Royals Match Report 2005-06

Royals enjoy goal festival which puts them back in top spot.

 Royals 12-0 Ludow South (League, 20-11-05)
(Groom 4, Carless-Turland 2, Holtz 2, Hearle 2, Smith, Lewis)

A delayed start of 1:00pm finally allowed this game to go ahead after a frozen pitch looked like it might prevent any action at all. The game was a disappointingly one-sided affair. Ludlow South is the weakest team in the league and it showed, allowing the Royals near continuous possession and a legion of scoring opportunities, thirteen of which were gratefully accepted. 

Groom got a start at centre forward and opened the account early in the first half, easily rounding a defender and shooting into the left corner. The Royals started to dominate midfield. Ludlow South failed from goal kicks to get the ball out of their own half, allowing the Royals to take command and string some good passing movements together. The second goal also came from Groom breaking down the centre, bypassing a few defenders and finishing with a powerful shot which gave the Ludlow South keeper no chance. A series of good crosses put in by Hearle from the left had Ludlow South defenders fumbling. One of them failed to be gathered securely by the Ludlow South keeper and the ball slipped into the net to make it
3-0. 

The Ludlow South defence was very unsure of how to handle the Royals incessant attacks. If under any pressure they resorted to the touch line or conceded a corner. This did not always succeed. In one scramble in front of goal the ball was not cleared allowing Carless-Turland to thump it in for the Royals' fourth goal. The fifth one followed soon after when another excellent corner by Hearle presented Groom with the opportunity to secure his hat trick, which he did. Hearle then returned to the score sheet when Carless-Turland unselfishly passed the ball across the goal mouth for Hearle to side foot it into the net. 

In an all too rare break into the Royals' half, Ludlow South won its first corner towards the end of the first half. Rather than threaten the Royals goal, the ball was soon back in the Ludlow South half and Groom shot in his fourth goal. A free kick taken moments later produced a skilful chip by Carless-Turland over the head of the goal keeper to make it 8-0. The goal keeper was probably unsighted by the low sun. Hearle was then rested and Lewis took his place and nearly scored within a minute of coming on. He dribbled past a number of players and let go a powerful shot which, unluckily for him, hit the left upright. 

During half time Manager Smith reorganised his team. Holtz was given a chance to play centre-forward and Groom took over goal keeping duties. Smith was moved further forward to provide support for Holtz and Lewis and Carless-Turland were instructed to play wide on the wings. Manager Smith wanted the team to play wide football with crosses coming in from the wings. He cautioned the forwards not to be greedy and attempt to snatch goals but to play a passing game.

Ludlow South actually spent some time early in the second half in the Royals half of the pitch. But at no time did they seriously threaten to score. Once the Royals new formation had settled down the game reverted to its earlier pattern. After being in the thick of things in the first half, Groom found himself in a somewhat lonely outpost in the second half. Goal number nine was scored by Smith, latching on to a great cross from Carless-Turland. Another excellent pass by Carless-Turland presented a scoring opportunity to Holtz which he gratefully accepted, steering the ball past the Ludlow South goal keeper. He did so again a few minutes later when Lewis crossed the ball in from quite far out. 

Hearle was then brought back on and Riley was rested. Hearle soon made his presence felt with another superb corner which Carless-Turland only just failed to head home. Smith was next to beat the Ludlow South goal keeper with a sweet shot. But the goal was disallowed. Lewis then reminded everybody of his goal scoring skills. He dribbled his way past defenders, steadied himself and blasted the ball into the back of the net. On that high note the match ended.

Manager Smith expressed his pleasure with the team's performance, lauded the many good passing movements and the good goals scored, but also had to admit that the weak opposition had made things far too easy for the Royals.

Team: Cameron Holtz, Simon Riley, Dominic Robinson, Joe Hearle, Rory Smith (c), Harvey Carless-Turland, Ed Groom. Sub: Tom Lewis