Sunday 15 January. Highfield at Home (League)
This Weeks Celebrity Match Report comes from Paul 'Chunk' Newman.
TROGGS BACK TO WINNING WAYS!!
It was back to winning ways for the mighty Troggs this week with a 3-2 Victory over a much-improved Highfield side, despite Troggs being far from their best.
In-fact it was the visitors who started more positively, having the better of the open exchanges forcing two fines stops from late replacement keeper Dean Burden.
The Troggs, who lined up in an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation, struggled to retain the ball early on as they slowly got to grips with the new line up.
Then, on 20 minutes, Ben Gibbs broke down the right wing and crossed to the unmarked Newman who’s Kung Fu style volley from 8 yards proved too good for the helpless keeper. 1-0! Probably undeserved but 1-0 all the same.
Boosted by the goal Troggs then began to play the football which fans and become to expect from them. The improved football was largely due to the defence who were able to help retain the ball and build play from the back. In the space of the next 15 minutes or so the home side created 2 or 3 gilt edged opportunities with both Gibbs and Adamson coming very close to notching.
But it wasn’t to be and on 38 minutes and largely against the run of play Highfield fashioned a chance of their own and new signing Johnny Webster chipped neatly over the advancing, helpless Burden to level the score.
So 1-1 at the break. Troggs probably feeling a draw was slightly harsh on reflection of the chances they’d created but by no means disheartened.
Troggs picked up in the second half pretty much where they had left off, with Richard Moon, Chris Dyer and George Dyke now starting to become more influential in the game. On 50 minutes it was Moon who found Newman coming deep to pick up the ball and then turning and driving at the High field defence. This drew out the Defence and left Space in behind for the advancing, gazelle like, Gibbs to run on to the through ball and finish with a powerful strike from 12 yards, the Highfield keeper got a hand to the strike but it was too hot to handle and flashed into the top corner. The lead was restored!
It was just 10 minutes later that the inevitable third came with Moon at full pace, ghosting past 2 then 3 defenders before being savagely brought down 30 yards from goal. A quickly taken free kick from Newman to Moon himself followed and left the midfielder with just the keeper to beat and in emphatic style Moon crashed the ball into the roof of the net! Chants of 3-1 followed from the 15 strong home crowd who were more than pleased to see their team back on the winning trail.
Minutes later Newman should have finished the game off after latching onto a precise Dyke through ball and coming back to beat his man only to be foiled by the keeper who forced the shot wide for a corner.
Substitute Andy ‘pepper’ Underdown came on for Adamson on 65 minutes and his pace had an immediate impact twice breaking through only to lack the finish required
A late consolation goal from Highfield 2 minutes from the end was, in-fact, little consolation and on reflection this could easily have been another thrashing. As it was a 3-2 scoreline made the visitors look good.
After the game player/manager Newman ranted ‘our defence was the key today, they were all solid and with them I include Chris Dyer. Him and the defence are a constant unsung hero and a very well oiled machine. I was very proud of the whole team today they did themselves proud’.
Club Chairman Tim Archer added ‘We have a very strong squad who are capable of bringing home some silverware this season’. With the Troggs still in 3 cups and second in the league Archer is probably right but only time will tell…
TROGGS (4-3-3): Deano, Logg, Chris, J.Newman, Mark, Dyer, Dyke, Moon, Adamson (Underdown 65), P.Nemwan, Gibbs(c).
Goals: Newman 21, Gibbs 50, Moon 64.
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