RESERVES KICK OFF WITH A DRAW

First game of a new league season for a brand-new Cardea team. With some of the players having played for other Cardea teams in the past and some new faces within the squad. Everyone involved was keen to get the league season off to a promising start, after what had been a productive pre-season for this new look bunch.

However, the game did not start as planned as Casterton took the early initiative and controlled the game in the opening stages. Things got even worse for Cardea when returning right back, Dan Chamberlain was forced off after 10 minutes with what is now looking like a nasty ankle ligament injury, with an unknown return date for the player who had impressed throughout pre-season.

This forced assistant manager, a clearly unfit and unready Lee Jacobs, into the game and into the season far earlier than he had anticipated.

Casterton continued to dominate, and eventually their dominance paid off after 29 minutes. A flick on from a Casterton goal kick caught out the Cardea defence, and with the first clear cut opportunity of the game, the Casterton captain made no mistake firing past debutant James Wilson to make it 1-0.

In an attempt to get a foothold in the game, Cardea made another change 10 minutes before the break, Jacobs was removed and in a Mourinho inspired move, winger Wayne Ward was moved back to Right Back, and Eddy Underhill made his league debut coming on at right wing.

This change proved inspired as Cardea began to grow into the game, placing more pressure on the Casterton defence and midfield, forcing more and more mistakes. Right on the stroke of half time Cardea got the goal their improved performance deserved when a Dave Arnold corner was met by a towering Jon Saunders header. The first time in the Cardea defenders life that he has been described as “towering”.

Half time came with the score 1-1, but with Casterton having the better of the game at this stage.

The message from managers Rich Kay and Dave Hardingham was simple, get the ball down, play football and put yourselves about, put some tackles in, and pressure them more.

6 minutes into the second half, it’s obvious that these words of wisdom had rung through to the players. Adam Ward controlled the ball about 35 yards from goal and drove at the heart of the Casterton defence, making his way into the area, Cardea’s number 10 was, for want of a better expression, smashed from behind, and quite rightly, the referee (who had appointed himself for this game) pointed to the spot.

Vice-Captain Dave Arnold stepped up, and calmly slotted the ball past the Casterton keeper to make it 2-1. Another 6 minutes had passed when Arnold was able to return the favour for Adam Ward, finding the Cardea #10 inside the Casterton area and Ward did not disappoint powering the ball past the helpless Casterton keeper to put Cardea firmly in the driving seat.

Unfortunately, the 2 goal cushion lasted less than 3 minutes when Casterton broke downfield quickly. A superb through ball split through the heart of the Cardea defence, and once again it was the Captain who slammed the ball into the top corner, debutant Wilson given no chance given the sheer power of the strike from about 16 yards out.

Once again it was time for a couple of changes, with captain James Roberts and stand in right back Wayne Ward being replaced by Chelsea ultra Dan Robinson and Cardea stalwart Adam Stacey, who celebrated his 32nd birthday this weekend (many of us didn’t think he’d make it, but he continues to prove us all wrong).

Casterton continued to press to try and get an equaliser, and on 67 minutes they got the goal their overall play probably deserved, after a goalmouth scramble (see @Crap90sFootball on twitter for more examples), the ball deflected in off another long term Cardea character, Andrew “Fwags” James, who could do nothing about the deflection.

With the score at 3-3, both sides were pressing to try and get the 3 points to make it the perfect start to their season. Cardea co-manager Dave Hardingham came on to try and make the difference in the centre of midfield, Wayne Ward came back on in a more advanced role that he is accustomed, and (somehow) birthday boy Adam Stacey ended up with the captains armband.

His first act as captain, win a header which ballooned into the middle of the field from an advanced right position, almost knocking Stacey off his feet. This (as you can imagine) was greeted with great laughter from the watching Cardea contingent. However the laughter was short lived, as Dave Hardingham brought down the Casterton captain (who had been a thorn in the side of the defence all game) inside the area. Giving the Stamford based side the chance to take the lead with less than 10 minutes to go.

Debutant goalkeeper James Wilson had thwarted Casterton on numerous occasions throughout the game, very much keeping Cardea in the game. He did not disappoint again on this occasion either, the Casterton captain going for his hat trick smashed the ball high and to the left, and Wilson pulled off a superb save to tip the ball onto the bar, and the follow up was blazed over. This save summing up the Cardea goalkeepers day, despite conceding 3, he had made multiple saves keeping Cardea in the game, very much earning a point on his own.

The game became scrappy and bogged down in midfield for the remaining minutes and there were no other real chances for either side. Eventually both sides having to settle for a point, with the 3-3 draw.

Co-manager Richard Kay had this to say on reflection:
“Not the result that we wanted this week, however it was very pleasing to see us fight and battle until the final whistle to get a hard earned point.

Lots of positives to take from the game and a massive game Saturday to get our first league win.”

With a few injuries picked up during the game, the boys are hoping that fitness, along with the promising performances from late pre-season return, when they make the journey to South Lincolnshire & face Thurlby Tigers next week.

MAN OF THE MATCH: JAMES WILSON