Squad stretched but still too good for Whyteleafe.
Once the fog had cleared and the frost had melted the Colts team were ready to play. With 3 absentees, potentially it could have been much harder than it was, but the Colts squad were just too strong for Whyteleafe.
The Colts had to make changes to accommodate the players available so we reverted back to 4-4-2 and within 7 minutes we were off and running. Following a stray pass forward the ball was going out or so most of us thought, except Scott that was! He chased it down, kept it in, looked up and delivered the perfect cross for Stuart to rifle it home with his right foot. Superb work from Scott. 1-0 and game on.
The football at times today was wonderful on a tricky pitch in the first half. Remy put in his best performance for a while with a very solid display at the back. Ollie, George and David were well on top of the Whyteleafe attack. Richard and Jack O worked hard in the middle with Frank spoiling a lot of the Whyteleafe moves.
When we won a corner in the 14th minute we decided to let Richard take it and what an inspired decision it turned out to be. Remy met the cross and slammed it against the post but was quick enough to get to the rebound as well, to score his first goal of the season and double our lead on 14 minutes. 2-0.
Whyteleafe replied with a goal, as a sliced shot looped up and over Rhys into an empty net. 2-1 and 19 minutes played.
This only inspired our boys to go on the attack again with Nathan chasing down a through ball to nip in front of the keeper, go round him and slot it home as cool as you like. 3-1 on the 20-minute mark which is how it remained at half time.
As the pitch became sticky so did the ball and the football in the second half wasn’t quite as good. All the football that could be played came from the Colts and when Stuart set up Nathan’s second goal of the game in the 41st minute we were home and dry. James came on to test his muscle injury and started running rings round the Whyteleafe defence, that’s sorted then!!
A comfortable victory with 3 missing players, as we remain top of the league.
MoM nominations included Remy, Richard, Scott and Frank but Stuart won it for taking on and beating 2 or 3 defenders with a great show of physical strength time and again today. Cracking stuff.