Royals Match Report 2003-04

Meole Brace Colts 5-4 Church Stretton
(Friendly - 29-05-04)

A final game of the season unexpectedly came up at the end of May. The game against Ludlow at the beginning of May was supposed to have been the last one. The gap of four weeks without training and without a game found the Magpie team a bit rusty.

Though poorly organised, especially in front of the Meole Brace goal, the Magpies fought valiantly. But the various attacks on goal lacked punch and accuracy and a goal failed to materialise.

Meole Brace too made a number of unsuccessful forays into the goal area of the Magpies. Their shots were either wide, cleared by the alert defence or saved by Wells. Robinson in particular was a tenacious tackler, at times clearing in the nick of time. The 0-0 at half time was a fair reflection of the game till then.

Following the break things changed dramatically. After the dearth of goals in the first half, nine were scored in the second half. Meole Brace came out firing on all cylinders, showing great determination and excellent organisation. Attack followed attack. It was clear that goals would soon follow. And they did in abundance. Meole Brace stationed two of their forwards permanently in the Magpie's half. The Magpie defenders failed to mark them adequately. Quick breaks from within their own half, coupled with good passing and running into space allowed Meole Brace to score one goal after the other in quick succession. Half way through the second half Meole Brace was leading 5-0 and a humiliating defeat stared the Magpies in the face.

However, inspired by the electric Smith, the Magpies, to their great credit, started fighting back. Smith's first goal was a powerful one. The shot went straight through the Meole Brace keeper's arms.

This revitalised the Magpies who started to play with greater determination. Heads went higher still when a Meole Brace defender, under strong pressure from a Magpie attack, found the back of his own net, making it 5-2.

Egged on to greater efforts by the small but vociferous party of Magpie supporters, the team piled on the pressure and were rewarded by another good goal by Smith. Taking possession of the ball within his own half, Smith dribbled the ball forward at great pace, left a defender sprawling and shot into the back of the net.

This was followed by yet another Smith goal, completing the player's hatrick.

Soon afterwards, in a goal mouth scramble, Holtz almost succeeded in poking in an equaliser. But it was not to be.

When the final whistle came, it seemed as if a few minutes more might indeed have brought the equaliser. But honour was saved. All credit to the Magpies for fighting back so hard and all credit to Smith for his determined running and superb finishing.

Team: Jordan Wells, Kieran Adams, Dominic Robinson, Hugo Jervis, Cameron Holtz, Jack Case, Freddie van Doesberg, Rory Smith