Slow Start To 2016

<p>Casuals and Pelham came back from the winter break out of practice as they fell to a 4-0 home defeat against a much improved Sawbridgeworth Brewery side. A lack of regular games, consistency, and injuries towards the end of last year meant Pelhams momentum they had at the beginning of the season had been disrupted. However Pelham managed to have four substitutes for this game and although it will only be a few more months before the end of the season, Pelham are hoping to string together so more consistency at the back end of the campaign to build that momentum back up again. The home side actually started the better of the two sides and competed well with Sawbridgeworth Brewery. Pelham carved out some early chances and put together some good passages of play with a good work rate. However that's as good as it got, and I don't know whether fitness, complacency or lack of concentration kicked in but Pelham dropped off and it was the away side who grew into the game. Brewery would push on and win the game and with a new look side for the rest of the season, they looked good for it and fully deserved the win. Sawbridgeworth Brewery struck first as they broke on the counter attack working a couple of passes together and slotting home calmly making it 1-0. They doubled their lead just before the half meaning the sides went into the break with Brewery leading 2-0. The second half carried on as the first ended with Pelham for some reason not being able to get going again and Brewery fully capitalised on it. Pelham went on to concede a further two goals and will be disappointed in the manor that they were conceded. The third goal was a flick on header from an in-direct freekick and the fourth was via a deflection off a Pelham wall defending a freekick which looped over Dan Monk in the Pelham goal. Not the most ideal start to the year but fortunately for us the work we have done in the league in 2015 means this result won't affect us too much. However we still need to bounce back from it and correct the mistakes from the game (of which there were plenty). As was said on Sunday we can't dwell on this result too much and it's pointless if we do. We now have a welcome break from the league for a couple of weeks with some cup games and there are some huge opportunities in both to get through to a cup final this season, probably the biggest opportunities we have had to get to one over the past few years. Let's try to get another 15/16 along this weekend and keep that consistency in the team between now and the end of the season, and move on from this game quickly by righting the wrongs.