield for a much needed energy boost, replacing Howell with Jennings moving up top to partner Jagelman.

The words at half time had clearly got to the Juniors players as the second half started with the home side much the brighter.  They almost managed to pull one back early in the half and Jagelman headed on a Jennings corner, the keeper made the initial save, and the ball fell to Hayes but he was unable to apply the finish.

Juniors were having more and more possession and mounting attacks through the wings, but the home side were unable to convert the crosses.

It looked for all the world as if Juniors were back in the game as Ollie Scott broke from midfield before releasing his shot, unfortunately it was straight at the keeper but Juniors were pressing.

As Juniors attacked it left gaps at the back, from one break Roselands earnt a corner and a goalmouth scramble ensued before the home keeper fell onto the ball.

Juniors kept pushing on but they were unable to find the net, and had to be weary of the Roselands wingers on the break.  With only minutes to goal, the right winger broke away, danced around a couple of players before pulling the ball back, the left winger came into the box but his first shot was blocked, the rebound fell to the same man around 8 yards from goal but Nichols managed to get his shot up and over the bar.

The game petered out to another defeat for Juniors who looked destined not to score.

With the home side sitting in position that they are unaccustomed to at the bottom of the table, the performance in this week’s match against The Hilberts becomes even more important. EPFC!