25/10/14: This week the visitors to Norton Hill School were Old Bristolians ‘B’ and for the third consecutive home match Mendip scored 5 goals. However, the final score line did not fully reflect how close the match was during the first 35 minutes.
The home side started brightly enough but was not able to break down the well organised defence. They lacked the fluidity displayed so far this season and at times their play was a little stilted.
This was largely down to OBs who competed and pressed high, denying Mendip the time and space they needed to play their usual build up from the back and they tried to force something to happen by playing through the middle, where the field was congested and all too often the play broke down.
Mendip did, however, show flashes of their swift counter attacking style and the first time they used any real width, they opened the scoring, quickly carving through the defence with John Lippiatt in the right place to finish off an excellent passing move.
Although taking the lead, Mendip could not settle into any sort of rhythm and certainly did not have it all their own way. The visitors had spells where they put Mendip onto the back foot and it was not too long before an equaliser arrived, from a well executed short corner routine.
Despite plenty of industry and endeavour, neither side was able to gain the upper hand, and the half finished with the scores level.
At the start of the 2nd half Mendip went about their business in more determined fashion. The midfield became much more combative and slowly the home side began to wrestle control, with Paul Floyd, Josh Sutton and Andy Wood having more influence over proceedings.
With service to the front line greatly improved, Mendip started to create more chances and the “go to guy” in a crisis, Steve Smith settled the nerves with 2 goals in open play to put daylight between the teams.
Sensing the tide had turned, Mendip had their dander well and truly up and, being pushed back further into their own half OBs had trouble clearing their lines.
Consequently, when a weak clearance was intercepted by Josh, he drove back into the D and fed John for an easy finish to make it 4 – 1.
Not disheartened, OBs were determined to make a game of it and the Mendip back four had to be ever mindful of their lively forwards, not able to relax at any stage.
On the whole they dealt with most attacks comfortably but when called into action Leigh Taylor in goal pulled off some incredible saves to keep the lead intact and when Joe Thacker scored Mendip’s 5th late on in the match it made the win a formality.
Although rather churlish to say, the goal tally in the 2nd half might even have been greater if the drills at short corners had been better executed but disappointingly the routine used was all too predictable and those chances were squandered.
That said, to score 5 goals in open play when the team did not perform to its own high standards is somewhat of an achievement and something to build on with surely stiffer challenges to come.
The Team was: Leigh Taylor, Andy Flint, Giles Denning, Rich Penn, James Lovell, Paul Floyd, Andy Wood, Josh Sutton, Will Lawton, Joe Thacker, Steve Smith and John Lippiatt.
Thanks to Vicky Parfitt and Andy Baird for umpiring.
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