Lowestoft & District Div 1- 11/04/09Pot Black F.C- 4
Oxford Arms- 1
Match Overview- The home side entered this match feeling very confident after a Stirling performance last week against Hearts of Oak, and seeing the visitors late out of the dressing room with only 10 players only helped to boost their expectation.
Although it may have been this that proved to be their undoing as complacency crept into their game as the usual all round excellent team spirit and attitude went missing as L'Orange looked unrecognisable from their usual musketeers performances of 'All for one and one for all'.
Pot Black however, did take the lead when a goal mouth scramble after a Rob Cooper's run down the right saw Gav Hunt tap home despite the keepers attempts to claw it back. Opportunity's came and went with L'Orange having the lions share of them, but concerns that the visitors would run out of steam must of played heavy in the Oxford managers mind and were not helped when Nicky Denning was sent off for a second bookable offence before the break after a late tackle and a blatantly deliberate hand ball were punished.
A crisis talk at half time was held with so many, aware that the combination of poor performances and lack of togetherness were leaving so many frustrated, this soon soothed a few frayed tempers.
Max Wall was replaced following a first half kick to the head. Paul Taylor was his replacement, as L'Orange soon extended their lead when Simon Hall smashed the ball home. With in minutes though Oxford pulled one back after their forward caught the back three asleep and gave the keeper no chance.
Again chances came and went, but it fell to 'The Iceman' Paul Taylor to finish the job as on two occasions he stepped up to the penalty spot after fouls on Steven Foulkes and Rob Cooper respectively, blasting home the first and placing with confidence the second.
Really, we must take the positives, we created a lot of chances and for one or two of the lads 90 minutes in the heat, will help to sharpen match fitness and after that performance things can only get better.
But in all fairness to our opponents who worked their socks off, had they had 11 men and worked as hard as they did today, every week they would not be staring relegation in the face.
Goals- Gav Hunt, Simon Hall and Paul Taylor x2
G.H. Windows & Doors M.O.M- Kev Sherwood, who spent large parts of the match as a spectator but on three occasions pulled of saves that could of left us seriously embarrassed.
