14/02/2010 - Report by Steve Hill

Report: FC Village 2 New Brighton 4

The Village's first League match for nearly 4 months was against the team they last played in the League and once again some controversial decisions would go against them and cost them something from the game. With yet another two weeks gone by since they last played the team had to make several changes to the side due to injury and other commitments. With Kano still out injured they gave a debut to young keeper Jack Hughes who has been playing for the 6-a-side team and he would do well in his first senior game. Back after long lay offs were Jack’s namesake Chris for his first game since the opening match, Nick after his car crash and Maggot got a place on the subs bench to join Matty W and Niko in the hope he might get a run out before he goes in for his knee operation.

On a pretty good playing surface for this time of year it was the visitors who started the better probably due to the fact that they had played the week before and it took a while for the home side to get going. By this time Brighton had had two goals chalked off for offside but then they got the benefit of a third effort and this one stood giving them the lead. The Village now kick started their way in to the game and thought that they had equalized when Jim Bob burst through and lashed home but the ref pulled it back for offside.

Still trailing at the interval the Village started the better of the two sides for the second period and as they took control it seemed it was just a matter of time before they would score. They got their reward midway through the half when Cairnsy weaved his magic in the area and cut the ball back for Jim Bob to rifle in from close range for his first goal for the club. With Matty getting cramp he made way for Maggot to make his first and last appearance of the season as he was due in hospital the following week for his operation and the stage was set for him to get a goal. And would you believe it, five minutes after coming there was Maggot in the six yard box doing what he does best and firing home from a corner to put the Village 2-1 ahead. Instead of being able to close the game down now the Village suffered several blows in quick succession as first Jim Bob had to go off due to the bad tackle he had got in the first half and then Nick got sent off by the ref when he had only booked a Brighton player in the first half for the same offence. Down to 10 men the side went to three at the back and then were caught on the break although the Brighton forward looked well offside but the ref waved play and after Jack had made two brilliant saves the ball appeared to have been hacked off the line by Chris but the ref awarded a goal to level the scores. Then Brighton broke away again and once more the ref waved aside the appeals by the Village when the forward looked well offside and the visitors had regained the lead. Things got even worse for the Village as Stewy was replaced by Matty W and then they went down to 9 men as Maggot’s knee gave way and he had to go to the sidelines. Their day was summed up in the final few minutes when Matty W and Jack got themselves in a twist with a back pass and Brighton made the most of it to score a fourth. Minutes later it was all over and once again the Village were ruing some strange decisions in a game against New Brighton.

Team Line-up: Hughes(J): Hughes(C), Whorton, Fletcher, Morrell(Stewart)(Ward); Morrell(Scott)), Stenhouse, Easterbrook, Cairns; Thomas(Watkinson), Smith(Eaton)
Subs not used:- Saunders

More photos from this game click here