Match Report

Goals scored
Graham Rix, Dave Rix.

Man of the match
Dave Rix, Paul Farmyard.

Team
Stuart Medcraft, Dean Weaving, Mark Hart, John Wilson, Paul Munyard, Gavin Mayo, Daniel Sarling, Rob Marling, David Rix, Tony Bush, Graham Rix

Subs
Terry Bush, Dariusz Szymanski, Joe Sanderson, Phil Gyebi, Chris Vieceli

Landsdowne Rangers today travelled to Essex Royals who they had to play 3 times last year in the league and cup. The two teams in question know each other only too well as they have been in the same division since Landsdowne joined the Basildon Sunday League. With Landsdowne Rangers finishing as runners up last season and Essex Royals finishing as low at 4th place, many thought we would have seen the last of them. Well, at least for 1 year anyway. The answer was a firm no. As it was to be 5 teams going up into Division 2 from the season before, Essex Royals were dragged into the higher league with Landsdowne too.

With Landsdowne doing the double (in a double header) over Essex Royals in the season finale last term, Landsdowne having a strong bench plus a sixth player that was left out of the match day squad, and Landsdowne’s season already underway from the week before, Landsdowne were on paper the firm favourites.

Landsdowne Rangers were now attracting players from all around the globe as they fight for consolidation in the 2nd division this year. Their bench today boasted 2 English, 1 Polish, 1 Ghanaian, and 1 Italian. There was even a player with Zimbabwe roots playing in the starting 11. If you look even deeper there was a player all the way from lala land playing at centre half with Mark Harte too.

The match started very slowly, Landsdowne not even bothering to get going. Was this down to a lack of focus as the warm ups once again looked a shambles as rather than doing stretches, getting limber and focussing on the task ahead, they decided that penalties at the goal keeper would be a better line of thinking? Landsdowne’s lack of focus and concentration soon showed, when a long goal kick saw their striker stroll through and pass the ball into the goal with barely one challenge going into him.

Landsdowne were soon 2 – 0, 3 – 0, 4 – 0 and then 5 – 0 down as the same striker once again pounced on some unforced errors and slack, very slack play from Landsdowne, as the Manager Pete Smart looked on in astonishment as his side were being given the run around by a striker on the opposing team. The striker was good yes, and probably having the game of his life, as all 5 of his shots hit the back of the net. However, this player was in the same Royals team that played us on the last game of the season and didn’t even get a look in, Landsdowne did draw 1 goal back just before the break, as a ball by Danny Sarling found Graham Rix, who managed to flick the ball over the keeper and nod the ball over the line. Hardly even a consolation goal.

Half time came, and I believe that this was possibly the most embarrassed I have ever felt at a half time, those of you that wasn’t, I question your commitment to the club or even football, as no-body, no-body in that 11, had anything to be proud of walking off after 45 minutes of that shower of s**t. I feel sorry for the 5 subs and 1 player in the stands who had to watch that. If it were a friendly and we had 11 men on the bench, then Pete could have done his half time team talk while we were playing out the final stages of the first half as the 11 players on the field wouldn’t have needed to hear it!!!

Pete asked us to go out in the 2nd half and regain some pride. "Start playing and fight for the ball and your shirt!!" We have 21 players signed on this year, so who would be the 1 player to keep his shirt for the next game through default of not having 22 players signed on?

The second half was more of a contest, only 1 goal was scored and that was for Landsdowne. Terry Bush who was allowed off the bench squeezed a ball through to Graham who slotted home, great ball Terry you should have celebrated the goal, it wasn’t you who let the club down today. Landsdowne did get some pride back in the second half, as they actually won the 2nd half 1 – 0. However this really means nothing in football if you play for 45 minutes rather than 90.

Landsdowne now have 2 weeks off, 3 weeks off the league as they now have 14 days to ponder over their own games, and question themselves over their involvement in today’s “clash”.

A comment by Gavin Mayo did reflect a good point, “well we got 0 points from our first 2 games last year and lost the league on goal difference”. Well, if we would have got a point from our first 2 games last year we would have won the league. Something to think about with the 21 sleeps till Sunday 14th October.