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Mac
Industries today returned to winning ways, as
they triumphed 18-12 over a team of former
players at the Hamsters Cage in difficult
conditions. Rain lashed down on the stadium
throughout the game, and a swirling wind did
nothing to help the players at all.
McCarthy
gave debuts to 3 players as his injury crisis
deepened. Chris Davis, signed on-loan from
Mierosoft, started in goal. This allowed Scott
McCarthy to play in the heart of defence,
alongside Bert Lloyd and Doug Lane. Kieran
Elliott and Dave Riley, both of whom were also
on-loan from Mierosoft started in midfield, and
captain for the day Peter Chapman was used as a
lone striker.
Mac
Industries started well, knocking the ball about
with fluidity on the dampened surface. They soon
took the lead, when good work from Chapman saw
Riley played in, and the midfielder ceased the
opportunity with both hands, firing in in-front
of a delighted Non-Clock End. The lead was short
lived though, as Gary Harding pulled it back to
1-1. Chris Davis was kept busy in goal, as the
Old Boys plans to play down the flanks caused
havoc. However, it was Riley again who restored
the Hamsters lead, when he scored another great
finish to double his tally. Good work by Peter
Ungless though soon saw Old Boys level, as
Harding again pounced.
Mac
Industries were rattled, and with conditions
against them slipped further behind. Ungless,
moved up-front, scored 2 fine finishes, leaving
keeper Davis with no chance. Tactical changes
saw the Hamsters dispense with the passing game,
and attempt to play long ball. McCarthy moved
up-front, but his flick on's came to nothing as
the wind carried them back to Cooper in the Old
Boys goal. They soon seized the initiative
though, and pulled back, as Bert Lloyd netted,
and soon after captain Peter Chapman made it
4-4. Davis continued to pull off some fine saves
though, but had no chance when the defence was
split and Ungless made it 5-4. The change in
tactics by the Old Boys to play through the
middle had thrown the home side, and McCarthy
soon slipped into the center of defence to try
and stop the threats. It worked, and McCarthy
earnt the cheers of all in the ground when he
took out Farhall in a tough tackle. He then sent
Chapman free, and a fine run and pass from the
forward saw McCarthy net to pull it back to 5-5
at half time
The
conditions hadn't improved after the re-start,
and the Hamsters were slow out of the blocks.
Old Boys went 6-5 up, when Gary Harding was
allowed time to beat Davis with a well placed
finish. The midfielder was being allowed too
much space, and it was soon Kieran Elliott's job
to keep him quiet. He did, and it was Elliott's
challenge that won the ball back for Mac
Industries. They earned a corner, and after a
goal mouth scramble, in which the bar was hit,
Doug Lane toe-poked the ball home, to claim his
first goal for the club.
Ungless
soon gave Old Boys the lead again though, as the
defence backed off and allowed him to finish to
make it 7-6. Dave Riley was having none of it,
and made it 7-7, with a fantastic finish. Mac
Industries could sense that the Old Boys heads
were dropping, as they continued to throw away
leads, and their players became continually
agitated at Farhall, who would simply not pass,
and was losing the ball time and time again to
McCarthy. The Hamsters defence looked as solid
as it had been all season, and Lloyd and
McCarthy kept the ball well, allowing Lane to
push forward. However, it was debutant Kieran
Elliott who gave Mac Industries the lead, as he
combined well with fellow Mierosoft team mate
Dave Riley to make it 8-7. Riley himself made it
9-7, before Bert Lloyd got on the score sheet
with a well worked team move, yet again set up
by Chapman. At 10-7, Riley thought he had made
it 11-7, but the ref ruled there was a handball
in the build up. Not that it mattered though, as
Doug Lane, full of confidence from his earlier
finish, hit a contender of goal of the season,
as his 25 yard screamer dipped and swerved,
ending up in the back of the net.
Mike
Fletcher soon pulled his side back into it, with
a fine jinking run ending up with the ball in
the back of the net. Farhall was soon down again
though, after enough tough tackle from McCarthy,
and made a meal out of it, trying to claim the
free-kick. The ref was having none of it
however, and neither were the fans, soon booing
the forward for diving. Kieran Elliott grabbed
his second of the game, as another good phase of
play involving Riley and Chapman saw the loanee
put the Hamsters 12-8 ahead. There were calls
for a foul again, as Mike Fletcher and Scott
McCarthy went shoulder-to-shoulder, as McCarthy
won the battle of strength to jockey the ball
out. Elliott continued to do his job, as Harding
had little influence on play in the second half,
and Riley gave Wanderers a 13-8 lead. Farhall
finally got on the score sheet though, making it
13-9, much to the disgust of the home fans.
Elliott
wrapped up his hat-trick though in fine style,
as another great team move saw him put Mac
Industries 14-9 up. Bert Lloyd, instigator of
many of the fine passing moves that the home
team displayed, got his reward with a second of
the game, before Riley notched his 6th to make
it 16-9. Farhall netted again to make it 16-10,
after the ball was given away from a corner, but
Chapman got a deserved second to make it 17-10.
Farhall completed a hat-trick when he made it
17-11, but Chapman was the provider yet again as
McCarthy got his second to make it 18-11.
Harding pulled another back for the old boys,
and Farhall went down all to easily in the dying
moment, but the ref saw straight through his
dive, as did the Non-Clock End, as he was
treated to a chorus of boos as the referee blew
the whistle, to give Mac Industries a fine 18-12
victory.
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