MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
FAITHFOLD DOCMM WHITE 2 MLFC BLUE 3
In their pre-match teamtalk, MLFC managers Max Kyte and Laurence Judah told the players: "about the importance of hard work. The successful teams in the league, and any league for that matter, are the ones who work hard for each other on and off the pitch. The attitude was taken into the warm up and onto the pitch."
MLFC took control of the game from the outset and retained the ball nicely. Faithfold held firm as a unit and looked to cause problems on the counter, but the MLFC back four were always primed and dealt with any threats.
Faithfold took the lead, however, when the MLFC goalkeeper’s clearance was too low and fell into the path of an oncoming Faithfold player who quickly fired back into an open net.
MLFC remained calm and continued to play in the same manner as before. Before long, after keeping the ball for 15 passes, the ball was played out wide to Adam Hassanali who whipped in a powerful cross for man-of-the-match Kohler to nod home past the keeper.
While MLFC continued to have the lionshare of the ball, Faithfold managed to get another before half-time. A corner was whipped in with the cleared header not making it outside the box, and the loose ball was fired towards goals in the bottom corner and the man on the line couldn’t get his feet right to clear it.
Half-time came and MLFC took the opportunity to discuss tactics, the wind, and how they would use both to our benefit.
With 20 minutes to go, Kohler scored a fantastic free-kick from 30 yards, striking the underside of the cross bar and igniting MLFC’s desire to go for the win.
Faithfold had another change with three minutes to go, a ball being whipped across the face of the goal but no striker took a gamble and it went out for a throw. From there, MLFC worked the ball up the pitch, almost every player having a touch, before Kohler received the ball on the turn, held off his man and struck with the outside of his boot past the keeper, sealing the win and completing his hattrick with one minute left on the clock.