One, Two... Miss A Few!

<p>So, it's not that we don't do match reports when we lose, just when we don't win... but discounting the two previous games vs Whitehawk (Bevendean ) which weren't great and saw 10 goals go past us without reply, we were in need of a good performance against bottom of the table, Amici. Plus, I just couldn't be bothered.

<p>If any of us thought it might be an easy fixture, the first half made a mockery of that. Without really being under the cosh, we certainly did our fair share of defending and rarely managed to hold the ball further up the pitch, which of course, meant more defensive duty. Migs had to be solid between the sticks and was, slowly draining the opposition's confidence and stamina. 0-0 half time.

<p>Baker's team talk focused on spreading the play wider, quicker and within a few minutes of the restart we finally looked like a real threat in the final third. Our passing tightened and with Tonks moving laterally and sweeping most of what made it past our midfield, B Town's possesion started to pull them every which way. The deadlock was broken around the 50 minute mark with the ball wide on the right, finding Harry on the edge of the box who played a lovely first time pass through to McKenna, who's run sliced their back line, leaving him with just the keeper to curl a left footed finish past, skimming the far post on the way in.

<p>Amici had to make do with long punts from the goal keeper which had our back line chasing towards our own goal mouth but solid defending and once or twice, great goalkeeping, kept them firmly under pressure and within a matter of minutes Craig had a brace and a penalty miss for the hat trick that never was. The first finished from Squibbs' saved shot and the second, a deft chip/shot from just outside the box. Amici couldn't handle the passing and movement, untill... 3-1. the monumental Mule, out on the right flank was taken out of the game by a 12 year old bit of spaghetti and what I can only attribute to, a period of mourning, BTown let the pray have a final bite before its death throes.

<p>Almost immediately, Azza picked up the ball on the corner of his own box, raped his marker with a Bale-esque knock and run and sprinted with all the grace of a wounded, paraplegic gizelle to smash a shot off the angle from about 25 yards out. The pressure was back on with Squibbs and Ammar respectively, driving thier shots low inside the same post. the latter being on the end of a scintillating team move which started with Ray at LB, saw maybe 15 quick passes inbetween and finished with RB's romping run and shot.

<p>Great second half performance, underpinned by our desire in the first, not to concede.