EMFC 6 v 1 Thornbury Town Vets

Dec 15th 2024

Venue - Clifton College Sports Ground (1st Team pitch)

TEAM: - Tim, Craig, Andy M, Jason L, Lee, Pills, Hughes, Jon C, Si R, Dan, Elliot.

SUBS: - Arron, Jamie, Tom S

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TOP OF THE LEAGUE AT CHRISTMAS Monday went into the fixture knowing that winning by more than 1 goal would see them going into Christmas on top of the league. To dd to the excitement of the occasion, the 50s were playing on the adjacent pitch and were also looking to solidify their position at the top of the table going into the festive break. The last time both teams played on the same date at home, both teams got the win with the 35s beating Yate 6-1 in an unprecedented victory!  Could history repeat itself?!

Unusually, the recruitment for the fixture wasn't a challenge. And this was even more shocking given that they normally struggle extra when they can't call on the 50s' players for help! Arron even turned one decent player away as a squad of 15 would have been too many!

With Arron taking the management reigns again, he decided to go for 3 subs every 30 minutes allowing 5 players to play a full 90 and 9 players to play 60 minutes. Not everyone's favourite option but it did mean that momentum should be kept high and fresh legs should be kept throughout with nobody getting less than a half.

The first 20 minutes were very cagey and for those players that decided to go with mouldies, maybe regretted it as the pitch was cutting up more than usual. For such a lovely pitch - it wasn't holding out very well in the middle of the park.   

The possession stats were probably 50/50 after 20-25 minutes and neither team were making the transition from midfield -> attack very successfully.

Monday eventually got the breakthrough after 25 minutes. Danny took his player on down the left and cut inside. He played it into Pills feet who held off the central defender and laid it off to Jon C who fired neatly into the bottom left corner from outside the box. 1-0.

First round of subs were made.

Thornbury came straight back into the fixture and levelled up. Craig got overloaded at left back and confusion over who should have been marking their extra man left him free to finish neatly past Tim in the left side netting. Decent finish. Jason L was not happy! The clean sheet was gone for the day!

Things then started to turn. Monday were playing higher up the pitch and Arron was making a nuisance down the left and crossed for Elliot to miss the contact. Great chance. Another chance of a possible pen when Elliot was dragged down 12 yards out. No pen was the call from the ref. More chances were had as well before Monday's 2nd goal came.

Pills made an excellent run past his man and was free on goal. The defender clipped his leg on the back swing and took him down. Pen. There were moans from the Thornbury contingent 'this ain't the Premier League ref' - but they fell on deaf ears. Pills stood up to take the pen but their keeper made an excellent save (especially as it was apparently his first ever time playing in nets). Simon Rose followed in and scuffed home past the keeper to make it 2-1. After the game Simon was quoted as saying 'I just had too much time to think'. The Thornbury manager was furious with his players who didn't follow it in at all. Not a single one of them. Maybe they had a severe lack of faith in their keeper but it was a bit odd given that the score was 1-1 at the time!

3-1 and 4-1 came up really quickly. Both goals from the newbie Elliot. Elliot's hold up play all afternoon was excellent and the defenders didn't know how to handle him. His first goal came from dropping deep and receiving the ball. He was given time to shoot and smashed it low past the keeper into the bottom right-hand corner. 30-yard screamer. 3-1.

His 2nd came shortly after, when neat play down the right found Simon R in space. He cut it back to Arron who got good contact on the shot but the keeper managed to get his hands to it, only for it to fall nicely for Elliot to tap in. 4-1.

4-1 at half time.

The chat was largely 'more of the same' at half time. A quick check on the 50s who were 2-0 up also. Also, Arron realised that he had his maths skills wrong and had actually made the first subs after only 25 minutes not 30. (Sorry lads).

The 2nd half was basically all Monday. Thornbury tried to change things up and brought on their 20-year-old decent player. But he was quiet all game and his 2 shots from outside the box went well wide!

Second round of subs were made.

Monday managed to make the most their dominant play and continued to be on top in the 2nd half. Chance after chance came but it wasn't to be until 5-1 came up halfway through the half. Arron received the ball on the halfway line and finally decided to hold onto the ball rather than giving it away cheaply by trying to force it which is what he had been doing up to that point! He ran at the defender and cut inside and smashed it home from 25 yards out. 5-1.

More chance came and Elliot will be kicking himself that he at least didn't get a hattrick goal when he was neatly played through and his shot past the keeper went agonisingly wide.

Just before the end of the game, Monday made it the same result as that famous Yate win when Jason Hughes finally got his studs to stick in! He chested it down neatly and volleyed it home from 30 yards out. In a game of great goals, that was the pick of the bunch. 6-1.

Thornbury had given up at this point and the game ended 6-1. The 50s next door had controlled their fixture also to win 4-0.

A great game played by all. Dominant. Controlled. Exciting.  With such a strong squad, it was always going to be difficult for the league's newcomers.  But Monday also had to deal with new personnel in Elliot and Tom who embedded themselves about as well as they could. With the first 20 minutes aside - Monday dominated and thoroughly deserved the win. It could have been 10. With such strong performances had by all, it certainly gives management a headache. A good one though. Overall, the organised substitutions seemed to work well and gave energy until the final whistle, and nobody went home feeling like they were massively short changed.

3 fixtures down and 6 to play in 2025.  If Monday can keep this momentum going and have the same kind of squad available, then it will be difficult to stop them.

A great game lads and Merry Christmas to all.

MOM - Jason Hughes. Very difficult to pick just one person given everyone's efforts and great performances but given his 90 minutes of hard graft and finishing it off with an excellent goal - it has to be Jason H.