Tuesday 3rd November 2009
Bloaters Reserves 1, Walsham Le Willows Reserves 3
Facing table-toppers Walsham at the Wellesley on Tuesday, Yarmouth lost their 100% record in a match of two contrasting halves. Indeed the second half was a mirror-image of the first.
Walsham took a 3-0 lead before the break and Yarmouth struggled to make any kind of impact.
The roles were reversed in the second 45 as Walsham were made to defend for 90% of it. Yarmouth may consider themselves a tad unlucky not to have drawn level by the end as Mark Thompson had one “goal” narrowly ruled out for offside and also mishit a centre over the bar from 12 yards. Vida Formoso was a hairs breadth away from converting another cross but Thompson did finally get on the scoresheet, heading home a cross from the left but with only minutes left it was too little, too late, even though substitute Jacob Maitland had the Walsham ‘keeper scrambling to save a last minute shot.
Manager Mark Brooks thought Yarmouth started well: “For the first twenty minutes we were good but a couple of fluky goals set us back. But really we were a bit naïve, lost our shape and gave them too much room. We reorganised at half time, putting Liam (Bartley) down the middle with the full backs going up we showed what we are capable of. But we’ll learn from it and I know these boys have much more to give yet.”
Team – J Sharpe, J Miller, E Short, D Barnes, J Watt, G Brooks, L Bartley, R Catchpole, M Thompson, V Formosos, M Goulder. Subs: J Maitland, C McAra, L Greening, A Formoso.