First clean sheet of the season sets up away win in white!
Our recent improved defensive displays finally ended in a clean sheet and Jack Avery-Bury scored his first goals of the season to ensure the Colts got back to winning ways. Frank was rewarded for his hard work in training and patience with a place in the starting line up and then went on to win Man of the Match!
We looked bright and positive up front today from the first whistle with Nathan pushing hard down the right and Stuart central as usual. It was Stuart who had our best two chances of the first half but both efforts went wide. The longer the game went on the more Addiscombe began to play. The midfield was being over run and the defence under more pressure than they needed to be really.
Addiscombe came closest to opening the scoring when they hit the cross bar just before the break. 0-0 at half time meant changes from the coaches. Scott and Jack O were replaced with Richard and JJ in midfield and Jack Aver-Bury came on in the middle upfront with Stuart replacing James on the left. Michael soon followed on.
These four changes seemed to get the boys back on their toes as Stuarts first shot was deflected into the air, Jack Avery-Bury out jumped the keeper to head into an empty net. At last Jack! 1 nil and all within 60 seconds of the restart. We were finally on our way. As soon as Addiscombe took the centre the new look midfield were straight into them. JJ in the tackle, with Richard moving the ball around and Frank chasing and closing down every lose ball. Wonderful stuff now.
Stuart set up goal number two with a fantastic right footed through ball from the half way line. It was perfect really, Nathan didn’t even have to break stride as he hit it first time into the far top corner of the net. 2 nil 33 minutes played. The Colts now had their tails up and were playing much better football. Richard then found Stuart with a ball through the channels, he cut in and from the left and fired us into a 3 nil lead with 37 minutes on the clock.
The confidence was there for all to see, as we were totally in control of this game. The back four had very little to do as the midfield pushed forward to support Nathan, Jack A-B and Stuart. In yet another attack, Stuart took a quick throw and found JJ just inside his own half, he then ran at the Addiscombe defence skipping past several players before taking a shot, which the keeper saved but spilled. Jack A-B was on hand to tap it over the line. 0-4, 48 minutes played. Before the end we had several more chances to extend our lead but couldn’t take advantage of a heads down Addiscombe team. A cracking second half display inspired by the substitutions.
MoM nominations included JJ, Richard, Stuart, Jack A-B, Nathan and Rhys but the clear winner was Frank. Well done to the whole team.