Little bit ill

I was pretty ill this weekend after drinking a little too much saturday night, sick all saturday night and the walking dead sunday morning.
I have also decided that i'm having a rest from all the drinking, so i'm aiming for 2 weeks off the booze, i shall keep you posted on how i am coping.
Also missed football training, but i'm not too disappointed as hardly anyone turns up anyway, and the past few training sessions have been a joke.
In a way it has been a good thing being ill, as i have had a full weekends rest for my ankle.

Cooke Crumbles

Cooke Crumbles

Has Cooke crumbled for the last time??
Fledging goal keeper Cooke managed to single handed lose another game for the Seabridge, making this the 3rd lose on the bounce that he has lost the match for the Seabridge, with a total of 9 points slipping through his fingers, much like the ball on match day.
Three clumsy keeping errors led to Britannia winning 5-2, the fifth goal was a complete shocker as a good tackle by Bailey knocked the ball into Cooke path but instead of picking the ball up or kicking away, Cooke tries to control the ball which rolls underneath his foot and into the goal!!!
After the match the main focus of conversation was who could replace this “fall from grace” keeper, one season ago Cooke was slightly fitter and this showed as he put in many a match winning performance, but this season he has undoubtedly cost the Seabridge any chance of success.
Seabridge performed well Sunday, with Rushton and Riley tearing Britannia to pieces down the flanks but a bullish style of play from Britannia which even saw one of there players dismissed for violent conduct came out the victors.
One game left this season against Rising Sun, in two weeks time. With the team moral and confidence at an all time low this is going to be a tough game to win, though the Seabridge need to finish the season on a high.
Good training sessions this Thursday and Sunday are a must as the Seabridge have to pick up some sort of form and continuity for the remaining fixture.

On a personal level, I have been training hard the past two weeks and this has shown in my performances over the past few games, I am continuing to work hard this next two weeks in hope that I can produce something special over the remaining fixture…who knows…

The only significant change in the Fantasy Football is goal scorer Bird moves into 2nd place, with Turner and Cooper dropping to 3rd & 4th respectively, as Cooper missed Sundays clash due to a stomach bug. MOM Rushton (15 points) is not far behind Smith and Cooper (17 points), but with one game left can Rushton pull something out of the bag to change this?

Kerns 30
Turner 21
Bird 21
Cooper 17
Smith 17

Sealion...Again...

We played the Sealion in a week match, and after a terrible (Roma vs Man Utd style) defeat, we were looking for revenge. Things didn’t go to plan when Ray miss timed a clearance and the ball ran straight to there player who curled the ball around Cooke…maybe Cooke should have done better??
We soon equalised when a long free kick by Bird into the Sealion box was met by Turner who headed the ball past the keeper. 1-1
First half finished with the scores even.
Second half the teams were fairly even until Bird and Bailey both hesitated clearing a ball and the Sealion winger nipped in between and crossed the ball which was met by there striker and in the back of the net. 2-1, Sealion.
Seabridge fought on and this paid off when a corner hit in by Smith was met by Bailey who scored his first goal ever for the Seabridge 2-2.
Both teams brought subs on to push for the important 3rd goal, Sealion crossed a ball in to the box which Ray called for the header but Bird jumped and miss headed the ball which went straight to the back post where a Sealion player was waiting for an easy tap in. 3-2.
Seabridge could not find that vital 3rd goal and Sealion once again take the spoils. A draw would have probably been a fair result for this game, but at least the Bridge showed they still had some fight left in them.
Cooper once again had a great game clearing a ball off the line to keep the Bridge in the game late on, Rushton also worked hard as usual, and Bird once again played the “good and the bad”, setting up a great goal but then giving the ball away for Sealion’s winner.
After the points had been taken into account the new positions for the Fantasy Football are:

Kerns 29
Turner 20
Cooper 17
Smith 17
Bird 15

Somehow Smith has managed to get into the top 5, having managing to get an assist in the last two games?!? Even though his performances have been absolutely embarrassing!!
I still keep my grasp on 3rd but only by alphabetical order, Bird has slipped to 5th, though Kerns has an unassailable 9 point lead????? How????
2 games left for me to try and catch Turner for second place…

Sealion!!!

Sealion have always caused us problems, and even though they are not even very good they always seem to thrash us…and today was going to be no exception.
Due to injuries and people not turning up (which seems to be a big problem this season), Lynden had to re-jig the side around a lot.
Cooke in goal
Ray, Nixon at the back with Sidebotham and Bailey left and right back.
Smith (cap) and Cooper playing in the middle with Martin left wing and Rushton right wing.
Thursfield and Kern in attack.
Subs were Bird, Riley and Turner.

The Seabridge started the match by far the better team, defending hard and attacking well causing Sealion defence a lot of trouble and forcing them to make mistakes. This was well rewarded when a long throw from Cooper into the Sealion box bobbled around until Rushton got his head to it and bounced past the keeper 1-0 to the Seabridge!!!
Seabridge kept on attacking and it nearly paid off again as a cleared ball from the Sealion defence came towards Cooper on the edge of the goal area and unselfishly he side footed the ball to his left to Martin who was unmarked but he could not convert. Thursfield then headed a ball over the ball from a Smith corner, the Seabridge were looking surprisingly comfortable and in charge of the game.
Nixon then had to leave the pitch due to a injury and was replaced by Bird, the Sealion then had a goal disallowed for offside, and in the last minute of the first half Sealion midfielder had a long range shot which the wind swerved and deceived the keeper and went in, 1-1.
At half time the teams went in even but this could have easily been 3-0 to the Bridge!?!
Seabridge seemed slightly disappointed and disheartened at the goal that Sealion scored and heads were slightly down on returning to the field.
Sealion quickly to the innative to take a shot at the keeper which bounced in front of Cooke and went just wide, Sealion then peppered Cooke with long range shots as the hard ground was causing the ball to bounce which was deceiving the Seabridge goal and defence. This paid off for Sealion as a long range shot bounced over Cooke and into the net 1-2 Sealion.
The Seabridge then attacked and Thursfield missed an open goal in which Sealion counter attacked and another long range shot deceived Cooke and went in 1-3 Sealion…Here we go again…
Seabridge made a substitution bringing on Riley for Bailey and pushing Martin to left back and Riley left midfield. Seabridge were caught offside whilst attacking and the resulting kick went long and bounced before Cooke and in the goal 1-4, (this caused some controversy as Seabridge claimed that an offside kick is indirect and could not be counted as goal if it went in??) The ref quashed the claims and gave the goal.
Seabridge seemed to have a little fight left in them and Kerns skipped two challenges and struck the ball which hit the left hand post and went in. 2-4.
Seabridge mounted a few attacks and then Thursfield pulled of a carbon copy of Kerns goal but unlucky for Thursfield it hit the post and came back out. The game was going back and forth with both teams having chances, a long throw from Cooper deceived the Sealion defence and landed far post at Martins feet who shot wide, Thursfield then had a clear cut chance to bring the Seabridge back into the game as he chipped the keeper but the shot landed wide of the goal.
Sealion corner cleared and the Seabridge pushed out leaving 5 Sealion players offside, but Bird stepped back and left them all onside and as the ball was hit in the Sealion players were falling over them selves to hit the ball in against a helpless Cooke. 2-5 Sealion.
Cooper was subbed for Turner as the midfield needed freshening up due to the constant long balls from the Seabridge defence meant the midfield were being left out from the game.
With minutes to spare Sealion mounted an attack which Cooke saved the shot only to see the loose ball touched in by the Sealion attacker. 2-6
The game finished and Seabridge left feeling totally dejected, a game that the Seabridge could have won hard turned into a goal route for the opposition. Poor keeping and lack of possession on the ball left Sealion an easy victory, we have Sealion this Tuesday and unless something is done to improve are distribution of the ball I can only fear but another outcome the same as this.

Cooke – 4 terrible performance, gave the Seabridge no chance of winning;
Ray – 6 unusually lost his cool and with it his composure, until this was steady as always;
Nixon – 5 early shower picking up an injury in the first 20 minutes of the game;
Bailey – 6 Solid in the air and didn’t really put a foot wrong;
Sidebotham – 6 Solid performance;
Smith – 6 Due to style of play was left out of most the game;
Cooper – 6 Good first half but as like with Smith, the style of play changed and was bypassed most of the second half.
Rushton – 6 Good goal but drifted out a little second half;
Martin – 6 Missed two good chances;
Thursfield – 5 Missed an open goal and two other good chances, anyone else…a hat trick…
Kerns – 6 Good goal and for once seemed to play like he wanted to win.
Subs:
Bird – 6 Gifted them the 5 goal but other from that put in a good performance;
Riley – 5 Came on didn’t do much;
Turner – 6 Came on with 10 minutes to go

Seabridge Fantasy Football

Well since I started back at the Seabridge I started a Seabridge Fantasy football, applying the same rules as the Fantasy Football in the national papers to the Seabridge team. Giving points for certain actions on the pitch, i.e. 5 points for a goal, 3 points for an assist etc…
After doing this for the last five games I am reassured to say that I am in 2nd place with 15 points and I would have been first if Kerns had not scored twice last game, anyway here are the top five contenders:

Kerns 21
Cooper 15
Turner 13
Bird 12
Martin 12

Just to point out that Turner has only played one game in which he scored 13 points!?!

This way I can assess who will be my candidate for player of the season, though even if Kerns wins I doubt I’ll nominate him, just because, even though occasionally he scores he has no passion for the team and just doesn’t seems interested when he plays.

Halfway House

After a draw against London Rd Tav. and an undeserved loss against Ironmarket last week, Seabridge were looking to improve there fortunes against bottom of the league Halfway House.
Seabridge tried a new 3-4-3 formation, hoping against a weak Halfway House defence could resist a strong Seabridge attack resulting in an emphatic win… well any type of win would be nice…
Cooke in goal as usual;
Cooper, Nixon and Ray in defence after Bird failed to show for the game;
Smith and Sidebotham in the middle of the park with Martin left and Rushton right;
Frasier, Kern and Thursfield in attack;
On the bench were long time absentees Bailey and Riley.

Seabridge won the kick off and decided to kick with the wind first half, unexpectedly Halfway House were first out of the blocks and were unlucky not to go one goal ahead a long shot was palmed on to the goal line by Cooke, who managed to salvage the ball before it passed the line, and saved Seabridge blushes.
Once Seabridge managed to find there rhythm, the game settled down and Seabridge slowly started to dominate the game. A big clearance by Nixon resulted in the goal; the keeper having to push the ball over the cross bar, then a good through ball bouncing high was met by Kern’s head nudging the ball over the keeper, 0-1 to the Bridge.
Shortly after another through ball was met late again by Kern’s who chipped the ball past the flapping keeper, 28 minutes gone and 0-2.
The first half finished with Seabridge in control and looking for more goals in the next half.
As usual, the second half started and with Seabridge against the wind and under the ‘cosh’ from the off. Seabridge midfield was almost non-existent as Halfway house ran the ball straight through to the Bridge defence. Unlucky for Halfway House the Seabridge defence was formidable as they put an end to all of H’Houses attacks.
A long ball by Seabridge was looking to be scooped up by the keeper when Thursfield challenged for the ball and came away the winner, with an open goal Thursfield failed to convert, also a Frasier solo run which resulted in him rounding the keeper but only managing to hit the side netting.
Riley came on for Sidebotham, who had failed to get a footing in the game, Kerns dropped into central midfield and Riley taking to attacking position.
Seabridge conceded a free kick 10 yards outside the goal area due to Kerns foul and the resulting kick was deflected by Riley into his own net…own goal!! 15 minutes to go and H’House looking to get a result from this encounter.
H’House pilled on the pressure which was being soaked up by the flawless Seabridge defence, then disaster as Smith needlessly barged an H’House player over in the goal area resulting in a penalty, which the H’House striker calmly converted.
2-2 with ten minutes remaining!
Seabridge once again had given away a two goal lead and looking shaky as panic was setting in.
A good ball up the left wing by Ray was met by Martin, who ran the ball, skipping past two challenges entering the H’House goal area almost on the touch line, with Frasier and Rushton open and onside, Martin decided to strike the ball at goal at a very tight angle, the ball slid past the keeper and in. 2-3 to the Seabridge.
Seabridge manage to soak up the majority of the pressure and were relieved when the ref blew the final whistle.
The FIRST win of the year but Seabridge left with a bad taste in their mouth, what should have been an easy win turned into a defensive battle with the Seabridge back three saving the teams blushes with some outstanding defending.
Kerns picked up Man of the Match award for two well taken goals but a mention has to go out to the Seabridge defence who were flawless especial Cooper, the defence were powerless to stop the two opposing goals.

Player Ratings
Cooke – 6 fairly quite for most of the game but still seemed shaky when the pressure was on;
Cooper – 8 Great performance preventing most aerial attacks, and swept up all through balls;
Nixon – 7 Good solid, hard performance;
Ray – 7 put in a steady performance, lacked a bit of match practice;
Smith – 5 Gave away a needless penalty, seems to have slumped in form lately;
Rushton – 6 Seemed to be out of the game at times, didn’t get the ball as much as he would have liked;
Sidebotham – 5 A fish out of water in the middle of the park;
Martin – 7 took his goal well, and defended well when required;
Frasier – 7 plenty of running, harassing defender and created chances;
Thursfield – 5 seemed to lack the first touch required to create chances on goal;
Kerns – 6 Two good goals, but sadly lacked enthusiasm and work-shy.

Subs:
Bailey - 6 Steady performance;
Riley – 5 First game back and scored own goal, not the best start;