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SHOTS GO NAP AGAINST VICS |
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Written by Peter Grimes
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Sunday, 09 September 2007 |
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ALDERSHOT 5 v 0 VICS
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Things get worse for Vics as every minute of the season passes. With some sort of reward desperately needed we were again well beaten and, frankly, almost overrun by the end. Whilst not an excuse, bad luck perhaps contributed to size of defeat if not defeat itself.
Vics played a 4-1-3-2 system with Welch as the `one'. From the start Ex Vics player John Grant and Elvins showed us what was in store as they both looked confident and effective. Their first link up gave Gier a chance that he shot narrowly wide and then Day headed goalwards, unmarked, but Wilson cleared over his bar from almost under it! Vics had their first chance after 10 minutes when a Welch free kick from a foul on Carr saw Maamria head on to the roof of the net. From the restart Wilson again denied the Grant - Elvins partnership a goal and soon after the first of Vics bad luck kicked in when Rusk was hit in the face by the ball and left the field looking very groggy and was replaced by Scales whose first job was to deny Grant another opportunity. Just over 20 minutes in and Welch fell very heavily and was stretchered off with the tannoy asking for his Dad to go to the dressing room. Birch came on, moved to right back and Battersby took up Welch's role in the middle. With Vics still readjusting Aldershot struck. And Day, completely unmarked in the 6-yard box finished a Chalmers cross easily. Coulson looked good in patches with some pace and skill and Bull, the Aldershot keeper, had to be quick to cut out one of his crosses. He should have squared the game for Vics 3 minutes later when Scales found Maylett and he turned the ball to Coulson just inside the box and with only Bull to beat and loads of time he hit the outside of the post when he should have scored. Within 3 minutes Davies showed him how to do it as Aldershot went 2 up. In a similar situation he gave Connett no chance from 18 yards. Elvins nearly made it 3 on half time when his poor finish from a good position still needed a good save from Connett.
Neil Redfearn gambled on his last substitute at half time bringing on Williams for Maylett. Maamria pulled the best save from Bull, so far, off a header. Connett then kept Vics in the match with saves off Harding and Elvins whilst Bull was out quick to deny Coulson at the other end. The game was then wrapped up in the space of 2 minutes as first Elvins crossed for Davies who took one touch and volleyed in the best goal of the match from just in the box and then 90 seconds later Grant finally scored himself with a well placed header off a Soares cross. Vics didn't give up but they were almost overrun at times from here on. With Sharpe looking so slow Aldershot kept the pressure on from his side as Elvins got the ball on the roof of the net and then Connett denied the same player again. A brief flurry from Vics with 15 minutes left saw Williams go close and Carr fire a decent effort but more good work from Connett and narrow misses from Elvins and Hylton kept Vics penned back. As the seconds ticked by Bull made a good save from Williams and on 90 minutes Coulson pulled the ball back for Strong whose shot hit the keeper, then the bar and Maamria finally headed wide. The final nail was inserted in Vics coffin in the 93rd minute when off a dubious decision that said Connett picked up a back pass Elvins received the touch from the indirect free kick in the box and smashed the ball through the Vics defence stood on the line.
With Vics firmly and, sadly, deservedly at the bottom of the table it is hard to take any comfort from the match. Even allowing for the bad luck there is now a quite a gulf in class between Vics and teams like Aldershot. Next week's game against Histon becomes even more of a traditional `must win' game but one struggles to see where Neil Redfearn will conjure that win from.
Attendance: 2002?
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 16 September 2007 )
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