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Notts Reserves season ends in disappointment
after a narrow defeat against a very useful, if volatile,
Pakistan Centre side.
With three first teamers covering the gaps left by unavailable
and injured players, this was a strong Notts side, but try
as they could they couldn’t break down resolute opponents.
The first half saw the visitors largely on top as they
monopolised possession and dominated midfield. They scored
after 35 minutes when defender Dave Smith allowed an ordinary
through ball to pass by and the visiting forward took the
ball on and finished expertly in the corner. Notts had chances
in the first period, playing on the break. Top goalscorer
Tony Dickinson could only shoot straight at the PC keeper,
probably the smallest keeper in the MAA and Marcus Hall
had a couple of strikes fly high and wide.
The second half was a completely different story. Notts
pushed up more and the midfield picked up their game. Notts
were the totally dominant side for almost the entire half
and created (and wasted) some excellent opportunities. Ady
Dawkins worked his socks off down the right hand flank,
sweeper Stuart Stubbings pushed forward into midfield and
Nick Pidgeon made some dangerous runs down the left hand
flank.
Midfieker Andy Dickinson had a header from a corner cleared
off the line and Martin Swannell had a shot that slid just
wide. On 65 minutes PC broke away for their only meaningful
attack of the half and scored with a low cross being extremely
well despatched by the useful PC substitute.
Despite the possession, Notts couldn’t find their
scoring touch thanks to some excellent defending and some
ill luck. It has to be remembered that in our first meeting
in November, Notts had plenty of good fortune in a 5-3 win
and it seems that this was not to be Notts day. So Notts
Reserves end their season in defeat and in 3rd place in
the league, which all of us would have happily settled for
at the start of the season.
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