Men's 1st XI vs Blackheath & Elthamians M2

Sun, stress and suspicious passing

After a comfortable home win against Gillingham, Cliftonville were back on the road for the final time this season, this time travelling to Blackheath. A strong side who can undoubtedly cause problems, especially if Ville were anything less than fully switched on. With the season drawing to a close, the teams no longer had to worry about frozen hands shattering on contact with the ball, but instead had to contend with the heat and, for this match in particular, a sun that decided to sit front row and blind every Cliftonville player for the entire first half.

The conditions caused issues. Cliftonville are at their best when they move the ball quickly and sharply, but that becomes far more difficult when players cannot clearly see which figure belongs to which team. Even so, the first ten minutes saw Ville put together some promising passages of play, although none of them resulted in a breakthrough. The signs were positive.

The opening goal eventually came when Cowelly stepped forward from centre back and found space at the top of the opposition 23. He fired a low, hard ball into the D, which struck Isaac and fell kindly to Mees, who sent it across the face of goal for Harry to finish at the back post. A strong start, and Cliftonville built on it with a superb short corner. Isaac delivered a flick at top backboard height and Dan Vinson deflected it past both the postman and the keeper. Textbook.

The half was not entirely one way. Blackheath’s movement in midfield created moments where players were left unmarked and able to break forward. The defence held firm for the most part, but the pressure eventually told. With the largest object in the solar system acting like a flash bang in a phone box, a loose ball skipped over a defender’s stick and fell to a surprised striker who knocked it past the keeper. Cliftonville went into halftime 2–1 up, slightly less comfortable than they would have liked, but with the advantage of playing downhill in the second half there was plenty to be optimistic about.

Ville’s attack in the second half looked far more like its usual self. They created a series of chances, particularly from short corners, and Isaac converted another with a low strike to the keeper’s right. Unfortunately, that would be the final addition to the scoreline, meaning the push to reach the big 100 goals for the season would have to wait.

The sun setting on a 3–1 win and a successful end to their away campaign.

SQUAD:

·        Dan Mees (Capt), Archie Bates, Tom Cawdron, Alex Cowell, Isaac Dilkes, Harry Harrison, Tom Harrison, Charlie Morgan, Alex Newson, James Provins, Archie Sellwood-Adams, Jamie Ullyett.