Red Star 2 v 1 EM95

22nd October, 2023 Salford FC

TEAM: Sir, Teague, Jim, Neil, Ford, Colonel, Yinka, Duds, Rich, Sheri, Drane SUBS: Jones

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WE GOT ROONEY-IED

Pre match the Red Star manager asked if they could field a 16 year old at some point as part of the Corinthian ‘Father & Son’ ruling. Colonel agreed to this so long as the youngster didn’t affect the outcome significantly…more of that later.

Monday won the toss and Sir Lee requested they play with the sun in their face and into a slight wind. The Monday started the game well, some decent touches from debutant Rich linking up well with Draner and Sheri and Fordy starting some good moves from right back. First chance fell to the Blues following pressure from a corner when a back post cross found Jim unmarked but failed to hit the target with a header. Jones rolled back the decades with a mazy run and shot. He then tweeked his hamstring trying a fancy back heel…idiot! Duds rattled the bar from 25 yards with a piledriver of a free kick. Red star then got into the game and put the 95ers under pressure. Red Stars’ top two were lively and the defence had to be on their toes. The ball over the top dropping out of the sun was really difficult too as Sheri observed…“At the back we were in all sorts of bother from high kicks as the sun was blinding our back line.”

Red Star took the lead with a worldie from 35 yards. The striker took a lovely touch, feinted left, turned right and smacked a shot with his left (weak) foot into the top left hand corner of the net.

It was worthy of a Match of the Day Goal of the Month. Rooneyesque…more of that later.

The Mondays responded well to this and quickly upped their game but with no reward before half time.

The rallying cry was issued at half time and the 95ers upped the intensity from the off. Much more desire, winning that second ball and putting some good moves together. Sheri went really close from one move with his shot just missing the far post . Other chances came and went before Rich on the right went off on a mazy inside run, Sheri made a run into the box, Rich found him with a nice dink pass and Sheri finished neatly to equalise, 1-1.

One team in it now and Monday on top. The Blues proceeded to boss the half and look threatening apart fromYinka playing keep-ball with himself on a few too many occasions.

Red Star did still carry a threat and on one counter Duds was penalised for catching their forward. Penalty. Sir Lee pulled off a top class save (that is why he is called Sir) from a well hit spot kit to keep the Blues in with a chance of the 3 points. Monday created more chances, but missed that killer pass or finish. Against the run of play Red Star took the lead with 5 mins left. Their young (16 year old) forward outpacing Jim to score after a clearance bounced to him off Bens belly. As Sheri told his TikTok fans after the game… “We let in their 16 year old to toe poke the ball into the corner. He was no Wayne Rooney at 16 but he did the job 2-1 Red Star.”

Still Monday might have grabbed a deserved point when Duds got behind the defence but his pull back across goal was cleared and then Colonel fired in a well hit shot that was desperately blocked. Overall a competitive game played in good spirit with Monday feeling they earned at least a point or maybe all three but coming away with nothing. Jim told waiting reporters after the game… “A dodgy start to the season then but we definitely got our game almost back together that second half. Plenty of time to turn it round." Despite the loss, the late October sunshine meant that post match beers were downed outside the club house.

MoM: Sheri for linking up play nicely and Sir Lee for tidying up some of our own made mess.