Bromford 06-02-11

Open Cup Round 3

Bromford 3 v 0 Ravens

M.o.M Liam

No cup success this year and the league is now the single objective with 8 games to go. We went out of the cup to worthy winners Bromford. Bromford are having a great season and look favourites to win their league.

I told the players at the end that sometimes you just lose to a better side on the day and not to worry too much about it. We are playing well and this is a blip but I would rather have it now if it means we are back to top form next week.

We were also unlucky at times, we had far more shots at goal and dominated the 2^nd half. Poor finishing and bad decision making were our downfall. Bromford played as a team, just like we have in recent weeks. Sadly today, old habits died hard for a few lads who seemed intent on being the match winner.

We gifted the 3 goals. Jake had another solid game but left the forward with too much space to make it 1-0. The 2^nd went in straight from a corner after a batch of errors. We had also nearly let in the exact same goal in the 1^st half as some of our players switched off and forgotten the jobs that they were given.

In between all this Phil shot straight at the keeper, Rankin shot wide when others were well placed. Brian hit the woodwork twice (again). Fred scuffed a shot too the keeper after a good move. Liam was unlucky to see a couple of shots blocked.

Taking the positives. Our starting team were guilty of not moving the ball quickly enough, I asked Liam to go on and set an example by keeping it nice and simple and he went on to deliver his best performance in a Ravens shirt with confident 1^st touches, 1 and 2 touch football, moving the ball at speed and not letting the opposition close him down. He linked up well with Ish and numerous occasions with a great demonstration of how to take a defender out of the equation without having to take him on.

Well done to Bromford on a gutsy display and their number 7 was a joy to watch. If we lose this selfishness that creeps in every so often we will be fine. The success of the team has to be seen as far better than individual success. We all need to remember that.

Steve