They say football is a game of two halves... and this certainly was!! In the first half Saints competed all over the park and had the early chances but it was Staines that took the lead when slack marking at a corner allowed a Staines player to head home unopposed. Saints stormed up field and Tom flashed a shot wide. Joe then had a great run ended when the Staines 'keeper brought him down but Alex M’s penalty kick was saved by the Staines 'keeper. However still we kept plugging away and eventually we equalised when Tom finished a great move with a strong run and shot.
Second half and what a disaster!!!!!. We just shut down and allowed Staines to dominate the play and most of their five goals were caused by set plays that we just did not defend in any shape or form. We allowed players to get the ball under control while showing them the outside instead of making a tackle. When we did have the ball our passing was going astray and not to feet. This was not a display worthy of calling a Saints performance. There were only a handful of players that worked for the cause today. Martin, Josh, Chris, Mike D, Tom, Alex and Joe - the rest were well below the standard expected. How they played as they did in the first half and then put in a performance like that in the second is beyond me!!
It really looks like too many late nights and lack of fitness. Our chances of picking up a reward for this season are fast disappearing and will be non-existent if we carry on like this. We played 4-4-2 because the boys wanted to... maybe I should not have listened and kept our tried and trusted formation!
Man of the Match - Martin Peters
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