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WTF ???? DEA Blows a 3-1 Lead with 10 Mins to Play to Lose to Melrose 4-3
How does this happen ???????????????????????????????
DEA Still Searching for Cohesion - Drops to Windham 2-1
From the Captain:
Still struggling with combinations/positioning/play time. We lost this game in the 1st 10 minutes. DEA could not do anything right, passes were way off the mark, touches were not controlled. We gave up a quick corner in the first 5 minutes to Windham and they knocked it home with a unmarked player striking a head ball past Holger. Not 5 minutes later with continued pressure in our defensive end another one squeaks in with Holger making a diving save to stop the ball only to see it had just crossed the goal line. Play started to settle a bit and we were making headway into the Windham’s defensive end, with some good combination passed we had a few good opportunities with the ball popping out when Steve Bicknell found a free ball that he struck a onetime volley that passed the goalie and crossed the line before one of the defenders could clear it out. Half time down 2 – 1. Second half was clearly dominated by DEA, we started filling gaps, working harder at loose balls and finally found a bit of touch, with some missed opportunities we just could not find the way to put one in the back of the net. It’s going to take some hard work with less ***ing and complaining about play time to pull the rest of the season together, but we certainly have the caliber of team to turn this around.
The new tactic for this group going forward will be those that are working hard, contributing, and not complaining will be on the field, anyone else with a different attitude will be watching from the sidelines. With 20 plus showing each game we have that luxury. See you all next game ready to win.
GM NOTE: If you are having problems with your playing time and complaining... its simple... turn your uniform back in and I will refund your money to you. Otherwise .... shut your trap and start playing as a team and you would be in first place where you belong....
DEA Slips and Falls at Home Against Andover 2-1
DEA dropped its home opener against Andover 2-1 . DEA saw everyone of its players at this game, which was probably their demise as they never got into a rhythm.
From the Captain:
A game of poor flow and missed opportunities. Having 21 players to rotate in certainly presented several challenges, and we never seemed to get any consistency of play. There were some good connections between DEA players, some great give and go’s allowed for a one on one with the goalie, but no conversion. The Andover keeper played excellent between the posts, but we never truly challenged him. After going down 2-0 at the half, we thought we could wear them down, that didn’t happen until the last 15 minutes of the game when DEA got better organized and clearly dominated play which resulted in a goal line cross from Dave Partridge to Jim McCall who cracked a header into the upper left corner of the goal. With heavy pressure time ran out on the opportunity to get the tying goal back. Lesson learned moving on to the next game.Steve Bicknell had this to say: "WE SUCKED!!!"
Scott Vaughn added: "We stunk up the joint!"
Dave Partridge:
"21 individuals don't play as well as 1 team. That's it in a nutshell.
The last ten minutes were decent, we played together as a team, kept
the ball going forward, nice cross and header for a goal. Before that,
a lot of decent individual efforts, but that's what they were, very little
working together, big gaps in the field as people didn't come back or
move forward as a team. Too many subs certainly had some effect,
keeping us from establishing a rhythm, but that's not all of it. Discipline
and focus, not lunging at the ball or over committing, keeping track of
the play and moving in support, just generally team play is what was lacking."
We are still awaiting a more formal write-up on the game.
Clearly a disappointing result for DEA however. Next Sunday DEA travels to Griffin Field to take on the always tough Windham team. DEA needs to bring their "A" game to this one.
DEA Starts Season Strong with a Road Win against North Reading 3-1
With the addition of 6 new players DEA II were happy with the outcome and how well we played as a fairly new group.
1st goal came from a good through ball pass from German to Jim M. who was cut down from behind in the box. PK awarded and converted.
2nd goal was initiated with a pass from new comer Dave Partridge to German who struck a nice ball past the keeper.
3rd goal developed as Jim Pellerin was breaking down the wing, he hit a low crossing ball the went near post and the goalie was unable to handle the blistering pace and spin on the shot, and ultimately bobbled into the goal.
The Red heat had a few connections from wing to wing but were unable to convert. Bicknell made his large presence felt with a few shots and a breakaway strike, only to have the keeper make the best save of the game denying the blast.
Defense had some shaky moments but managed to hold down the fort with great help from the new keeper Holger between the posts, and Master Sargent John Morin keeping the troops in line. DEA clearly maintained most of the possession throughout play, with some good control provided from Mohamad at midfield and Dave Crespo playing a solid stopper position.
Next game is at home against Andover who tied their first game with Melrose.
DEA Masters 2 Win a Real Battle With the Lowell Alligators 3-1 (9 stitches, 2 red cards)
It was meant to be All Saints' Day, but the messing with clocks in the middle of the night must've inadvertently let a few zombies through from Halloween the night before.....
Bedford's second seasonal excursion to the short, tight and bumpy Gage field in Lowell started in clear blue skies following the now seemingly regular nightly downpour. However, unlike Sportsmans' Field, the pitch seemed to be in better shape because of the heavy rain, although bouncing balls remained unpredictable for the inexperienced and unwary.
The game was taken to the home team from the start as Bedford looked to make amends for a very lacklustre performance the previous week. The lmited size of Gage Field doesn't lend itself to expansive free-flowing football and, as a consequence the midfield players got to know each other very quickly. As it turned out, perhaps too quickly.
After initial skirmishes, the Alligators took the lead after fifteen minutes largely against the run of play when a long diagonal ball was played forward to their right winger, who crossed the ball across the penalty box to Lowell's tall, but skillful, centreforward who was able to control the ball before lashing a fierce volley past stand-in goalkeeper Joe Parrinello. There was a faint whiff of offside about both of the final two passes, but it's a difficult game for a one-man system to officiate and any complaints from Bedford were at best half-hearted.
The game reverted back to Bedford attacking and the inevitable equaliser came ten minutes later when a goal-line cutback by Jimmy McCall from Bedford's right eluded the Lowell defence and Jeff Downing hit a sweetly timed half-volley from the opposite side of the six yard box.
Several more chances fell to Bedford with John Speaker's doodlebugesque projectile throw-ins in particular providing several moments of utterr panic in Lowell's defence, but without any positive end result. Given his performance in the prior game with the Alligators, Bedford probably needed John to be throwing to, errr, well John.
The 1-1 halftime scoreline definitely flattered the home team, but Bedford were pressing hard and the second half wind helped Joe Parrinello launch dropkicks into dangerous areas.
The go-ahead Bedford goal came from a high ball bouncing around the penalty spot that was controlled by John Valickus and laid back to Rick Plichta who quickly sized up the situation before chipping over a despairing goal-line defender into the roof of the net with the Alligator's goalkeeper otherwise stranded.
By now, it was clear that several of the home team were getting more than a little frustrated with their lot and it came as no surprise when Jimmy McCall was fouled for the umpteenth time on the edge of the Lowell penalty box. The ball was a yard or so to the left of centre and Jimmy himself hit the ball hard to the right of the makeshift wall and the keeper was unable to keep it out.
The score was 3-1 to Bedford with about five or so minutes to go and the away team continued to push forward with the hope of reducing their lousy goal difference in their bid to escape the relegation dogfight.
This time John Valickus was fouled in a similar area to where Jimmy had been upended only a few minutes earlier. With Jimmy McCall understandably looking to retrieve the ball to take the free kick, some form of secret signal for Lowell's midfield walking dead must've been transmitted and the zombies decided it was time to attack.
And attack two of them did: to the extent that mild-mannered Doug Wolfe - who was not even on the pitch at the time - was violently assaulted without any provocation, ultimately needing nine stitches to a gash opened up over his left eye.
There's obviously no point in dwelling on what happened, since most of the Lowell players were themselves shocked, embarrassed and extremely apologetic about what ensued, but the bottom line is that two of their colleagues (#8 and #11) were deservedly red carded for their impromptu auditions for UFC's fall tournament.
In the circumstances, the referee had no real options at his disposal and wisely decided to call the game early. This, in a game featuring "mature" players over the age of forty. Crazy.
"To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."
Sun Tzu
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