GARNETT RESERVES MATCH REPORT
Saturday 9th November 2002 Garnett Reserves 0 (0) vs. (2) 2 Red Star Benwell

I am going to eschew the traditional match report, and instead list the various chances that as a team, were squandered in this match, not necessarily in chronological order. There are enough to win at least three games below, but amazingly the Reserves were shut out for the first time this season. Still that's what makes football the game it is I suppose…:

1st half
Ben Holmes - header from 10 yards out, from left wing cross - well wide
Tom Webb - header cleared off line from corner
Dave Robinson - header cleared off line from corner
Sam Collins - header just wide from Hopkins cross
Sam Collins - header just wide from Miller cross
Sam Collins - rounded keeper, edged out by the defender
Ben Holmes - attempted shot, resulting in back pass to keeper
Rich Turner - long range shot from short corner, over crossbar
Martin Pollard - just missed connecting with cross at near post
Dan Corcoran - direct free-kick, deflected by wall straight to keeper

We went in 2-0 down at halftime, after having had the majority of the play, and conceding two goals, one to a defensive slip by the unfortunate Powers which let their striker in to finish calmly, and the second, following two missed tackles, saw an angled shot stick in the boggy goalmouth for their striker to run in and slide home.

2nd Half - this was the really bad bit
Gaz Hopkins one on one with the keeper, saved
Ben Holmes in space 15 yards out, shot clipped the post
Robbo, turned inside, keeper palmed his shot onto the bar, where it bounced twice before dropping to the keeper instead of the waiting Garnett players
Garnett were denied an indirect free-kick 6 yards out when their centre-half sat on the ball
Sam Collins clean through, sliced his shot wide
Massive goalmouth scramble lasting about 30 seconds, ball did not drop to a Garnett player to force home
Dan Corcoran through, shot straight at the keeper from 18 yards
Mike Deeble played into penalty area, touch forced him wide and keeper made save
Sam Collins played through and scored, ruled offside
Dan Corcoran shot straight at the keeper from 20 yards out
Sam Collins rushed his shot over the bar from 8 yards out
Ben Holmes turned into right side of the area, and shot straight at their keeper.

The sum of their efforts 2nd half - one cross flashed across goal, a first time volley from outside the area over the bar and a shot that struck the post late on following a break with Garnett men committed forward. This report may seem like sour grapes, but the above is a genuine reflection of how many chances the Green and Black had, some obviously more gilt edged than others, and as you can tell their keeper had a canny game. And to be fair to RS Benwell they grafted hard, and perhaps deserved the luck after previous games with Garnett had gone the way of the Green and Black. Manager Pollard said, "I was gutted after the Methsoc game because we just didn't play. Today we played really well, the effort was good, and judging by the list of chances we missed, we must have done something right, and so I can't be too disappointed. However, we know can play better, and, can work harder, (and finish better!) to earn that rub of the green sometime soon. Someone will get a hammering in the not too distant future."
With several important players returning for next week, competition for places is hotting up, and the manager will have several tough decisions ahead of Saturday's game with Basement boys Rutherford.

Team: Hall, P.Miller, R.Turner, M.Pollard (M.Deeble), T.Webb MOM, A.Powers, G.Hopkins, B.Holmes, S.Collins, D.Robinson, D.Corcoran (L.Walker)

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