After a tricky start to the season, a weekend off was much appreciated and the return to games brought Ely 1s. After a win at home and a high-scoring draw at the end of the last season, we were hopeful this would be the game to get our season moving upwards. The skies were clear and a warm-up including a small-sided game ensured spirits were high, however there were dark clouds on the horizon come pushback...

The weather broke shortly after the match began and a rainy spell brought some extra speed to the pitch, but we were left with a few struggling for grip in the conditions. The first 10 mins or so passed without too much trouble. We had plenty of possession and opportunities to create chances, but as has been a theme this season, we struggled to create outcomes from our attacks. Unfortunately, Ely had no such issue. Their forwards were doing their best to drag our screens and defence out of position and had great pace on the counter. For this, they were rewarded with 2 goals before the end of the first half.

While we went into the break 2-0 down, all was not lost as we resolved to work on our formation in the second half and aimed to take advantage of the possession that was relatively freely offered to us. We had been transferring fairly well, as well as making short passes around their players, leading to spells where we held the ball for longer than we had all season so. Unfortunately, the game is not won on possession and we needed to score early to get back into the match. Fed up with waiting, Ed took matters into his own hands, tackling one of their players inside their half and starting a run towards top D. With only a couple of defenders in his way, this could have been the chance we were waiting for. Most of the players on the pitch were still, watching Ed carry the ball towards their goal, but this was mainly because we were all waiting for the whistle that inevitably came as Ed had just won the ball by tackling the man who took a free hit right next to him, a mere yard or two away.

The game gradually slipped further away from us as they scored another two in fairly quick succession, passing the ball around our keeper with little to be done against their extra numbers and well-placed players on the posts. Pete would prevent their clean sheet through a well-placed drag flick to the bottom right corner, which improved morale somewhat, but with our 1s watching on the sideline the game ended 5-1, their final goal almost ending in disaster for the player sliding towards the back post. Thankfully for him, he snuck between the post and Stanley, touching the ball in before he rebounded off the backboard.

Next week brings a trips to March, where we'll once again try to get our season back on track