A Bridge Too Far.

 

Southbank suffered heartbreak by losing to Misfits 5-4 despite a valiant display. With a total of 7 1^st team players missing through injury or unavailability, Southbank welcomed back Rick Gale and Bryce Bellman to an otherwise patched up bare 11.

 

The game kicked off with the Bank changing formation in a strangling Misfits midfield. For 20 minutes managed to hold off the misfit attacks to long shots and wide crosses and with Towner standing in for our missing goalkeepers didn’t seem to comfortable. Tackles were flying and Misfits knew they were in a game with the constant complaints to the referee proof.

 

Southbank continued to give ground to the Misfit’s and it took a long ball not cleared by Southbank for them to take the lead, perhaps a touch hand-ball which the ref missed and the goal was given. This didn’t deter the Bank who came back and following great work from Thurgood chasing down a lost ball down to the bye-line, crossed for a shot to get blocked by a hand for a penalty. Up stepped Woodrow to comprehensively dispatch the pen 1 all.

 

The 1^st half continued much like before with Bank giving possession up in a hope of counter-attacking. Then 2 goals in the last 15 minutes form set pieces undone the good work the Bank had put in to leave Misfits 3-1 up and seemingly home and dry. The first come from the corner, the defence seemingly unable to clear the ball due to the low sun!!! The second a direct freekick, which was pumped in and no player from the bank attacking, allowed a misfit midfielder to ghost in and grab the third.

Half-Time saw a little disagreement between the teams but was quickly defused, but it appeared to spur the Bank on, who with a change of formation back to the traditional approach, dominated the next 45 and perhaps could argue never got the justice the performance due.

 

Just as Bank appeared to be getting the better of the opposition, Misfits struck a crucial blow, outstripping the defence the ball was crossed into box for the incoming midfielder to drill home. 4-1 and the Bank were looking at embarrassment.

 

However, Bank pushed forward further and misfits found themselves playing the Bank on the break, Bellman originally starting Central Defence playing almost as an additional midfielder and with Thurgood and Gale getting stuck in, it wasn’t long before more good work down the right from Duncan and Broomfield, enabled a cross in from the right for Woodrow to hit it, 4-2, a consolidation or a way back?

 

Southbank continued to push for more but again like the second and third goals were undone for another set piece which is unlike the Bank.  Freekick was whipped in but the second ball fell to Misfits who just knocked it into the box, somehow the smallest player on the pitch out jumped the defence to bury his header past the helpless Towner to all but bury the Bank.

 

At this point Misfits perhaps thought job done, but following a super corner from the excellent Woodrow and a back post header from Hightower, and then a trade-mark finish from the ‘Gaffer’, Misfits perhaps realised they were in for a right finish, 5-4 with the Bank pushing hard for something, them on the break .

 

Tackles continued to fly in and the Bank had the ball in the net once more only for a basketball style hand-ball and a booking for Hightower meant it was justifiable disallowed.

 

So a defeat the score reads and another one in the L column, but despite the lack of players, those who turned out can be rightly proud of the passion and fight shown, especially in the last 45 minutes and should have got something from the game.

 

As the gaffer said post match, performances like this for the rest of the season will see our season take a turn for the better. Lets hope so!!!

 

Team (4-4-2): Towner, Duncan, Gull, Bellman, Price, Thurgood, Gale, Broomfiel, MacArthur, Woodrow, Holton

 

  

Report by: Hightower