Aylesbury v Didcot Match Report

In Ashleys absence here's the match report from the game yesterday

Match report below for game today

Aylesbury FC welcomed Didcot town from the South and West division for the final pre-season friendly before the real action starts next weekend. It had been a mixed pre-season for FC and this was a chance to test themselves against opposition at the same level in the Pyramid.

Aylesbury started well and after two minutes Ryan Blake clipped the ball over the defenders for Wayne O'Sullivan to run onto but he was just unable to reach the ball, two minutes later Lee Grace found Brian Haule in the six yard box but he was unable to control the ball and it went behind for a goal kick.  Didcot's tricky right winger troubled Aylesbury all afternoon and on eight minutes he knocked the ball into the penalty area but eventually it went behind for a goal kick. almost immediately Ryan Blake ran onto a ball in midfield, jumped over the oncoming Didcot midfielder but the ensuing shot was deflected behind for a corner.  With only sixteen minutes gone Aylesbury Keeper Simeon Charles was inured after a very innocuous tackle in the penalty box but after a 10 minute break he was taken to hospital with a multiple dislocation to his finger , eventually and much to the crowd;s amusement forward Lamar Simpson replaced the injured keeper. Midway through the first half  returning ex-mole James Faulkner cut in on his left foot and crossed the ball but it was a little high for Wayne O'Sullivan and stretching he headed over from six yards. Davids Haule was replaced on 35 minutes Victor Borode in what looked like a precoutianary move, Didcot continued to play some attractive football through the rest of the first half and got their reward with a strange goal on 39 minutes, a cleared defensive ball appeared to rebound of a Didcot player and the spin decieved replacement keeper Simpson who was coming out to collect , it fell to the striker who netted from four yards, 1-0 Ddicot at half Time

The second half started very much is the first with Didcot playing some very nice football but not really threatening The Aylesbury goal , Luke Abraham replaced Ollie Lynch on 54 minutes, immediately Faulkner found himself on the right edge of the box, fired the ball in but the clearance only fell to Lee Grace but he couldn't find the target from his resultant drive. With just twenty five minutes to go  Wayne O'Sullivan cut in from the left hand side and lashed the ball with his right foot producing a spectacular save from the away Keeper, two minutes later the ball again reached Faulkner on the right edge of the penalty box he cut inside onto his left foot but just as he was about to shoot a defender coming back deflected the ball away, Player Manager Craig Faulconbridge then replaced Faulkner and Alex Collard came on for ex-deuck Nick Leach, almost immediately Ryan Blake raced past a Didcot defender fired it to the edge of the box and Craig's shot from twenty yards brough a good save from the Didcot No1, Aylesbury's equaliser came seven minutes from the end when Brian Haule picked the ball up on the right hand side went past the defender and the resultant cross found Faulconbridge six yards out and he finished powerfully with his head.

That was the final action from an entertaining game which will have set Aylesbury up nicely for their First league game of the season against Guildford next Saturday at the Affinity Stadium.

Starting line Up
1. Simeon Charles
2. Aaron Turner
3. Lee Grace
4. Olly Lynch
5. Nick Leach
6. Ben Stevens
7. Ryan Blake
8. Davis Haule
9. James Faulkner
10. Brian Haule
11. Wayne O'Sullivan

Used Subs
Victor Barode for Davis Haule
Luke Abraham for Olly Lynch
Craig Faulconbridge for James Faulkner
Alex Collard for Nick Leach

Hmm, glass half full or half empty. My concern for new season is where goals are going to come from. Craig is only reliable source of goals and he won't want to be bailing the team out on 70 minutes every game.

Plus attacking point is Ryan Blake who seems to have been involved in everything pre-season. Perhaps he can provide a few goals from the wing.

Thanks for the match report Mike,you did make it sound better than it actually was.I think we will be in deep dodo again
this season if like trim say's,we dont get hold of a top striker.As our boy's seem to have forgotten what the goal looks
like.It's fine playing the passing game,but you've got to bloody finish it off with a goal.I can only hope we can find a
R.V.P by next week.Come on Craig my boy start sniffing around the leagues,because no one wants another season like the last
one.
much miffed Lord L.

While I don't think we set the world alight yesterday, that wasn't that bad a performance against Didcot was it Nice to see Craig keeping his options open as far as formations go.
TT -"My concern for new season is where goals are going to come from. Craig is only reliable source of goals and he won't want to be bailing the team out on 70 minutes every game."
LL- "I think we will be in deep dodo again
this season if like trim say's,we dont get hold of a top striker."

Funny how we see things differently, I think our strength this season will be in our attack! Once they have settled in & with a bit of fine tuning /tinkering we will score lots of goals, Blake,O'Sullivan,Faulkner,Faulconbridge,Haule all more than capable at this level & add to that Simpson & Abrahams. 70+ goals in the league could put us in the mix, I honestly think that is achievable(70+ goals) Half full for me TT !

Apart from Blake, most dangerous looking attacker I have seen in pre-season has been Lee Grace. Even Lee would look embarressed at that.

Have we got a deputy keeper for start of the season?

Are goals going to be hard to come by this season? I guess we'll only really find out from Saturday, not sure you can tell a whole lot from PSFs