Team:
1. B Henderson
2. N Comerford
3. Allan Shepherd
4. M McGeehan
5. Neil Strachan
6. Gregory Valiant
Game 1: Caledonia 9 Invicta 8
Per 1: 2 4
Per 2: 2 1 ( 4 –5 )
Per 3: 4 2 ( 8 – 7)
Per 4: 1 1 (9 – 8)
Goal scorers |
Exclusions |
Extra man situations |
|
|
Ali Campbell 3 |
D Baxter 2 |
Gained 7 |
Conceded 7 +2 pen |
|
Callum Fraser 2 |
M McGeehan 1 |
Scored 2 |
Goals lost 0 |
|
Ryan Laird 2 |
N Strachan 1 |
Success 28% 1 goal lost |
Success 100% |
|
N Strachan 1 |
S Adams 1 |
||
|
Veselin Voynov 1 |
R Laird 1 |
||
|
|
A Shepherd pen |
||
|
|
V Voynov pen |
||
Comment:
This was an Excellent performance in what was a must win game. The team worked hard throughout and after weathering a high tempo Invicta start where they went 5-2 up early in the second gradually crept back into the game to lead 9-7 with 2 mins to go. We missed a man up at this point then had to endure a nervous end as Invicta scored then had a man up with 30 secs to go. In the end it was hard work excellent defence in man down and a little bit of luck with two penalty misses by the opposition.
Game 2: Caledonia 7 Solihull 11
Per 1: 1 3
Per 2: 1 7 ( 2 – 7)
Per 3: 2 1 (4 – 8)
Per 4: 3 3 (7 – 11)
Goal scorers |
Exclusions |
Extra man situations |
|
|
Steve Adams 2 |
Allan Shepherd 1 |
Gained 6 |
Conceded 4 |
|
Calum Fraser 1 |
M McGeehan 1 |
Scored 2 |
Goals lost 2 |
|
N Comerford 1 |
V Voynov 1 |
Success 33%
|
Success 50%
|
|
Ryan Laird 1 |
D Baxter 1 |
||
|
Ali Campbell 1 |
|
||
|
Greg Valiant 1 |
|
||
|
|
|
||
Comment:
This was a very disappointing performance, particularly so when we had given ourselves a chance to miss the play off with an earlier victory. Fair play to Reading they raised their game for the second time against us this season and deserved their win. Ours was a very disjointed performance. The team could not be faulted for effort but for the most part our play lacked cohesion and composure with many extra man situations squandered after exclusion and during counter attack situations. This was particularly true in the first half of the game as we missed at one end, Reading scored at the other and by half time had established a 7-2 lead which despite a partial comeback in the end proved unassailable.
Game 3: Caledonia 9 Leeds 13
Per 1: 2 2
Per 2: 1 5 ( 3 – 7)
Per 3: 4 2 (7 – 9)
Per 4: 2 4 ( 9 – 13)
Goal scorers |
Exclusions |
Extra man situations |
|
|
Ali Campbell 2 |
G Valiant 1 |
Gained 9 + 1 pen |
Conceded 3 |
|
Greg Valiant 2 |
S Adams 1 |
Scored 5 + 1 pen |
Goals lost 2 |
|
Matt McGeehan 2 |
R Laird 1 |
Success 56%
|
Success 33 % |
|
Ryan Laird 1 |
|
||
|
Ves Voynov 1(p) |
|
||
|
N Strachan 1 |
|
||
Comment:
This was almost a very good performance. We started the game strongly and although drawing at the end of period 1, on chances created we should have been ahead. The second period was a disaster. We countered strongly throughout, off a drop defence which limited the oppositions centre forward in set up play, but unfortunately we kept missing often due to wrong shot selection allowing their centre forward a free shot at our end resulting in him scoring 5 goals in a row to lead 7-2. We then rallied and managed to claw the game back to 9-8 down, but after missing an excellent counter then man up chance resulting in goals against each time they pulled ahead to 11-8 and finally our energy to run counter attack ran out and they closed the game out.
Reflection:
This was a weekend that started so promisingly but ended in disappointment with a second bottom place and a possible play off against Sutton and Cheam or Newton Abbott on Saturday 9th December in Aldershot. The team cannot be faulted for effort but a lack of consistent composure and firepower in front of goal meant that missed chances at one end resulted in goals at the other. I think it fair to say that our organised defence was very strong but our organised attack not strong enough to put sufficient pressure on the opposition. High workrate did result in 22 exclusions but a strike rate of 40% did prove costly. It is hoped that all can now make themselves available for the play off and make the arranged training dates which will be published shortly.
Running totals:
|
Player |
Played |
Goals scored |
Exclusions |
|
B Henderson |
14 |
|
Pen saved |
|
D Baxter |
14 |
6 |
9 |
|
A Shepherd |
8 |
3 |
8 |
|
M McGeehan |
11 |
4 |
3 |
|
N Strachan |
9 |
12 |
4 |
|
S Adams |
11 |
7 |
7 |
|
V Voynov |
14 |
8 |
8 |
|
R Laird |
6 |
13 |
4 |
|
S Carlile |
13 |
4 |
3 |
|
M Speed |
5 |
8 |
7 |
|
A Campbell |
11 |
16 |
1 |
|
C Fraser |
14 |
36 |
3 |
|
A Woodall |
3 |
|
|
|
S Metcalfe |
2 |
|
|
|
D Stewart |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
N Comerford |
6 |
1 |
3 |
|
G Valiant |
6 |
7 |
3 |
|
F Labate |
3 |
|
|
Alan Donaldson