26th January 2008
Llandudno Junction Reserves v Shotton Steel

This week saw a shake up with the First team squad and a change of formation, this saw Dan Parry being promoted to the first team after some excellent performances in recent weeks and the Priestley Brothers coming into the Reserves setup so the squad this week was a follows:-

Mike Hughes
Tony Priestley, Scott Jones ©, Phil Williams 1 MOM, Matt Hunt
Sion Watson, Steve Priestley, Ross Stevens, Chris Darbey
Chris Lloyd 1 and Matt Hughes 1

Craig Evans on for Chris Lloyd
Ashley Jones on for Sion Watson
Unused subs Karl Davies and Aaron Jones

Back to the Home of Football for our league cup fixture v Shotton Steel, this was our opportunity to put right what we severely got wrong on the opening day of the season when Shotton beat us 6-1. After making some tough decisions on how to set up the team due to the fact both our inspirational Centre midfielders were both unavailable today, we decided to go with the above eleven, as we named the team, panic was setting in on some of the lads faces which is nice to see, as this shows me the lads want play and do well I believe it also raised their games as Sion Watson and Chris Lloyd were both exceptional.
 After a slight delay due to the original Referee getting a puncture and a replacement Referee was found we got the game under way, we started quite brightly which is a refreshing change as usually we are notoriously slow starters. After some early pressure we created some good football down the left hand side which Darbey switched the play with a magnificent ball to Tony, which he controlled and fed a good little ball to Sion who beat his man and put a good cross into the box which Lloydy got his head too but he put it just wide. With Lloydy playing up front with Matt it gave him license to run freely and when he popped up on the left hand side and collected the ball he got his head down and ran to the by line which was crudely ended as he was clipped by the full back, we were awarded a free kick which Darbey took and Ross headed goal wards but this attempt was cleared off the line. The lads seemed to be in a great frame of mind and some of the football was a joy to watch, in the 17th minute we should have taken the lead, after some good work again by Sion he played a good ball to Lloydy who opened up his body as if to shoot but slotted Darbey in who was caught in two minds what to do but unfortunately skied his shot or cross over. We kept on playing well and Tony fitted in well at right back and had an instant understanding with Sion who created a good partnership down the right hand side, our next attack was started with a Captain for the day Scott who played a fantastic ball to Darbs who delivered a first time cross which everyone missed.
In the 22nd minute we saw our first but definitely not last comedy moment of the match, when the tough talking John Blundell sorry Sion Watson crunched into a tackle, and he took out everyone including his own player Matt, the funny thing was, the way Matt fell to the ground he went down slower than my ex Mrs., with his arms flailing like a an ostrich on speed. After so much of the play in the opening twenty minutes we needed to score to settle the lads down, in the 26th minute Ross won the ball in the centre of the park who then side stepped his marker and passed the ball to Sion who went on one of his mazy runs infield then released Darbey with a fine through ball who crossed well and Lloydy nodded home to make it 1-0. This was a good reward for all the effort that was put in the opening quarter of the game and we stayed on top when Darbey had a very good shot deflected into the keeper’s arms, this was the key for Shotton to kick into gear after their number 7 waltzed through the middle of the park he unleashed a cracking shot which just went wide. Again we created down the right hand side and this time Sion found Swampy in acres of space in the middle of the field he turned smartly and rifled a terrific shot which the keeper pushed onto the cross bar and out for a corner. We were getting sloppy and giving the ball away too much and when we gave the ball to their number 5 he played a good ball forward and Shotton went on a counter attack with their number 10 shooting wide after being put under pressure by Scott and Mike. As half time approached Shotton were awarded a free kick just inside our half which was delivered with pace and accuracy but thankfully their number 9 couldn’t apply the finishing touch, 1-0 at half time with the game still very open.
The halftime chat saw the usual information being exchanged and both Peter, the Captain and I making valid points and he very vocal Tony chipping with some good words of advice we made a tactical switch regarding set pieces and talked about what we expected for the next forty five minutes. Straight from the kick off we attacked and created a very god opportunity to make it 2-0 but the attack was stopped de to a tight off side, again our football was very good a Swampy was getting more and more involved in the game as he was getting used to the players around him. This was highlighted when Ross won the ball in the centre of the park and got his head up and passed to Swampy who beat his man and who found Sion with a delightful pass, Sion ran at the Shotton defence and as Tony overlapped which Sion used as a decoy he shot just over, this was the sort of football we have come to expect this season good, full of pace and full of flair. In the 58th minute we won a corner which no one seemed to want to take, Swampy decided to take control of the situation and delivered a cracking cross which Phil met with a fantastic header and made it 2-0.
Although we had changed the team around quite a bit this week the lads seemed to enjoy he new roles they were given, Ross was very unlucky when he skipped past two players and hit a great shot which the keeper managed to block. After some very good pressure high up the pitch Sion managed to win the ball and hit another shot goal wards but yet again he missed the target. Our control of the game was very good and we dictated the pace throughout the match Swampy was now pulling the strings in the middle and Matt was very unlucky not to score when Swampy picked him out with a disguised pass. We seemed to stop everything that Shotton threw at us and Phil showed what a good footballer he is when he stopped a Shotton attack and carried the ball forward always looking what was on and when he spotted Matt make his move he picked him out a great pass which Matt slotted home and made it 3-0. Five minutes later Matt could have made it 4 when his fine strike was just tipped around the post by their keeper. Shotton created some chances late on and gained a few corners but we defended well and cleared our lines well, we brought on AJ and Beef for the very impressive Sion and Lloydy who both had ran their socks off. In the closing stages of the game Shotton managed to get a consolation goal when Shotton’s Jay Joinson smashed home from a tight angle which the lads were unhappy about as in the build up the Referee had missed a deliberate hand ball by the goal scorer.
Final score 3-1

All the lads listened to what was said at half time and carried out the instructions with the desired result, Swampy and Tony fitted in well next week sees us at Home again when we have a tough game versus the very impressive Prestatyn Town.