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LEAGUE MATCH
LRBC 0-2 MORLEY
DETERMINED LRBC LOSE TO LATE GOALS
Gareth Carey Jones reports...
Although no side is ever happy with defeat, LRBC will take a lot of heart from their display against Morley. Their willingness to battle hard and press the Morley players all over the pitch kept the game tight and it was late in the game with tired legs and disruptive subsitutions that Morley took full control. The closeness of the scoreline means LRBC are all but guarenteed 7th place in the league which should see them remain the YCFL Premiership (league re-structures permitted).
LRBC were able to field just about their strongest possible line-up and despite a slow start did manage to implement their plan to prevent Morley having the time and space that had allowed them a fairly comfortable victory over LRBC earlier in the season. LRBC withstood a string of early Morley corners and began to apply some pressure of their own but, missing the set-piece skills of David Turner and Joe Wilson, they too were unable to make the break through. The closest they came was when Jez Jarvis well struck volley was pushed away the Morley keeper. LRBCs spell of sustained pressure proved too much for Morley's defender who was needlessly sent off after receiving a second yellow card for dissent. The best chance of the half also fell to LRBC when Jonathan Parkinson's precise through ball set Steve Robinson free on goal, but his left foot shot was well blocked by the 'keeper.
Half time saw LRBC forced to make a forced change, with Ed Jackson having to leave following his most energetic half of the season. His constant pressure on the Morley back four provided the platform for most LRBCs first-half attacks, and LRBC fans will be hoping Jackson's dodgy hamstrings allow him to continue that kind of performance when the new season begins.
Despite being a man down, Morley's superior passing ability and midfield aerial dominance began to tell as the second half wore on, and only a header of the line from Simon Thomson, and a top-class save by Mark Frater from Tim Thomson's misjudged defensive header kept the scores level. LRBC Man of the Match Frater had appeared to have no chance of reaching the ball as it flew towards the top corner but somehow clawed the ball away. Sadly, LRBC were unable to keep Morley at bay for long and from the resulting corner, a lapse of concentration allowed a Morley player to run unchallenged to the near post, and LRBC were unable to clear and the ball scrambled home. By this stage of the game, LRBC were rarely threatening at the other end and any hope they did have of getting back in the game was extinguished when Morley quickly added a second after a break down their right-hand side.
Overall, disappointing not to have taken advantage of the opportunity we gave ourselves by staying in the match for so long, but credit must go to the squad for their willingness to commit to such a tiring game plan. To push the likely league winners so close shows just what can be achieved if the squad stays together and shows that level of determination throughout next season. Fitness levels must be improved over the summer, only then will LRBC gain the confidence and amount of possession they require to be effective at both ends of the pitch.
LRBC Team: M Frater, S Thomson, D Brownnutt, T Thomson, C Murgatroyd (M Fisher 70), G Carey Jones, J Hoy (J Wilson 60), S Robinson, J Jarvis, J Parkinson, E Jackson (A Thorpe 45).
LRBC Man of the Match: M Frater