Home v North Manchester Boys

Result - Reddish North End 1 North Manchester boys 2

Team coach (James) views on the game:

Another close run thing today as the boys just lost out, a disputed penalty being the difference between the teams. To be fair, after an increasingly improved performance in the first half, Reddish were generally on the back foot in the second half as the defence in particular stopped working as a unit and sloppy errors kept causing us problems. Callum Williams, who almost saved the penalty kick, again made a number of important stops as N.M’cr kept springing our offside trap.
The first half had not started too well but Reddish started to get their game together and created some pressure. Arran had a lively game at full back and kept getting forward, Jake had his best game for a while on the left while Jamie & Michael kept harrying down the middle. From one attack, a swivel and shot from Michael led to a superb reflex stop by their keeper. Another break saw Michael scythed down and I thought it was a penalty, but the ref adjudged the offence just outside the box. In truth it didn’t make a lot of difference, Michael ignoring the cut knee he received from the foul and rifling an excellent free kick high into the net.   

We had a 1-0 lead at half time but as I have described we didn’t have enough of the play second half and the defensive errors eventually cost us. There were some spells of pressure that Reddish had and on another day might have sneaked another goal at the death, a shot-cum-cross from Chris being desperately clung onto by the keeper with Jake totally unmarked on the far post.

The boys were desperately disappointed after the game and in a way I am pleased, because it shows how much we are improving. The N.M’cr manager was certainly impressed, and he is the fourth manager in five weeks to come to me afterwards and make no secret of how relieved he was the game had finished. He told me how much the team had come on, and there’s no doubt that we are really giving teams a game. Today we faced a decent side, physically much bigger than us, and certainly did not shirk the challenge. We’ve scored at least once in seven consecutive games now, compared to scoring in only 3 of our first 10 games, and if we can get our defensive problems ironed out there’s no reason the improvement should not be maintained.
A big test awaits next week however as we away to Hollinwood!