LB Imperial 3 v 1 Easton Monday

September 28th 2025

Venue - Imperial Sports Ground

TEAM - Arron (GK), Duds, Jim, Danny T, Si F, Lee, Adam, Manny, Bob (Spare Players group), Morgs, Jon C.

SUBS - Neil and Dan (Avon Plate cover player)

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A NEW DAUNTING DAWN Easton Monday's long wait for their first O45s game was now over. The anticipation was electric. It had not been an easy lead in to the game. With so many Monday players out through injury, we struggled to get 11 together and had 9 for most of the week. A couple of emergency covers were called upon. Neil came in from the 50s squad, we had friends of friends and then there was Bob. More on him later. And Arron was required in goal due to Tim's absence.

After deciding to make the step up to 45s this season due to a lack of players all year last year in the 35s division and not having commitment from many of the players, management were starting to think that it might have been a mistake given how hard personnel was for this match. But we got there in the end.

It was a lovely Sunday morning. Warm and sunny and the pitch was fairly decent. A familiar opposition for many as many of the Monday players often turn out for LB Imps when EM don't have a fixture. One EM player even calls LB Imps his '1st team' as Yinka lined up for the oppo. The game started well. We had a great shape to us and the first 20-25 minutes were all Monday. Arron was quiet. The back four were passing it around nicely and Danny and Si were managing to bomb forward on occasion. Adam and Manny were finding lots of time and space and were helping to transition the play well. Lee was seeing a lot of the ball on the right and even Bob chipped in a bit on the left. The oppo were giving Bob a lot of time and space. Whether or not that was his sheer presence or his running hair dye - we will never know.  Jon and Morgs were managing to get some touches in the opposition's box.  One very nice bit of play from Monday resulted in a Jon-Morgs combo with Morgs finishing nicely from Jon's pass.

1-0 to Monday

After the goal - LB Imps started to see a bit more of the ball. They started playing it out from the back with more ease and were given a bit more time on the ball. Jon was dropping deeper and deeper and LB Imps had options both on the wing and through the middle. The play had officially shifted from the LB Imps box to the Easton Monday box! Arron was starting to get busy and had to parry a couple of shots away. One he neatly saved with the first attempt but then nearly put it back into his own net!

Eventually LB Imps got through. A sustained attack was not cleared by Monday and a shot was perfectly placed by the Imps striker into the bottom corner.

1-1 

Half time

The second half started very much the same as the first had finished, with LB Imps seeing the better of the play. Danny was pushed to winger being played out of position, and Neil and Dan came on at full back. One spectator tried adding up the total age of the Monday back four at this point, but the calculator broke!

Adam commented - "Imperial looked like they had played together more and used the sub rotation well".

With Arron's last action in goal - the Imps striker was played through and neither Neil nor Duds could deflect the ball away from his path. He slotted in low to Arron's left.

2-1 to LB Imps

Si F was forced to go in goal after a back injury and a short stint on the sidelines. Arron went to left wing

The game evened out a bit for the final 20 minutes, although it did become a bit scrappy, but the pace of the Imps forwards was too much for the Monday back four at times. They were getting in behind regularly. Monday were struggling to get the ball forward and were also starting to tire. Adam commented - '"I ran out of fuel at 60 minutes'".  Si F commented - "we created some chances but seemed to rush the ball when we were in possession".

Both teams had chances but the nail in the Monday coffin came close to the end when Yinka of all people got down the right and managed to get a cross into the back post for the Imps striker to make it 3. No doubt that isn't the last we hear about that

3-1 to LB Imps

Full-time

All in all not a bad effort for a first outing, especially with half of the team out. A hard team to face as our first game in this new league. LB Imps have clearly played together for many years and knew exactly what they were doing. They knew where their men were and also seemed to have good fitness. Ability and potential is definitely superior in the Monday outfit but experience and composure were definitely in favour of LB Imps today.

Onwards and upwards.

MoM - Jon Cohen. Gave the LB Imps defenders something to think about all day and didnt stop running. Clearly been keeping fit!