U.S 1v2 Karori Magpies Nairnville #2 12.30pm

Losing Two key players on their return matches to what looks like season ending knee injuries,missing a penalty in the first half when we were dominating the game totally and then conceding two soft goals, made for a disappointing day in the stallions world, going down 2-1 to a Magpies squad looking to carry on their winning run which stretches well into last season.

With many a first team stallion out through family commitments the team was largely made up of players from our "reserve" side all looking too play their way into first team positions and none disappointed with performances around the park from everybody.

If only the result reflected just how well we played.

Starting brightly and playing good football from the back through the front the stallions set their stall out with an attacking and free flowing game plan looking to take the game too the Magpies from the off and so did the Magpies with U.S.

With both sides spurning chances to take control of the game, the Stallions were given a great opportunity to take the lead after a period of dominance that had the Magpies back peddling somewhat and a foul on Tristin in the box gave the Ref no other option but to award a penalty.
Logan stepped up and Struck the shot hard at the keeper the rebound being knocked out for a goal kick which gave the magpies a bit of a lift. 20mins

Cue the "Ludlow curse" #1
An attacking foray down our right flank had the magpies just off our 18 yard box Lloyd managed to take the ball away from the attacker and turned him brilliantly but in doing so wretched his knee instantly going down in agony and needing to be carried off the field and driven to hospital by Ben's dad Steve with what looks like a serious season ending injury.30mins

Having swapped the team around to fill the huge void left in the midfield by Lloyd's departure the stallions tried to quickly get the game going back in their favour playing football like never seen before.
Nick Goodall would be furious with the passing style shown by the four at the back, with the magpies giving U.S quite a lot of time on the ball ,we just unable to convert good chances into goals.

Cue the "Ludlow Curse" #2
We had a throw in ? on the right hand side just about 15 metres short of our half anyway it turned to shit some how and Jamie was forced off his line to snaffle the ball at the top of the box. Now to avoid crossing the line he sidestepped to his right and in doing so popped his knee out going down in agony not more than two metres from where Lloyd suffered a similar injury ten minutes earlier.

So that had the team shitting themselves more so when Ben Hodges put his hand up to play in goal, but it was thought a much better option (wtf!!) was to put me in goal.40mins

That decision proved to be the turning point of the game, with all the changes going on to accommodate the injuries we didn't really get our act together and an attacking run down the middle by the magpies had our midfielders out of position and our defenders left with all the work to do, breaking through and drilling a low shot into the left hand side of goal the magpies took the lead in what can only be described as a soft goal from a previously rock solid defence
0-1 43mins.

H/time

So we get to halftime and Jamie demands, nay, almost attacks me for the goalkeepers shirt, not much i could've done about the goal Christ he'd have been lucky to have stopped it himself.
But such was his determination to get back out there i relented and gave him it back, reminding him that he was only going to make matters worse for himself by playing on that knee.

2nd half
Kicking off the stallion's were the brighter of the two teams and began to press forward on several occasions, way would shots our down fall as we really began to take the game too the magpies.

Jamie lasted about five minutes after taking a high ball he set about launching a kick up field, but putting all the weight on his dodgy knee had him again rolling on the ground in agony and finally making it real to him that injury was very serious and he shouldn't have continued.
Cue me again in goal.

With the game flowing nicely and the defenders generally keeping the magpies at bay the Stallions pressed on looking for an equaliser which would not have been undeserved in the slightest though this was proving a difficult task with our finishing letting us down at times after some very good link up play.

On a counter attack a Magpies player was left unmarked, in trying to play him offside he was able to spring clear and take the ball into the box the shot going in low on the right hand side of goal 0-2 60 mins gone

Not giving up we carried on looking for some way to break down the magpies defence
and a cross into the box had a magpies player playing the ball with his hand, which gave U.S our 2nd penalty thank god Logan was on the bench
Cue Tristin who sent the ball at the keeper, if he'd only stuck a leg out he would have saved it but it wormed it's way into the back off the net to give U.S a lifeline with 15 or so minutes remaining 1-2 75min

We smelt a draw we knew we could get another goal and we tried to get that goal but it just wouldn't come,the magpies now holding onto their lead and looking to reclaim their 2 goal buffer they pushed forward again and tried to chip the goal which I managed to get a hand to and stop launching another counter attack with more twoing and froing the game meandered out and the Magpies took all 3 points 2-1

Stallions: Jamie,Corey,Jason,Paddy,Joe,Alex,Ben,Logan,Panda,Tristin,Lloyd,Sean,Mark,Tharen

goal: Tristin (P)

Next Week another hard game Marist Inter at Cobham park 2.30pm