After the good run of form the team has been having going into this game, you would have thought that this was going to be end to end stuff.
As a MUSKATEER and my fellow MUSKATEERS having had a few clean sheets, knowing that this game was going to be rapid, defending as always was still a must to do our jobs at the back and to help defend our run.
The GAFFER and Co did their bests to gee us up to be strong, be up for it, basically show the other team that we are here to be counted.
As suspensions were over and starting today Rikki came back. Dawson and Perona missed out but we still had to adapt to key players being missed but bringing in new signing Tim to make his debut, Callum in the mid and Rikki back in the side for Lee Barnet.
The start of the game was bright but it was all Concord to be fair to them, they had us on the back foot early doors, winning free kicks, having corner after corner. We were just not at the races.
As a back 3 we won our tackles and headers when neccessary but they were pushing and it was likely that we were going to concede.
20mins they did, their striker had the ball from out wide ran pass three of our players and smashed the ball in 1 nil.
Our passing and movement was poor all round.
We didnt show at all that we wanted it as the exuses were starting to come out all over the park.
Concord to me all first half can't really fought their good start but once we got into the game AC had a chance that went striaght to the keeper if only he heard the call for time maybe could have done a bit more.
That summed up the first half no communication abit lost to be fair.
The half time bollocking.
Everyone got it rightfully so we were poor, terrible as a team. Passes wernt sticking, movement was shite and the GAFFER well words can't describe.
The positives was that we were only 1nil down because they did have chances but the second half was still there for us to get back into the game, were we have proven before that we can come back and get a result.
The second half was bright it seemed that we were up for it starting well biting at their heels. Movement was better, the bollocking worked.
Concord had cleard their lines and the ball came over to my side if the pitch, I then smashed a long ball up to the forwards then AC was in a one on one situation and rounded the keeper 1-1 back in the game.
You could start to feel that the atomosphere was heating up and Concord were quiter than usual.
Credit to concord because as we scored we didnt show that drive again by conceding a corner and as the ball was scuffed at the edge of the box everyone ran out and left two of there players back post to slot home straight after we scored. That HURT.
Momentum swung their way again as you could feel that this was going to be a bigger battle today to get back into the game and as a team we were just not competing as we have done during the season.
Passes started to slow down, long balls but to the other team was regular, tempo was not there and we just wernt up for this.
As a defender and the other defenders in the team, we cant stop running no matter what but as a team we didn't defend as we have done in previous games. We needed to support eachother when the chips were low and that didnt show.
Concord kept on applying the pressure and a crazy decision that the ref made was rewarding concord with a penalty saying that 'I had tripped him up with him being through', as I was the last man you would have thought I would have been sent off but the ref only gave me a yellow.
To confirm to all I never touched him, he conned us all 3 - 1.
When the 3rd goal went in we still tired to hold some pride giving everything we got, trying to play and restore some faith but they were still pushing.
A long ball came down my side and as I went to clear the ball , their striker stepped over the ball took out my ankle. He got sent off.
I don't think I have been in so much pain but it was like nothing to the pain I was feeling about the result.
The game was coming towards the end and there was just no way of getting back into the game. We had lost it in the first half and it was a real shame because we have been playing well and should have competed better than we did.
Although the score line and this report sounds like it was another team playing, the positves are that we are still in the race.
12 games to go and as a team this was just a wimper and I can ensure you speaking for everyone that a better performance will be shown at home to cap off such a poor performance.
The ref for me felt like he was a Concord fan.
Today we also missed players and that also showed in our game today. As a team we didn't adapt to that and as saturday is the next game at home to Maldon at least we can put that 1 right before those missed players are back in the mix of things.
To summaries todays game, not at the races but
The Dream Continues.............................................
Rrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..............................