Riverside AFC vs St Albans City West
(2nd Dec)
Following the controversy in the home fixture with Riverside, this return match was expected to be full of incident, and so it proved.
In awful conditions West started slowly, partly as they were playing into a strong wind and heavy rain, and for the first quarter of an hour they struggled to get into their rhythm with a very muddy pitch hampering their passing game.
Gradually they adapted to the conditions, and with Ryan Rickard dictating play from central midfield they began to put pressure on the Riverside goal. After twenty five minutes they took the lead as Matt Peckham scored following good work from Greg Springall. Ten minutes later they added another as Tom Weaver met a Greg cross and he struck a beautiful volley that gave the Riverside keeper no chance.
The second half began much as the first half had ended, with West dominating and playing some good football. They added a third ten minutes in, with Ryan R. striking a good shot from the edge of the area. At the back, Alex Cobb in goal was rarely tested, but when he did get the ball his distribution was excellent, and he set up a number of quick attacks. More goals could have followed as West continued to press forward, however some great moves were sometimes undone by the sticky nature of the pitch.
Riverside now reverted to type, knowing they had lost the game, and they seemed more intent on breaking legs than playing football. Their no.15 especially, made a number of high two-footed tackles when the ball was lost, the worst of which was on Alex in goal despite the fact he was safely holding the ball. The referee didn’t play his part here, as despite the general leniency given to players in this age group, the yellow card should have been shown.
There were chances for West to increase their lead, but the game ended 3-0. West had played some great football to give them five wins from six league games, and with Riverside firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, it will hopefully be a while before they meet each other again!
Final Score: Riverside AFC 0 - 3 St. Albans City West