Billingham Synthonia Reserves Narrowly Lose 4-3 At Deerness Valley FC

Sir Bobby Robson Sports Complex – 11 October 2025 – Kick-off 2:30pm

As manager, I’m honestly at a loss for words after that result. We travelled to Deerness Valley full of confidence and control, taking a 3–1 lead in a game that we should have seen out comfortably — yet somehow, we managed to walk away empty-handed.

It’s a performance that leaves me deeply disappointed and genuinely perplexed. At 3–1 up, with the game at 10 v 10, we switched shape intelligently from a 4-2-3 to a 4-3-2 — a setup that should have been more than enough to see the game out, provided everyone just stuck to task, did the basics well, communicated properly, and took responsibility for the danger in front of them. Instead, we panicked.

We started well. The lads showed good intent from the off — efforts from Luca Hearn and Josh Thornton set the tone, and when Liam Harman opened the scoring on 15 minutes, we looked sharp and composed. Ryan Pearson doubled the lead soon after, and even when Deerness pulled one back, Bobby Johnson restored the two-goal cushion almost immediately. At that point, we were in complete control, playing positive football and creating chances.

Then came the collapse — and it was entirely of our own making. We lost discipline, communication broke down, and players stopped doing the simple things that had worked so well early on. The moment Josh was sent off for violent conduct in the 61st minute was a turning point, but it should never have led to what followed.

To make matters worse, certain players chose to show disrespect towards the squad, management and the game, instead of rallying together to see out the result. It’s simply unacceptable.

Even after Deerness also went down to ten men, we still had the advantage and the game plan to manage the final half-hour. But instead of showing composure and togetherness, we let panic take over. We stopped talking, stopped trusting each other, and allowed Deerness to sense weakness.

Their goals in the 69th, 74th, and 84th minutes summed it up — a team that lost focus, shape, and belief. Late efforts from Luca and Sonny showed fight, but by then, the damage was done.

The 4–3 defeat hurts not because we were outplayed, but because we threw it away ourselves. This wasn’t about ability — it was about attitude, discipline, and respect.

There were still some positives — Rohan Singh was excellent throughout and deserved his Player of the Match recognition for his commitment and consistency — but one or two good performances can’t hide the collective drop in standards.

The referee didn’t help matters with some questionable decisions, but that’s not where we lost the game. We lost it because we failed to manage ourselves, our emotions, and our responsibilities.

As a group, we need to take this personally and respond properly. Games are won through composure, respect, and accountability — three things we lost sight of today. That must change immediately.