Match Report

First League Defeat for Guild

Farnborough suffered their first league defeat of the season at the hands of a very good Metrogas side. However, there was an element of luck in both goals, although the best side won on the day.

The venue was Metrogas Sports which is one of the best venues around and has recently been upgraded with new changing rooms and dugouts through a little bit of imagination, some hard work and lottery funding. The venue now looks fantastic and Metrogas played some football to match their excellent facility. A lesson there me thinks…

From the start it was the Gas who pressured us moving the ball around with some good passing and movement. On eight minutes, the Gas took the lead after a mishit free kick caught the wind and sailed over the head of Hawkes in the Guild goal. Not the best start for the Guild.

The goal did not spur us into a response and we looked slightly off the pace with Metrogas hurrying us into making mistakes and we got caught dwelling on the ball. The Gas took one or two touches while we wanted two or three and the difference was substantial. On 25 minutes the Gas doubled their lead after Barry cut inside the box and his shot deflected off the unlucky Elliott and into the net. Both goals were somewhat fortunate, but at this stage the Gas were good for their lead. Just before the break, the Guild could have pulled a goal back but a great ball across the box was not converted by Cooke.

At the half, the Gas was the far better side. They looked sharper and hungrier while the Guild had not got out of the blocks.

The second half was a more even affair as we dug in a battled hard, although the Gas did keep the ball very well and frustrated the Guild at times, leading to a number of bookings. Hawkes was called into action to save at the feet of Hitchin, while at the other end Hopper had little to do.

On 70 minutes, Wray replaced Warren to push Hughes further forward and on 75 minutes, Hughes himself was replaced by Kendall pushing Wray upfront and on eighty minutes, Travers replaced Abbott to try and push forward.

With ten minutes left a superb ball across from the left found an unmarked Jon Cooke who skewed his effort wide when he should have found the net. The game ended with the Gas deserved winners and the Guild short of attacking ideas.

Man of the match was only one winner in my eyes and Ben Elliott got all the votes bar two, with all the votes going to defenders. Elliott showed grit and determination and was all over the forwards ‘like a drunk on a kebab’ and pressured every ball. Elliott is really starting to show what a fantastic signing he is for Farnborough.

Today we were outplayed, but at the end of the day the difference that counts was the goals and both of them had a touch of fortune about them. Defensively today, I did not think we looked too bad, but got caught out going forward and looked predictable. One or two players did not put the graft into today which has been the blueprint of our game. We often got caught out by not being goal side and we do need to make better starts. We cannot allow centre halves to step into the midfield and make up the numbers and we cannot let frustration get the better of us. If we are not playing well, then we keep working and working and it will eventually come. The first half was simply not good enough today and preparations aren’t helped out by latecomers which are simply unacceptable. The second half was better; at least we battled and made a game of it. We also need to score more goals and show more options in the final third as our goalscoring ability has dipped over the last few games

It’s no time to hit the panic button, but we do need to up our game, arrive on time, get sharper starts and score more goals. Tudor Sports are up next week at home which will be a good game as Tudor have started to pick up points in their last couple of fixtures and we will have to be at our best if we want to bounce back and nick the points.

Farnborough: 1. Hawkes; 2.Warren; 3.Judge; 4.Elliot; 5.Davis; 6.Abbott; 7.Williams J; 8. Perkins; 9.Williams L; 10. Cooke; 11. Hughes
Subs: 13.Travers for 6.Abbott; 14. Kendall for 11.Hughes; 15.Wray for 2.Warren
Sub not used: 12.Cleaver & 16.Stevens

Metrogas: 1. Hopper; 2.Murphy; 3.Chaney; 4. Nightingale; 5. Radley; 6. Gibbons; 7.Bumstead; 8.Hewitt ; 9.Hitchin ; 10.Maloney ; 11.Barry
Subs: 12.Heather; 14.Wilkey; 15.Healy;

Referee: Mr Lee Culpeck