03/09/2023
House come out 4-1 winners on opening day.
House opened the season with a first minute goal. After winning the ball high up the pitch. Henry Branston shifted the ball wide to Neil Bennett who pulled back to George Taylor to go 1-0 up.
Branston then made it 2-0 shortly after, latching onto a through ball, cutting inside and finishing inside the keeper.
House made it 3 after Si had a shot and with Taylor got out of the way to see the shot nestle bottom corner. The flag went up and the ref was steadfast that Taylor was not interfering as was well out of the keepers eye line. The ref the got shouted at and changed his mind. A pre cursor of what was the come perhaps.
Directly from this, Lions caught house napping, seeing their striker nip in with the ball holding up in the 8 inch grass and finish beyond Oliver in goal. Luckily house were able to restore their cushion soon after, as Branston was hauled down in the area and Taylor finished the pen in the absence of Oakes.
The second half saw Lions get back into the game, with a few individual moments of ability from their 9 and wide players. But Oliver in the House goal was well defended by Locker and Reilly, Tom. He was however called upon to make what might already be save of the season in game 1. A ball to the back post. Pulled back across goal, volley to the top corner from 6 yards out but with his body contorting in the air to touch it over the bar.
House the lost their skipper, as *REDACTED* (please don’t fine us) showed yet again how big of a liability he is to player safety. Allowing more and more of the game to get scrappy, and a horror tackle being put in on Aaron Dunkley. His ankle is currently the size of a Madri glass and we wish for his speedy return. *REDACTED* gave only a caution and risked the game becoming chaos as everyone was granted a free leg breaker.
House did manage to get a 4th with Branston converting from a scramble after a corner. Whilst lions had a few shots to test Oliver but he was equal to them with his back line defending valiantly as well. They did have a shout for a goal with hitting the post, the Oliver’s heel, but he managed to recover to claw it back on the line. The Lions players in the box knew it wasn’t over the line. However the subs and back line were apoplectic, screaming that it was clearly over, the Lions players in the box admonished their team mates for their incessant moaning. Ironically, House had one spectacularly cleared off the line mere seconds later, with Anthony Taylor knocking round the keeper. The house players applauded the effort from the lions defender.
The game ended with Oliver making a stupendous save, catching a well hit strike into the top bag at full stretch. With *REDACTED* blowing for full time.
MOTM - Simon Graham
Sponsored by The Fieldhouse
Fraser Oliver - 1
Tom Reilly - 1
Neil Bennett - 2
Henry Branston - 3
George Taylor - 3
James Locker - 3
Simon Graham - 4
DOTD Henry Branston - for missing numerous chances and trying to chip the keeper to avoid his hat trick.
George Taylor - 1
Simon Graham - 1
Jake Dunkley - 2
Alex Price - 2
Ant Taylor - 2
Fraser Oliver - 2
Henry Branston - 3
