Matt Stevenson
First Team
With Watford’s win the previous night effectively slamming the door shut on our automatic promotion hopes but opening a window into the play-offs by beating Reading we should be optimistic heading into the game against Coventry who are languishing in 20th place. We’ve won the last three, they have won 2 in 8, we finally seem to be able to name with a fair degree of certainty the starting 11 and the formation and are beginning to score more freely. Yet, this is the type of banana-skin we’ve slipped on previously, so until we are two goals up, I’ll be nervous. There was only the one change with Wilshere in for Pearson, potentially for more creativity if the Sky Blues park the bus, although Pearson must feel aggrieved to be left on the bench. Coventry have regularly played three at the back, so the game could turn on how much Danjuma and Brooks can get behind the wide midfield men, or whether they are forced to defend. It could be very interesting if Danjuma has instructions to stay upfield.
No-one expected this start. A clearance was taken down by Solanke, who used his strength to turn his man and pay Brooks into space on the right. A lovely ball played with the outside of his left foot curled agonisingly (for Coventry) past the centre-back to leave Danjuma with a simple finish. 22 seconds gone, and 1-0. The irritation with iFollow is the replays, we didn’t see Wilshere lose the ball and clip O’Hare as he raced through, and was lucky to escape a booking, but the ref owes us after the Lerma send off versus Luton, that appeared a catalyst for Tindall’s departure.. We did see the free kick which was placed low inside Begovic’s right hand post to equalise within 3 minutes. The game was end-to-end, Walker had a chance for Coventry, Brooks shot wide, as did Danjuma after good work from Solanke. Coventry was most dangerous from set pieces throwing all three centre-halves forward, and Kelly was fortunate to escape following an air-kick. A good 1-2 between Brooks and Billing was followed by another 1-2 with Danjuma and Billing with Danjuma running into the edge of the six-yard box, and beating the keeper at the near post. The keeper will be very disappointed, when I have to go in goal at six-a-side I cling onto the post knowing the stick I’d get if it went in at the near post. Billing hadn’t been in the game much, but had come to life in the middle of the first-half. We had most of the pressure, and Brooks drove in a dangerous free-kick just before the interval, in what was AFCB’s most threatening / entertaining half in a long while, maybe even in 2021. A telling point would be the conviction that the Cherries come out with in the second half. I was hoping we’d go for the throat, rather than attempt to control the game knowing we are ahead.
The first bit of action was an excellent block from Carter Vickers to stop Walker. Before a heavy collision saw the game stopped for about 8 minutes due to an injury to Pask, who was stretchered off. The game was tense, and even, until in the 68th minute Danjuma powered past his man and put in an inviting cross with his left foot that bounced up at Brooks, who guided it back where the keeper had run from to make it 3-1. Pearson was immediately told to come on for the disappointing Wilshere, to stiffen up the midfield. We managed to control the game fairly comfortably, Solanke had a reasonable chance, and in the first minute of the 12 additional minutes we broke again. Pearson cut through the middle, played Smith in, who cut it back. Pearson shot and via a deflection, which may have been an own-goal, but may have been Solanke, it ended up in the back of the net. It allowed players to get a mini-rest before Huddersfield, and get some minutes for Surridge, Riquelme and Anthony. The game petered out, Coventry knew they were beaten and we became a little disjointed with all the changes up top. 4-1, we would have taken that before the game.
No-one expected this start. A clearance was taken down by Solanke, who used his strength to turn his man and pay Brooks into space on the right. A lovely ball played with the outside of his left foot curled agonisingly (for Coventry) past the centre-back to leave Danjuma with a simple finish. 22 seconds gone, and 1-0. The irritation with iFollow is the replays, we didn’t see Wilshere lose the ball and clip O’Hare as he raced through, and was lucky to escape a booking, but the ref owes us after the Lerma send off versus Luton, that appeared a catalyst for Tindall’s departure.. We did see the free kick which was placed low inside Begovic’s right hand post to equalise within 3 minutes. The game was end-to-end, Walker had a chance for Coventry, Brooks shot wide, as did Danjuma after good work from Solanke. Coventry was most dangerous from set pieces throwing all three centre-halves forward, and Kelly was fortunate to escape following an air-kick. A good 1-2 between Brooks and Billing was followed by another 1-2 with Danjuma and Billing with Danjuma running into the edge of the six-yard box, and beating the keeper at the near post. The keeper will be very disappointed, when I have to go in goal at six-a-side I cling onto the post knowing the stick I’d get if it went in at the near post. Billing hadn’t been in the game much, but had come to life in the middle of the first-half. We had most of the pressure, and Brooks drove in a dangerous free-kick just before the interval, in what was AFCB’s most threatening / entertaining half in a long while, maybe even in 2021. A telling point would be the conviction that the Cherries come out with in the second half. I was hoping we’d go for the throat, rather than attempt to control the game knowing we are ahead.
The first bit of action was an excellent block from Carter Vickers to stop Walker. Before a heavy collision saw the game stopped for about 8 minutes due to an injury to Pask, who was stretchered off. The game was tense, and even, until in the 68th minute Danjuma powered past his man and put in an inviting cross with his left foot that bounced up at Brooks, who guided it back where the keeper had run from to make it 3-1. Pearson was immediately told to come on for the disappointing Wilshere, to stiffen up the midfield. We managed to control the game fairly comfortably, Solanke had a reasonable chance, and in the first minute of the 12 additional minutes we broke again. Pearson cut through the middle, played Smith in, who cut it back. Pearson shot and via a deflection, which may have been an own-goal, but may have been Solanke, it ended up in the back of the net. It allowed players to get a mini-rest before Huddersfield, and get some minutes for Surridge, Riquelme and Anthony. The game petered out, Coventry knew they were beaten and we became a little disjointed with all the changes up top. 4-1, we would have taken that before the game.
