1st X1 Match Report

Peringa (3) v FDMC Central Finance (2)

FDMC SLUMP TO ANOTHER DEFEAT

On another wet and very gusty day for football, FDMC slumped to their third defeat in Round 2, handing back the initiative to Hawera in the race to secure runners up.
Against a Peringa team who offered little more than an impressive will to win, FDMC were certainly the better side but gifted their opponents two goals through a comedy of errors and some individual mistakes. Football proving once again that unless you stop conceding goals at one end, you are building on sand, no matter how potent your potential at the other end.

FDMC started well and played some good football in the first half, rarely threatened at the other end in open play and comfortably controlling posession and territory. The hugely impressive Shane GARNER was playing with a real buzz down the left hand side and teased the opposition with intricate skills, build up play and pin point crosses into the box. Midfield dominance resulted in several half chances before Rory GARNER scored the opener with a superb header from a corner kick, timing his run to perfection and nodding the ball home.

Out of nothing, a mistake by Stefan WALSH gifted Peringa an equaliser, as he came to collect a looping ball on the six yard box and misjudged it completely only to see the ball bounce into an empty net. FDMC soon established the lead once more when Morgan HALL pounced on to a wicked defelction to slot home the teams second and order was restored - it seemed.

Again out of nothing, Peringa grabbed a second equaliser when the dangerous Leighton DEARDON somehow skipped through two tackles, when seemingly well covered by a number of defenders to smash home a rasping shot from just inside the box. To their credit it was a very well taken shot that left goalkeeper, WALSH with no chance.

The second half of the game followed the pattern of the first in terms of territory and posession but FDMC increasingly failed to press home their advantage and take a number of golden opportunities to bury the game. Poor finishing, incorrect option taking and a "bit of luck" assisted Peringa's dogged defence but the increasing frustration was evident for all to see.

Peringa made only a few breaks into the FDMC half during the second half but as the game went on it was starting to look like they were more likely to score out of the two sides. DEARDON went close twice as the FDMC defence was at sixes and sevens time and time again. The inevitable happened with five minutes to go as three defenders and the goalkeeper suffered a moment of madness that cost FDMC the game and gifted the home team with a narrow win.

It was nothing more than FDMC could have expected given the fact that they seemed incapable of defending with any level of consistency and made significant errors that proved to be costly. Being the better team and playing the better football was no consolation as the team continues to find that winning formula that served them so well for so much of the season.

Back to the drawing board at training this week and some adjustment required to the attitude of the squad, who will need to turn round their current form fast if they have any hope of cementing second place and looking forward to a good run in the Cup.