From: www.maineroadfc.com


02/12/2011 - AFC Mk11 Come To Brantingham Road


After defeating AFC Liverpool in their last game, Road entertain another ‘AFC’ in the form of Blackpool tomorrow. Like the Merseysiders, the Seasiders are also new boys to the Premier league, but they have settled into life in the higher league a little easier than our previous opponents. AFC Blackpool lie in a very solid 7th position with 33 points. Road lie a whole 8 places below them in 15th position, but are only 7 points behind and have three games in hand.

Road’s current form is better than Blackpool’s, having won four of the last five games, whereas AFC have only managed a single point from their last three encounters. The point was gained at Winsford last weekend, but it looks like our visitors were unlucky in that Winsford equalised with a 90th minute penalty. Prior to that, AFC had lost at home to both high flying Ramsbottom and surprisingly to lowly Stone Dominoes

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MAINE ROAD F.C.
South Manchester's Premier Club

2-2, a definite game of two halves.
Obviously the seasiders were more used to playing skyball than us as they dominated the wind affected first half going two up after only 13 minutes.
Their first was a cross from our left that Greg appeared to have held but somehow it slipped from his grasp and fell nicely to one of their forwards who buried it.
A minute later we were two down, a deep cross was volleyed goalwards, Greg saved but again a tangerine was on hand to knock it over the line.
Road hit back and Tom was unlucky to see his neat chip hit the bar and bounce to safety.
Their keeper was called into action a couple of times but Greg was the busier of the two custodians.

Young Connor was replaced by Liam at the start of the second half and his extra strength added to his ability to run at defenders and turn them was a catalyst for our revival.
With the wind almost non existant now, Road started paling the ball on the deck and immediately began to reap the rewards.
Andy made a strong run from midfield and was brought down from behind in the area. The referee pointed to the spot but amazingly issued no card for the tackle that blatently denied a goalscoring opportunity.
Brocky stepped up and confidently sent the keeper the wrong way.
Tom and Matty up front worked their socks off and Tom deservedly brought us level with a great turn and left footed shot into the opposite corner of the net.
It was all Maine Road and Andy was twice denied, once by the bar as he crashed a great shot against it and secondly by the keepers feet.
Blackpool were hanging on by their fingernails for the last 20 minutes but somehow they managed to come away with a share of the spoils.
A disappointing first half but the second 45 was worth the admission alone, well done lads you showed great spirit to come back and deserved all three points.

Just a word about the referee, very quick to book two of our players in the first half for a couple of innocuous challenges while letting Blackpool get away with quite a bit. It might have helped if his linesmen had got involved in the game, unless he had told them to let him make all the decisions.

Yeh, I can't argue with the above match report, just about on the nail.

Connor was struggling with the physical side of things, it was a logical substitution and it's nothing the lad should get down about; we had to make a change.

AFC's first goal came from a free kick that should never have been given. I don't know how Greg spilled it but we still had a chance to clear and didn't. The second again, I didn't think it was a save as such, the ball seemed to squirm out of his hands. AFC just overpowered us in the first half, but we hung on coz conceding a third might have killed it. The second half, with Liam on, we looked balanced (had he started would we have won...?) and we played very well. We had chance after chance, hit the bar, couple of shots blocked, couple of great saves from the keeper... But, being 0-2 at HT, can't moan about only getting a point in the end. It was a good point.

And we still don't play down the 'Leaky Creaky' flank. Why? One moment in the game summed this situation up; we had a player in space on the flank waiting to attack the penalty area and the man in possession turned and played a showbiz ball right across to the other flank and straight to a Tangerine. Mystifying. One short pass and there's a cross going in the box...

The referee and his 'assistants' were abysmal. We had this situation against St. Helens here as well. How is a player, standing still, waiting for a high ball to come down and then having a defender jump over the top of him, committing a foul on said defender? Not backing up, not moving - standing still. And when the EXACT same thing happens again the other way around, he gives the reverse decision? Mystifying.

Digression: Did anyone see Luiz for Chelsea - last man, hauls down Newcastle striker in on goal, gets... a yellow card. At 0-0 as well. Shameful.

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Leaky Creaky Ultra

Thanks for those guys. Alex said much the same when he met with us at The Bulls Head after the game. I'm at The Etihad now (short break from punishing schedule, honest!) . Not sure whether Alex's video efforts are online yet, but will do our best to get things up to date asap. Down at Brantingham (weather permitting) tomorrow to paint that orange/brown storecabin a more friendly on the eye colour.

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MAINE ROAD F.C.
South Manchester's Premier Club

Video Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPU1zpaQoP0

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MAINE ROAD F.C.
South Manchester's Premier Club

Nice reporting and comments, makes for good reading this end.
Liked the video, bit of a "Sergio" in the lead up to the goal, all the twisting and turning in the box!!!.
An excellent shot against the cross bar, plenty of good attcking efforts on camera and a couple of good saves by their keeper.
Nice to see they didn't give up and secured a point.
Well done MRFC.


"Play up you BLUES!!"

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From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"