Last Match Result

Beaujolais formation: 3-1-4-2 (3-5-2) Sat quite deep and played quite conservatively in light of it seeming as though we were missing some key players vs Chippy apparently recruiting and seeming very ready for the new season. Much of the football in both halves was played in our half, but for the most part Chippy were restricted to long rang efforts and crosses which the defenders and Matt generally dealt with comfortably. The defence kept a low line throughout the game, and this appears to have worked very well as Chippy played with a lone, quick striker - the result was that through balls often rolled harmlessly though to Matt, and they only had one or two men in the box when crosses came in. In attack, Theo was a constant threat as Chippy tried to play a relatively high line, so this is something we could look to exploit next time we play them. We also looked very dangerous from our set pieces: Terry's deliveries were excellent and their new keeper didn't look confident on crosses, so again, something we can think about next time we play them. Goal scored was a set piece (Gower tucked a knock down from a corner) in the middle of the first half. Late goal conceded was very annoying: the deep line that had served us well throughout the game saw a miscued clearance from just wide of the 6 yard line hit Jack Bolter on the foot in a central position and go in. Unlucky though as the defensive tactics definitely worked on balance - we never felt over-run, or as if players weren't being picked up from set pieces, and they were generally restricted to long range efforts. Whilst Chippy had more of the ball in our half, I would say we definitely had more key chances (or a higher XG), so it would be worth repeating a lot of this next time we play them, but maybe thinking about how we can break quicker / in a more direct way, as they looked suspect every time we did this.