Christmas Hangover!

The new year sees a return of the match report, otherwise known as Richard's twisted view of reality! What can't be twisted is the final score with 2020 starting with a 4-0 defeat away against a good Tiddington side. It's a similar Bloxham story, being a game of 2 halves, but it was a first half collapse that left an uphill battle, but improved performance in the second half.

The first half highlights mainly consist of the high quality performance from the Bloxham linesman but to fill in the gaps it was a positive start, with a 3-5-2 formation. We were getting the ball down, passing the ball around and generally taking the game to Tiddington. Ian played well up front, making runs to stretch the defence, holding the ball up well and having our only 2 shots on target, for the first half. We were having the most potency down the left with Aaron, Matty and Brooksy working well together but it was Tiddington who ended up creating the first chance, breaking through the back line and forcing Scott into a good save. Bloxham started to invite the pressure and the good start was drifting away with Tiddington forcing a couple of quick corners. It was an in swinging corner that Scott tipped onto the bar and the rebound was bundled over the line. Tiddington had some pace up front that was always creating a threat and they picked up their second after a ricochet from a clearance gave them a perfect through ball that they slotted home. The passing game from the first 10 minutes was a distant memory but we weren't with out chances with Ian making a nuisance of himself in the box before having his effort cleared off the line to safety. Unfortunately it was Tiddington who had the luck as a shot across goal came back off the post but hit Scott and nestled in the net to make it 3-0. Ian did have his second chance having put the defender under pressure to win the ball and find himself 1 on 1 with the out rushing keeper. It was a race Ian won but the keeper did well to block a difficult chance and the half came to a close.

A change of formation in the second half, to go 4-4-2, made a difference as we, again, started the half brightly. It wasn't a game that saw us test the keeper enough but possession stats would show we had more of the ball and in more dangerous areas, however, we were restricted to not getting many crosses in the box, instead having to look for Ian, Brooksy and later Spencer, to unlock the defence. Brooksy had the closest chance of the second half, with his thunderous effort hitting the bar and coming back to hit their keeper, but unlike the first half it ended up safe. The freedom of being 3-0 down did allow us to take risks pushing forward, exploiting gaps on the left and right but the final ball was limited and we were restricted to Teezer having a speculative effort from the edge of the box just drifting past the up right. Playing a riskier game did mean conceding a couple of chances at the other end but Scott came out on 2 occasions to deny 1 on 1 attempts, clearing one and doing enough to restrict their striker to put the ball wide on the other. With only a minute left, and having deserved something from the half, it ended with one too many risks giving Tiddington a final chance that was slotted coolly past Scott.

It shouldn't dampen what was a much improved second half, just lacking a finish, against a very organised team. Something to take into the next game!