Loddon Utd 2 v 0 Kirkley & Pakefield Res. Sat 22nd Feb 2025 2.15pm ko
Scorers: Chrissy (pen), George
Assists: Alex K (won pen), Rob
Loddon: Matt Ayre; Tom Sergeant, Jack Tipple, Bailey Hill, Rob Andersen;
Matthew Webster, Elliott Hannant (c); JJ Godfrey; Harvey Johnson,
Chris Husband, Alex Kounass.
Subs: Lewis Hill, Cameron Hodge, George Pomfret.
Manager: Jake Sharpe Asst: El, Max

Great work on the pitch, overseen by Milo (‘Forks at Dawn’), ensured the game was on even though it was still a little heavy. Two old office workers shifting the dugouts into position was not a pretty sight…as I was one of them and I still hurt.
Serg started us off with a terrific run down the right to win a corner, which Rob and Chrissy challenged for but could not capitalise on. Rob picked up a Kirkley clearance, overlapped on the left, fired in a low cross to the near post where Harv was unlucky with a backheel. Webbo did well covering a counter-attack. Bailey was beaten but then turned and almost casually retrieved possession and played a nice ball forward. El managed a good block as Kirkley pushed us back but fortunately they wasted their corner finding only the side netting. Max plucked out a high ball and another cross but we were largely comfortable in our defending. Max cleared with an ‘Edersonesque’ half-volley straight to Harv who controlled, and held up well, to start a decent move. JJ closed down the visiting keeper who stuttered and got away with conceding a corner from which Chrissy sliced a shot tamely wide. Another attack saw JJ glide into their box, pull the ball back but no-one was able to supply a finish. A shot in reply was easily gathered by Max, before Tipps slid in with a great tackle. On 25 mins a simple ball over the top found Alex K moving into the box, the keeper came and ‘took him out’ and Chrissy calmly slotted home the resultant penalty. 1 – 0
Bailey cut out a cross to concede a corner which was swung in just under the bar. Max did well to back-peddle and palm the ball over the bar; Tipps headed away the corner. JJ covered well at the back but his clearance only found a Kirkley player whose high ball into our box was again judged well by Max who took control.. with one hand!
Kirkley were seeing a little bit more of the ball towards the end of the half. Bailey had to deal with two attackers and did so getting the ball back to Max and making it look easy. JJ, Chrissy, Serg and Harv combined to create something for Alex in their box but his shot was blocked and trickled to the keeper. Bailey was a bit casual on the byeline and had his pocket picked but Rob was on hand to cover and clear the danger. Tipps picked out Rob sprinting down the left, with a peach of a pass, and we won a throw near the corner flag. JJ made a tackle which caused the ball to spill to Harv but he couldn’t get enough power into his shot. Bailey blocked before Chrissy set up Harv to drive a low cross and Alex had a couple of crosses cleared before the break. HT

We should have added another goal or two in the first half but we created few clear chances so of course the visitors were still well in the game. The second half started in similar fashion. JJ retrieved an overhit cross from Alex and found Serg but he couldn’t pick out Chrissy with his cross to the far post. Bailey blocked a Kirkley effort and Webbo was caught late after helping out Chrissy who was surprisingly the one penalised! Harv put in a nice tackle to slow Kirkley down. Webbo won the ball back and lovely play by JJ found Chrissy before Alex lost control higher up the field. Both teams’ final ball often failed to find it’s target and maybe it was Kirkley who looked the more likely to find a goal at this stage. In fact they had a good chance when a forward wiggled through 2 or 3 of us and shot well but Savinus Maximus dived full stretch to his left to fingertip the shot wide on 57 minutes. He was most put out when it was suggested that he didn’t touch it! El cleared the resulting corner and an unchallenged header was put wide from the next cross…a let off for us. El covered and found Harv who beat his man and drove the ball across the face of goal, again no-one to finish it.
On the hour, Chrissy came off, Harv went into the centre and George came onto the right. Serg put in another timely tackle and George was quickly into action. Webbo won a free kick, El swept it sweetly across to Rob who made ground and fired a low cross into the 6 yard box. George arrived with a defender and managed to bundle the ball into the net off a rather delicate part of his anatomy….great to score for the young lad but his celebrations were understandably slightly muted! 2 – 0
This gave us the cushion we needed. Alex had a run at the Kirkley defence and fired a shot…after Sharpey had screamed at him to shoot. The keeper couldn’t hold it but unfortunately nobody was near enough to follow up. The cushion now allowed us to play with a little more freedom. Serg was having a good time along up and down the right, El and Webbo dominated the midfield and Tipps and Bailey gave little away at the back. Rob had to depart after turning his ankle with Alex dropping back and Lewis came onto the left. We kept possession for a while with JJ instrumental, riding tackles and playing 1:2s with Webbo and George. It was a delight to watch the fearlessness and skill of such a young lad. However, JJ’s over enthusiasm earned him a yellow card… and then a well earned rest, as new signing Cameron came on to replace him with 15 mins left. Kirkley still created a couple of half chances as we took our foot off the pedal but Max was not fully tested and Webbo was at his best breaking up Kirkley’s forays forward. Players on both teams were starting to look a bit tired.
Harvey came off and Chrissy went back on. George pressed the goalkeeper well and pinched the ball off him on the byeline but we couldn’t create a chance from it as George was offside when Cameron played the ball back to him. A Kirkley shot was straight at Max and clever ‘game management’ in the shape of extra balls (always annoying when someone else does it) saved a few seconds. Alex blocked, Kirkley skied a wild effort high, Cameron had one shot deflected over the bar, then another fire over the bar, and we survived 5 minutes of added time to chalk up a fouth win on the trot and end the evening in 5th place….not bad bearing in mind we were bottom in October after losing 6 of our first 7 league games.
Not one of our most flamboyant of performances but solid defending, clean sheet for Max and three 17 year olds easily looking the part gave Sharpey plenty to smile about over his post match pint.
Several contenders but the Supporters ‘Musker MoM’, went to our little midfield terrier Webbo for his non stop effort in the middle….and I don’t think he got booked!

Thanks to match sponsors Trevor and Sharyn Summons for their kind support, and nice to see the newly formed ‘Angel Snake Pit’ squad turn up in their numbers (three) to support the lads. Hope you all enjoyed the game. (Perhaps we need some banter between the Angel Snake Pit and Crossway Critics Corner to ramp things up a bit!!)

See you all this Saturday at Jub when we host Holt Utd?
...Five in a row maybe??….JC