UNDERHILL GETS CARDEA RESERVES OVER THE HILL

In recent weeks, the dressing room after a Cardea Reserves game has been a fairly sombre place to be. However, this week the atmosphere was a totally different one. Amazing what a win can do!

As had happened last week, Cardea started the game very brightly and was on top, forcing Gunthorpe to spend most of the first 15 minutes defending in their own half, but once again, it was chance creation and ultimately a goal that eluded the home side. It was at this point in the other two games of the season where the opposition had broke and scored, this wasn’t to be the case this week, as Cardea continued to press and put pressure on the Gunthorpe back line.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Cardea though, as right winger Kaylum Clark was forced off after 20 minutes, the winger stating to the bench “I can’t breathe”. This quickly prompted a change, and when the winger revealed he did not have his inhaler with him to help ease the struggles, this prompted a more “long term” solution. Also, a lecture that asthmatics generally need their inhaler for situations such as this (idiot). Adam Stacey was brought into the fray through the middle, and Eddy Underhill moved out wide.

After half an hour, Cardea scored the opening goal for the first time this season. Typically reflective of the season so far, it wasn’t a Cardea player who scored it. Right Back Aaron Lewis, who has impressed in his 2 appearances so far, delivered a fantastic cross to the far post, which was acrobatically converted into the top corner by the Gunthorpe defender, who took his chance in front of goal superbly.

5 minutes later it was two, Eddy Underhill played a superb through ball through the middle of the defence which Wayne “Nuggs” Ward latched on to. He was brought down on the edge of the box for a free kick. Nuggs took the resulting free kick, although his powerful drive was saved by the keeper, it fell right to the feet of Underhill who was following in unopposed. Slotting the ball comfortably in to the back of the net for 2-0.

Cardea were looking comfortable, as has been the case a couple of times this season though, it was not to last. When Cardea failed to clear a cross in from the right, the ball dropped to the edge of the area and was rifled in to the corner of the net brilliantly from about 20 yards out to make it 2-1. This strike was greeted by words of an R rated nature (many of which cannot be included within this report, and largely unacceptable in normal day to day life) from Goalkeeper Andrew Yeomans.

This then led to the controversy of the half, when two players challenged for the ball in the air. Appeals for a push in the back of the Cardea man seemed to have been listened to by the referee, as he put the whistle to his mouth. However, he didn’t blow and Gunthorpe were through on goal and the striker converted, less than 2 minutes after the lead was cut to 2-1, it was gone, right on the stroke of half time.

Cardea had comfortably been the better of the first half, but once again, found themselves scratching their heads at the break as to how they were not in front in this game.

HT Cardea Reserves 2 - 2 Gunthorpe Harriers

The boys had played well in the first half and the second started in a similar fashion. Cardea on top and working the Gunthorpe players hard by moving the ball around them, this week however, they looked a lot happier when moving the ball around, and created more chances than in the previous two games.

Gunthorpe did have a stroke of bad fortune, when goalkeeper (former Cardea player Michael Holden) went down after saving a header from Dave Hardingham and follow up from Adam Stacey. This was to be the end of the day for the keeper, as his back injury was too much for him to carry on, forcing the Gunthorpe centre back to take his place between the sticks.

His introduction wasn’t what he had hoped, as 2 minutes after taking the gloves, he brought down Stacey in the area, and it was a penalty for Cardea. Underhill stepped up looking to double his total for the day.
Unfortunately we cannot show you the video, for two reasons:
1. It was offensive to anyone and would be reported to the internet authorities immediately after upload (yes it was that bad).
2. More blue language from Andrew Yeomans

Luckily for Underhill though, the ball came straight back to him, and he converted the rebound. The most frustrated figure on the pitch being Adam Stacey, who had been cruelly robbed of an assist after winning the penalty.

It was a nervy last 20 minutes though as Gunthorpe piled more pressure on the Cardea back line, and with the management team swapping places (Dave Hardingham coming off & Lee Jacobs going in to centre midfield), and Tom Jacombs coming on up front. Cardea tried to ease out the storm the Gunthorpe were bringing.

Cries of handball rang around the pitch every time the ball touched a Cardea player in the area, but the referee was having none of it. Gunthorpe players clearly needing a refresher in basic human anatomy, hopefully helping them identify what a “handball” actually is.

Cardea were able to break out with 3 minutes to go though, and they did to Gunthorpe what had happened to them in their other two previous games, sit back and hit on the counter attack.
Kaylum Clark, who had recovered from his bout of breathlessness broke down the right, cut the ball back for Adam Stacey who couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet. Gunthorpe’s clearance was not good enough though as it fell to Jacobs, who found Wayne Ward out wide. He delivered a beautiful cross to the back post where Tom Jacombs was waiting. Before coming on he had said “I may not be fit, but I’ll go on a shoot really hard.” He did just that at the back post, striking the ball cleaner than a sink after Mr Muscle has had his way with it. The ball flew into the far corner, and Cardea had their first win of the season, with what is definitely a contender for goal of the season.

FT Cardea Reserves 4 - 2 Gunthorpe Harriers

After the game, co-manager Dave Hardingham said “The squad was thin today, to the extent we had all 3 managers either starting or on the bench. But that didn’t stop the team from putting in by far the best performance of the season so far. We worked hard for each other, we tried to play football the right way and didn’t resort to long ball football. We conceded goals because of errors, but we picked ourselves up off the floor to claw back the win. I said before the game ‘we will concede goals trying to play good football, but we will concede more if we just hit it long all the time.’ And the team didn’t let those setbacks stop us playing football the way we know we can. A great springboard to finally get our season under way, onwards and upwards to next week.”

Cardea will look to take advantage of this week’s win when they face FC Peterborough A next week.

MOTM – Aaron “Tinder” Guntrip