Aston Park Rangers v Llandudno Junction Reserves
Saturday December 1st Clwyd League Div 2

We had some tough decisions to make this week with our goalkeeper Mike starting his suspension Rob from the first team still serving his ban and Mike Williams unavailable, so no recognised goalkeeper to put between the sticks. Also to contend with we had players unavailable through work commitments, first team call-ups and Beef out with a suspected cruciate injury. It took me all of Friday night and into Saturday morning to assemble this weeks squad and at one point we only had a bare 11 but at kick off we had the following the squad: -

Matt Hughes

Aaron Jones, Scott Jones, Phil Williams, Karl Davies

Sion Watson, Nathan Watson © Danny Parry 1, Chris Darbey 1

Ross Stevens 1 and Ashley Jones 1

James Lyons on for Ashley Jones

Chris Lloyd on for Karl Davies

Unused subs Matt Hunt Craig Evans

Matt offered his services to go in goal along with Captain Nathan; we decided to go with Matt as he has played competitively in his younger days. With the formations and team selection going around in my head the organisation and preparation wasn’t to the usual high standards we have set, things didn’t get any better when we eventually found the pitch. Looking at Aston’s website and the structure they have in place I expected to find a well run and organised set up, but my illusions where shattered when we asked where the changing facilities where, we were told either in the car park or in the pub! as there was none available. We took the unusual stance of issuing the shirts to the lads before the warm up due to the poor facilities the last time we were forced into this was the Shotton away fixture on the opening day of the season and we all know what happened there.
 Now to the game, the pitch was very wet and the wind was quite fierce at times after only two minutes Karl had his first test and with too much eagerness to get the ball gave away a free kick, which was delivered, with some accuracy to find the head of Aston’s captain who headed wide. After escaping this scare Nathan won the ball in the middle of the park, dropped his shoulder turned away from his marker and played a god ball to Darbey who managed to control and knock a first time ball in to the box, which was defended well. In the 7th minute with Hobbo away with the first team Danny has taken responsibility with our free kicks and put in a delightful ball which Sion could have finished if he knew how to. Then Aston took control of the game and from our throw in they won the ball with their very impressive number 7 running at our defence who laid it off to their captain who chipped the advancing Matt to make it 1-0.
 Aston played the ball in the air a lot and this was working for them but it never works for us so why we try it I will never know and for about five minutes we couldn’t get hold of the ball but when we did we Sion played a good ball into AJ who headed just wide. A bizarre incident in the 17th minute highlighted the fact that we were without a recognised goal keeper, as Matt collected the ball easily he then decided to drop it to his feet, which we thought he would just knock forward but when he was put under pressure in a moment of madness he picked the ball up forgetting the rules which gifted Aston a free kick in our penalty area, fortunately for us this was drilled wide and we went unpunished. Again Aston attacked and when a long throw in was flicked on at the near post they were unlucky not to make it 2-0, we were absorbing so much pressure it was unbelievable and in the 30th minute Aston played the ball into the box which Karl cleared for a corner which was whipped in but Nathan managed to head clear. At this point Aston were the better team as we hadn’t got started but when we put a bit of football together we looked dangerous Ross received the ball to his feet for the first time he then turned his marker well took it to the corner flag and picked out Nathan with a pin point cross who controlled well but screwed his shot wide of the upright. Aston attacked again and after missing two chances of stopping their attack they shot just over and another chance went begging for them.
 With Aston having so much of the ball and possession oddly this seemed to work in our favour as they hit the 35th minute and tired rapidly, this coincided with us getting into the game. Nathan started to force his way into the game after a slow start by his standards, and he won a great tackle in the middle of the park then released Phil who went on one of his famed runs and dinked a good little ball to Darbs whose shot was blocked for a corner, this was taken low into Ross who shot goal wards which was blocked again but it fell to Scott who managed to shoot low and hard but sadly just wide. By now we had certainly got into this game and as the game edged to half time we were awarded a free kick which Danny delivered well, Phil got on the end of it, who headed goal wards but after beating everyone he was denied by the post and after the goal line scramble that followed AJ bundled the ball over the line and made it 1-1, this was the score going into half time.

The half time team talk covered the usual stuff but this week we reminded the lads that some players hadn’t played for a while and some were playing out of position, the first half saw Aston with a lot of possession and hey frustrated us in the first half in the second half we expected to dominate the game play our style and get the 3 points. After 4 minutes of the restart Scott gave away a silly free kick, luckily though Aston didn’t punish us a shot just wide. We had settled down and had a bit more composure on the ball we played some good football and when Danny found Darbs with a smart little ball, Darbs headed inside to Ross who pulled he trigger and smashed the ball into the face of their centre half. Then in the 58th minute Darbey knocked a good corner in which Phil powered goal wards but was palmed away by Aston’s keeper. We were now on top for the first time of the match another good pass by Danny to AJ saw him force a corner which was whipped in by the energetic Lloydy, which AJ met, but he headed wide. With the introduction of Lloydy we had width and pace and no defence likes someone running at you with the pace Lloydy possess in the 64th minute Lloydy was brought down Scott this time took the set piece and again AJ got on the end of it but again failed to convert. The football on show now was much better and when the ball was cut back by Darbs to Ross who calmly drilled in a shot which their number 3 tried everything to stop but with his efforts he handled the ball and we were awarded a pen, up stepped Danny who dispatched a very good pen which made it 1-2.
 We were forcing everything and when the ball was cleared up field to Ross, he controlled the ball well turned inside but was halted slightly with a very good tackle but with his pace and strength he won the ball back passed to AJ who squared to Darbs but as he was about to strike for a certain goal the ball bobbled over his foot and the chance went begging. The second half was much better and as we gained possession of the ball we looked like we could score each time we broke forward, Danny was trying to open up the play on every occasion he had by spraying the ball out to Darbey or to Lloydy on the right, Darbey had another chance which he shot just over with. In the 83rd minute Danny found Darbey again with a delightful ball with the outside of the foot but again Darbey was denied by Aston’s keeper who pulled off a cracking save. With the lead the lads played with freedom and confidence, Phil passed to Ross who again cut inside his marker and forced he keeper to make a save but he cold only push the ball into Darbey’s path and he had a simple tap in to make it 1-3. Aston by this point were dead on their feet and tired pass back to their keeper saw him being closed down by AJ which forced him to rush is kick which he got all wrong and presented it to Ross who slotted home to make it 1-4.

This was a good result in the end after all the messing about before the game, another win on the road and another grateful three points. Next week we face a tough away game against Blaenau Ffestiniog from the Gwynedd league, in the Junior Cup his will be our biggest test so hopefully we will have a strong squad to pick from.