Larkfield & New Hythe Res 1 - 3 Eagles
A bit of a novelty at the start of the season — a midweek fixture under the lights and 3 officials!
The boys made the trip to Aylesford on Wednesday evening to face familiar opposition in Larkfield & New Hythe Reserves. The venue also holds fond memories for Eagles, having been the scene of our Les Leckie Cup triumph several seasons ago.
Callum returned to the dugout and made several changes from Saturday's fixture due to injuries and availability. The mood in the away dressing room was positive, and the warm-up set the tone for what was to come.
The opening 10 minutes were fairly even as Eagles assessed how Larkfield would set up. We soon found our rhythm, playing some excellent football through the middle and working the ball into dangerous areas.
Like the weekend's opponents, Larkfield lined up with a defensive three, but Eagles' wingers and full-backs did an excellent job of forcing them back. A high press repeatedly won possession in the opposition half and prevented Larkfield from playing out.
Theo Sootarsing and Shaun Cawley were particularly dangerous in the wide areas, while Adam and Stefan worked tirelessly up front. Larkfield occasionally escaped the press with longer balls, creating two chances that narrowly missed the Eagles goal.
The breakthrough eventually came midway through the half. Eagles won a corner, which Stefan Rosca delivered into the box and after the ball fell kindly to Shaun Cawley, he made no mistake, dispatching it into the net. 1–0.
The goal only increased Eagles' momentum. The press became more effective, causing havoc for the Larkfield defence and allowing us to win the ball high up the pitch.
Just before half time, Theo was brought down while running away from goal after some heavy challenges in and around the box. Penalty.
After a brief discussion with the linesman, the referee also booked and sin-binned the Larkfield centre-back for dissent. Adam Hunt calmly stepped up and fired the penalty low into the corner. 2–0.
Two goals up and a man up, Eagles went into the break in a strong position.
The second half started a little slower, with Larkfield sitting back while waiting to return to a full 11. Once they were back at full strength, Eagles found another gear, moving the ball quickly and continuing to deal well with the long ball.
The third goal came after excellent build-up play from the halfway line. Eagles played out from the defence, through midfield and eventually slipped the ball in behind. The Larkfield keeper reached it first and attempted to clear, only to cannon the ball off the onrushing Alex Burns. The ball looped over the goalkeeper and into the empty net. 3–0!
Eagles looked to be cruising, but Larkfield soon gave themselves hope. Another long ball dropped into the Eagles half and became tangled around Jon Goodman's legs as he attempted to recover. The ball squirmed free, leaving Luke Adby stranded as it crept into the net. 3–1.
The final 15 minutes became nervy, with Larkfield pumping balls forward in search of a way back into the game.
Luke Adby was left on the ground after a heavy collision with the Larkfield centre-back, with blood coming from his mouth. Despite the incident, Luke bravely continued and soon came charging off his line to claim another dangerous free-kick.
Eagles held firm until the final whistle to secure a deserved 3–1 victory and three valuable points
Goal scorers: Alex Burns, Adam Hunt and Shaun Cawley
MOTM: Archie Buck
