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Jamie
Farhall tonight tasted defeat for the first time as Mac
Industries manager, after his side were well beaten 14-7 by
visitors Handcross Tigers in an entertaining game at the MBM
Services McCarthy Industries Triangle Community Stadium. Doug
Lane was unavailable, Matt Cooper was injured and Mike
Fletcher and Nic Sparasci didn't figure. The side contained an
Albanian trialist, along with Steffan Piolet, who signed
on-loan from Cuckfield Cosmos United hours before the match.
Captain Scott McCarthy was passed fit only 45 minutes before
kick off.
The
experimental side were completely out played in the first 5
minutes, and Handcross opened the scoring with a good finish.
However, Mac Industries were soon back in it, with 2 well
worked goals, leading to a debut goal for Piolet, and one for
the Albanian trialist. However, Handcross soon scored, when
one of McCarthy's famous lapses of concentration saw him
lobbed from the halfway line. Handcross extended there lead,
and the fans were soon on the players back, particularly the
trialist, who did not seem keen on working back. Peter Chapman
was also the subject of abuse from one fan wearing a tea cosy
on her head, but her comments from the Tom McCarthy Stand were
soon challenged by Scott McCarthy, and she was lead away by a
team of stewards shortly after. Holes in the back line, where
nobody seemed keen to drop back, meant that Mac Industries
fell further behind, and were blatantly missing the defensive
skills of Doug Lane. Handcross went into half time with a 7-4
lead, after one the Albanian trialists and Jamie Farhall
netted, and the team was booed off by a small section of the
crowd, mainly emanating from the Non-Clock End.
Mac
Industries emerged from the changing room for the second half
looking more motivated, and Farhall had obviously said
something to his troops, as they were soon back in it, when he
netted his second of the game. However, the trialist was not
filling the holes at the back, and nobody seemed keen to work
back and help the already over-stretched defence of Bert Lloyd
and Gary Harding. The fans were not happy either, as Handcross
continued to run up the goals, with McCarthy still making a
lot of saves, despite his rib problems. Bert Lloyd, in a
change of footwear for the second half, netted his second goal
in as many matches to make it 11-6, and the Hamsters last goal
came when McCarthy, who was now rushing out of goal at every
opportunity, linked up well with Harding, to net his first for
the club, followed by a mad dash back to his goal. This was
the last action of the game, as the ref blew up on what can
only be described as a disappointing night at the MBM Services
McCarthy Industries Triangle Community Stadium. Only one
player stood out, and that was Gary Harding, who's never say
die attitude showed his love for the club, and earnt him the
applause of the Non-Clock End at the end of the game.
Following
the game, a small brawl erupted in the Home changing room,
with all the players turning on the Albanian trialist due to
their lack of effort. He was effectively made to change in the
reception area, in full view of the disgusted directors,
executive box holders and sponsors. After the game, a 30
minute 'clear the air' discussion took place in the changing
room, and Jamie Farhall did not want to talk to the press, so
it was down to captain Scott McCarthy, who had the following
to say:
"Looking
back over tonight's game, we missed key players and our Piolet
and the trialist, despite their goals, where about as useful
as an inflatable dartboard. We missed Doug Lane at the back,
as the hole showed. But I think most of all our preparation
was all wrong. People say why prepare, why bother. We do it
because failing to prepare is preparing to fail. When you do
not know who the squad is till 30 minutes before the match,
when you do not know the starting side till 5 minutes before,
it doesn't allow for a good rhythm. In the other 2 games in
which we have been able to prepare thoroughly, we have
performed a lot lot better. I think the management need to
consider this in terms of arrival times for players, and
arranging the squad earlier. And as for the fans who booed us
off the pitch, they have short memories. It wasn't so long ago
that Marle Place lost every match they played. We have won 2
out of 3. These things happens. Every great team loses once in
a while, unless you're Arsenal. But the best teams, and more
importantly the best players bounce back. They don't talk
about not playing next time. They don't talk about giving up.
They talk about going out there next time, and putting every
last drop of sweat they've got into getting a result to make
up for tonight's disappointment. And that is what we intend to
do in the next game. KEEP THE FAITH"
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