Stalemate at Aston
Posted by Aidan Dowen on 14 November 2018
Team inconsistencies caused havok as second placed West Brom hosted third place Lichfield. The home side were once again missing several key players as they faced off against fellow poromotion candidates, Lichfield 5ths. With skipper, Josh Dowen absent this week, responsibilities fell to brother, Aidan to rally the stags to deliver the result. Disaster struck early as a disorganised West Brom conceeded more-or-less from the push back. A direct ball through middle, caught out both the defence and the goalkeeper. The visitors were ahead.
The inital game plan was scrapped and players were reverted back to more familiar positions. Despite their best efforts West Brom struggled to create chances and were often caught in possession. The home side never really seemed to step out of 1st gear and continued to be their own worst enemy. Eventually Their luck changed and a penalty corner saw the stags equalise. A standard short corner routine, found Pete Icke at the top of the D, who slipped it to Jack Reeves to flick the ball past the oposition goalkeeper. The equaliser changed the momentum of the game, but unfortunatley the half-time whistle came before another goal and the sides went into the break tied at 1-1.
The home side looked more assertive after the break, showing a bit more fight and the urgency that was so often lacking in the first 35 minutes. Unfortunatley a poor pass, gifted Lichfield the ball with the space to run into the D and put the visitors back in front. The game proved to be tough without the players to link up play between the defence and attack and frustration began to show amongst the West Brom players. However luck shone in their favour once more when Pete Icke found himself with space in the oposition D. On the turn he struck the ball cleanly, to beat the keeper bottom corner.
With ten minutes remaining, both sides seemed content to see the game out, although the home side were granted one last oportunity on goal. Jack Reeves carried the ball forward on the left flank, running at his defender. When his marker slipped on the astroturf, Jack kept his composure and drove into the D. He found Pete on the penalty spot, who unfortunaltey couldn't get the shot out from under his feet.
A missed oportunity to take all 3 points, but a result Lichfield wouldn't have deserved. A point each at the end of the game rounded off a fairly contested game.
Man of the match
Pete Icke - An assist and a goal for the West Brom forward. (Keeping quiet about the chance in the dying minutes.)
