Royals Match Report 2006-07

Proud Royals almost there
Onny Eagles 3-2 Royals (League, 19-11-06)
(Bourne, Lewis)

The Royals travelled to the Burway in Ludlow to face top of the league Onny Eagles in what would surely be their biggest test of the current campaign. Fielding a changed formation of 4-5-1, Royals started with their strongest team.

The first half proved tough indeed. The Royals soaked up a fair amount of pressure from their opponents. Playing with 5 across midfield meant that Royals were able prevent Onny from dominating the middle of the park and the strength of Allan assisted in this. However when Royals did win possession they did not quite have the guile to build an attack. Onny were covering all the positions and the Royals found it difficult to pass the ball to an unmarked player.

Onny made the breakthrough after 14 minutes after keeper Keugler was left no chance with a well struck shot. Just 5 minutes later Royals went 2 goals down with a long shot from the right hand side which on another day, Keugler may well have saved. For the remainder of the first half the Royals defence held with some determined tackling. The Royals had few chances to break forward and threaten the Onny goal. Their attacks, lacking punch and co-ordination, were readily warded off by the Onny defence. The teams went in at half-time with Onny being 2 goals to the good.

As has happened on a number of occasions already, the second half proved a very different affair indeed. Onny Eagles appeared to be content to defend their 2 goal lead while the Royals found their touch. It certainly became a real battle with the Royals in strong ascendancy. They scored two goals while the Eagles only managed one additional goal. Somehow the Royals were now bursting with confidence, winning tackles, passing the ball well and threatening the Onny goal.

At the back the Royals defence were coping much better with the Onny attacks. Bourne, the Royals' top marksman, provided the first goal after an excellent passing movement down the left hand side. Carless-Turland came on for Robinson, an attacker for a defender, providing additional punch. The second goal was well worked too, again down the left flank. The ball was passed forward to Bourne who passed the keeper and steered the ball across the mouth of the goal into the path of Lewis, following up. He stabbed it into the back of the net. Playing superbly in the closing stages of the game, the Royals could have gone on to win the game but alas the time ran out. 

In the end it turned out to be an excellent performance by the Royals against a strong team playing good football they demonstrated that they could hold their own. It showed considerable character to have come out after the break, being two goals down, and play such superb attacking football. Onny Eagles must have wondered what had hit them.

Team: Keugler, Riley, Allan, Brayne, Robinson (Carless-Turland 40), Hearle (Groom 46), Miles, Green, Smith (c), Bourne, Bourne, Lewis
Subs Not Used: Holtz, Agnew, Weynberg