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