Rovers 3-7-25 Lost SM/PM 8-8-56
Goals: M Carrigan(1), Verbunt (1), Carroll (1)
Summary
I could simply state “refer to last week” for the match report, as it was almost a carbon copy of the game. For the 2nd week in a row we found ourselves 2nd to ball and an opponent that we allowed to dictate play. With 9 shots on goal to 2 at ¼ time the score board could have been even more unkind. For the 2nd week in a row we came off the ground at half time goalless, and a bit shell shocked at what the scoreboard was suggesting was the difference between the 2 sides. In attempt to turns things around after half time, once again we asked the lads to focus on the basics (i.e. hardness at the footy, lift our work rate and pressures applied to the opposition), to then give us an opportunity to actually gain possession ourselves and move the ball with some authority. We needed a lift, somebody to inspire the team and it came in the form of Maso creating a contest across CHF. This seemed to create movement and more productive forward entries as we posted our first goal, and followed by a quick second. When we thought a third was scored the feeling in the box was the boys were up and about and up for the challenge to work our way back into the game. But when the umpire went to the imaginary score review and decided the ball was touched it just seem to thwart any momentum that was building.
We tried to instil further self-belief into the lads at ¾ time, that there was no reason why we couldn’t reignite the momentum into the last quarter and run down the 3 goal deficit. To the oppositions credit, they tightened the screws and engaged in an arm wrestle and we were unable break through on the scoreboard. Eventually we cracked and we allowed some late goals to take away some scoreboard respectability that we had fought hard to regain. In a nutshell we need to compete harder in the air particularly with the fist in the backline, and the midfield needs to work harder for longer both ways, to not allow consecutive easy scoring opportunities against us. We must arrest the poor starts and we need to find a way to create more scoring opportunities.
Highlights
- Maso inspiring his team with hardness at the contested footy in the air and at ground levels
- Jules continued run of good form rebounding off the HB line
- Josh N competing hard at ground level with his repeat efforts
- Kyle creating opportunities up forward by breaking the lines
- Paddy’s attack on the footy deep in the back line
- Dylan finding his niche in the back half of the ground taking some one grab intercept marks
Things we did well
- Once gain 1st half – nothing to report
- glimpses of good ball movement when we (rarely) went laterally instead of down the line
- some productive forward entries when we made a contest
Room for Improvement (RFI’s)
- Arresting the slow starts, finding a way to turn things around when the tide is against us
- Creating more genuine scoring opportunities through competing hard in the air and strong forward movement
- Competing more fiercely in the air against taller opponents – more use of the punch, and we need to improve our body on body engaging in the contest
- Playing to our strengths – run, spread, kick to space, quick movement (and avoid kicking to continually kicking to contests)
