PARSONAGE COLTS   1   XCEL A   1 

12-11-2006

ECHO LEAGUE MATCH

The two teams know each other well and how it showed as both teams played with commitment but showed too much respect for one another.

Excel were the hungrier in the first half and had more attacking play.  The rearguard of Grigg and Ragon restricted Xcel to the odd shot from distance but they almost took the lead following a corner and header that hit the top of the bar. 0.0 half time.

Parsonage came out fired up in the 2^nd half and began to put the Xcel defence under pressure.  Three shots from the edge of the box were comfortably dealt with my the Xcel keeper, although one powerful drive spun out of his hands and fizzed inches over the bar.  Just as Parsonage looked like scoring, Xcel broke the deadlock with a free kick that was dipping under the bar before Conner Kane in the Parsonage goal pushed in into his own net. 1.0 Xcel.

Parsonage immediately began to put pressure on the Xcel defence once more, and within minutes were level.  A Tevenan effort across the face of the goal was parried into the path of Lawrence who slotted home from close range.

Parsonage seemed to step off the gas once they got the equaliser and Xcel began to get forward a lot more although chances at this stage were few and far between for both teams.  Ross Cope’s powerful low drive went inches past the xcel post and right at the death Xcel had a header just over the bar.  Finished 1.1

Both teams can play better football than they played today, although the long grass never helped the cause.  It was ironic to see that two of the best goalkeepers in the Echo League made mistakes today that led to both goals.  Neither Manager can claim their team deserved to win and a draw was a fair result.       

Parsonage: Kain, Ragon, Grigg, Bessex, Tevenan, Clark, Lawrence, Cope.