CRICKETERS V BIG CITY TYRES

Well...a new look site and I have to start with disappointing news!

Big City Tyres are the big cheese in this league - having played 6 and won 6. But we are up in the running to, so this all looked to be a good game in the making.

Gaz Willows opened the scoring after hooking on to a measured pass from Turbo, but it wasn't long before B.C.T equalised.

B.C.T grabbed two more before the half time whistle

Half-time  1 - 3

The second half was all about B.C.T! They are a young, fit team that didn't tire! They put two more passed us in quick succession. With our heads down they took advantage and spent most the half camped in our box.

John Maw then slotted away an own goal (which was probably going in anyway!) and they just bombarded us constantly. They scored two more before the final whistle blew.

Some fine saves - yet again - by Dom and some brave tackling by some of the lads couldn't stop this side.

Final score  1 - 8

SOUTHBANK V CRICKETERS

Chris Neale had a shot saved in the second minute of the game and it wasn't until 12 minutes later when Gaz Willows opened the scoring by slotting one passed the Southbank keeper.

Gaz scored again 5 minutes later by beating the off-side trap and catching the Southbank defence napping.

Gaz scored a third from the penalty spot before the half time whistle blew.

Half-time  0 - 3

There isn't much to talk about from the 2nd half really!

A very boggy pitch made in hard work for both teams and Southbank had most of the possesion in this half. A cross/shot from a Southbank winger caught Dom off his line and his attempt to catch the ball didn't quite turn out right - and the ball slipped through his fingers and into the net.

Some good defending from both teams kept the score this way until 4 minutes from the end when Taggy got his 1st goal for Cricks.

This wasn't the best performance from The Cricketers by a long way - one of the worse in fact! But it's the points the count.

Final score 1 - 4

ROSIE O'BRIENS V CRICKETERS

With Dom injured this game was going to be a test! We have yet to take 3 points from a meeting with Rosie's - and today was no different.

The 1st half was a battle of the mid-fields - with neither team breaking through or having a decent chance on goal.

Half-time 0 - 0

The 2nd half started in the same fashion as the 1st half ended - although make-shift keeper Mat Whittle pulled off a great one-handed reaction save to keep the scores level.

Rosie's then scored from a corner, heading the ball out of Mat's reach.

They scored again (from a corner and header) 10 minutes later. This time Mat couldn't reach over a team mate and the ball found the net.

Tez and Taggy had little to work on up front but played some nice football between them, may be a bit of a problem for some teams to handle. It was a good all-round effort, but another 3 points missed.

Final score 2 - 0

CRICKETERS V ELWES ARMS

Another meeting with these and another scrappy match.

Things were quite stagnant for most of the 1st half until their big center forward put the ball in the net from a very accute angle - leaving Dom with little chance.

Half-time 0 - 1

The 2nd half wasn't much better - still scrappy and still pretty dull. Taggy sent a great ball through which Gaz got hold of and took it himself to beat the keeper - a great pass and an equally impressive finish.

Cookie was unlucky to have a free kick bounce the wrong way off the cross bar - very unlucky.

The scores stayed this way until 5 minutes to the end when an Elwes player broke through our defence and headed a goal in from a corner.

Final score 1 - 2

CRICKETERS V K & R MOTORS

Having beat K & R at the beginning of the season we expected them to come at us with guns blaring. But they have a few problems at the club and managed to field a bare 11 players. There was some great football being played by the Cricks and most of the play belonged to us.

Scott Retigan opened the scoring by driving a low shot into the corner of the net from 25 yards out - surprising their defence and the keeper (as well as surprising me, his team-mates and probably himself!)

Nice link up between Turbo, Taggy and Gaz got Tez through to - hopefully - end his goal scoring drought.

This half also saw Turbo get a wack from one of their players for pushing a supporter after being pushed himself. But it's nice to see that the youth was only able to get one punch in before Turbo's team mates were there to diffuse the situation. It's never nice to see a player get hit - but it happens at this standard.

Half-time 2 - 0

Cricks had to handle quite a lot of pressure in the 2nd half as K & R seeked a goal. But the defence handled it very well - with a lot of help from a very strong midfield.

Gaz wasn't to be undone and made it his duty to get a goal - which didn't take long to come - putting Cricks 3 - 0 up.

The defence would have kept a clean sheet - with Dom playing excellent again - if it wasn't for the ref allowing a goal which was clearly off-side! Well so they all told ME!! In my defence - I'm not a qualified ref and I will make mistakes! Not much of a defence but tough!

Anyway...a great performance  and 3 well deserved points - well done lads.

Final score  3 - 1

F.C. BEDSTEAD V CRICKETERS

Cricks didn't really wake up in the 1st half of this game - there was a lot of sloppy passing and players were getting irate.

Gaz gave Tez a good ball through but Tez's shot was straight at the keeper. Gaz also missed a one on one chance with the keeper a few minutes later. In all fairness to both the strikers - he was a decent keeper.

Bedstead had a goal disallowed in the 1st half with their player being caught off-side. He didn't like this decision much and had a go at Padge a few minutes later. Padge held his own long enough for his team mates to jump in - a few handbags thrown and it was all over - albiet with 2 yellow cards being produced.

Was end to end stuff for the rest of the 1st half with both keepers put into action a few times.

Half-time 0 - 0

The 2nd half started a bit better and it wasn't long before Gaz took it on himself to put Cricks ahead. A fine run through, a few tackles jumped and the ball in the back of the net - typical Gaz finish.

Tez had a couple more tries on goal but didn't seem to have his shooting boots on today. Glenn Neale had a 25 yard shot go wide and Scott Retigan had an attempt saved.

The last 15 saw Bedstead attack and Cricks had a lot of defending to do. It looked like we were going to hold on but John Maw headed an own goal passed Dom from a Bedstead corner.

In the end I think 1 - 1 was a fair result, both teams had their chances and both teams missed chances.

Final score 1 - 1