Old Carey fall to disappointing defeat in sobering afternoon at Wilcox Field.
A week can be a long time in football, and this certainly proved to be the case on Saturday as Old Carey turned in a poor performance against a spirited Lyndale side. On paper, this is a game Old Carey should really be winning, with Lyndale suffering two straight losses and languishing on the bottom of the table, while Old Carey produced a fantastic performance to beat Caulfield away from home.
When compared to last week’s performance, they can only be described as polar opposites. The run, drive, determination and composure went out the window, with the players reverting back to their “default” individualistic, and somewhat selfish, style of play. As many of the players found out last season, this does not work. This again proved to be the case on Saturday.
Old Carey entered the game with the an unchanged line-up, with the only change being Paul Purcell returning from suspension to claim a spot on the bench. Old Carey started brightly enough and achieved some early success down Lyndale’s right. Old Carey struggled to put together the final ball, with many of them being cut out. They again seemed slow to transition, which ultimately lead to soft fouls being conceded. After 15 minutes, a soft foul lead to a free-kick which would produce the only goal of the game. The ball was swung over from wide on the right towards the back post where an unmarked Lyndale player managed to direct his header on target. The ball squirmed underneath Paton’s body. As a result Lyndale found themselves 1-0 ahead.
Old Carey’s resolve had been put to the test earlier this season, but unlike their Round 1 clash, the team failed to respond to the set-back. Lyndale continued to push forward and were having success out wide, where both wingers were able to get behind their opposing players. To make matters worse, the midfield struggled to track their runners, often finding themselves lagging behind their direct opponents. It was only a combination of poor finishing and desperate defending which kept the half-time score to 1-0 at the break.
In the second half, Old Carey lifted and they began to retain possession for longer spells. Anthony Skalkos continued to get involved at both ends, and was perhaps Old Carey’s best performer on the day. For all their possession however, Old Carey failed to make any clear cut chances, as Lyndale continually took the pace out of the game. Old Carey made their first sub at 66 minutes, when Paul Purcell came on in place of Ayman Amin. It was a direct positional change, as Old Carey continued to push for the equaliser. Purcell added an extra yard of pace up front, as he looked to get behind the Lyndale back four. Old Carey’s final ball continued to disappoint, and they only really had speculative long range shots to show for their attacking pressure.
Lyndale then had the chance to put the game to rest when, on 74 minutes, their wide left midfielder broke free from his marker and drove his way into the 18-yard box. Jonathon Roediger was there to pressure his man in to rushed shot which Paton comfortably palmed away. Lyndale continued to try and hit Old Carey on the break, and saw a 25 yard shot fly inches over the bar.
Nick Mallios then entered the fray in place of Luke Udorovic. Mallios immediately imposed himself on the game and had a shot from 30 yards which flew just over the bar. Then, on 85 minutes, Old Carey had their best chance of the match. Daniel MacDonald slid the ball through to Andrew Mariadason, who had timed his run perfectly, and he was able to evade the goalkeeper but could only watch on as his shot drifted wide of the far post. In fairness to Mariadason, he was falling as he struck his shot, but he would no doubt be disappointed that he could not find the empty net.
Old Carey then made their final change as Peter Henson made way for Hugh Matthews on 86 minutes. Lyndale continued to wind down the clock and Old Carey were not able to create any further chances. At the full-time whistle, Lyndale players celebrated while Old Carey wondered just how they had managed to turn in such a poor performance.
Plenty of work lies ahead for the Canaries, who will certainly be desperate to get a result against Ashburton next week after a disappointing loss at home.
