With a strong squad this week, we turned up for our 2nd home game of the season with confidence but knowing that we needed a good performance against a team in form and who also had a strong squad. The brief in the changing room was to start well, with pace and get at AFC and put them under pressure…..sadly that did not happen. On the first attack from AFC (30 seconds in to the game) Terry failed to win his header and as the ball went round the back of our defence the AFC winger was first to the ball and the cross into the box was met by a AFC player and his strike hit the back of the net 1-0 to AFC. The start really put us on the back foot and AFC cam e again and after 5 minutes we were 2-0 down and we were looking round at each other asking what the hell just happened. AFC were moving the ball around well and using the width well and they were still hurting our back line and 2 more quick goals followed before the ½ hour. 4-0 to AFC before we were even in the game. Nigel, Oli & Bruce were trying to get some football going but we just couldn’t create anything. Jerome was getting out numbered up top and Nigel had to drop deeper into midfield. We did finally create some chances and they were coming from Homer beating his man and running at the defence but his strikes were off target. AFC scored a 5th goal and I was starting to forget how they were scoring now but at half time it was 5-0 to AFC.
The half team talk was strong and Franny encouraged his players to improve in the second half and to start playing for the game next week….this game was already lost.
The second half started and we started really well. Jon hall was starting to beat his man out wide and get round the back of the AFC defence. On his second break he crossed the ball to Nigel in the box whose strike was not clean and the keeper saved but the ball fell to Jerome who volleyed it home 5-1 and we had started the second half well. However, it was shorted lived as we pushed forward, we were getting caught at the back and the ball was being played around with pace by AFC and we were missing our tackles. The game then continued like the first half and AFC were creating chance after chance. Goals followed and AFC scored a 6th and 7th. Despite the result, Jon was having a good game in goal and he was making some great saves and on at least 5 goals scored managed to save the first shot only for the rebound to fall to an AFC player. Franny made some changes due to knocks and injuries. JT came on at left back and Shrek replaced Ben at centre back. Pattison replaced Oli who had been having a good game…trying to win the ball and battle in the middle. Iain (little cloggs) also replaced Homer. The game continued and we were starting to loose our shape and AFC were exploiting this well and scored 2 further goals. The final score was a hugely disappointing 9-1 beating for the Trees.
After the highs of 2 weeks ago, we were now all feeling very disappointed with our performance.


Scorer – J.Thompson
MOM – Oliver Finch