Tough loss for UoL men’s 1st despite coming back from being 2-0 down against Lancaster University

 

Tough loss for UoL men’s 1^st despite coming back from being 2-0 down against Lancaster University

 

20/10/2021, Wyncote Sports Grounds:

   

All five UoL teams set the bar high last week by going unbeaten (4 wins/ 1 draw), while in today’s earlier games, the 4^th and the 3^rd, team went unbeaten, leaving it up to the first and second team to finish off the day in style.

After a comfortable 4-2 win in their first league game last week, UoL Men’s 1^st were determined on making it 2 wins in 2 games in front of a significant home crowd who gave them plenty of support.

Unfortunately, UoL ended up losing 4-2 to Lancaster University in an intense football match.

 

1^st Half:

UoL could’ve scored early in the first minute when Toby Cogswell fired a powerful shot which the Lancaster was only able to parry. The ball bounced back to another UoL player who shot from close range, but the Lancaster keeper miraculously saved it.

In the first 20 minutes, Lancaster pressed UoL very high up the pitch with a lot of intensity which pushed UoL to make mistakes in possession. Despite this, UoL tried to put their foot on the ball and dictate the play.

Unfortunately, the intense pressure from Lancaster led to UoL being dispossessed in their own half, Lancaster capitalized on this and scored seconds after.

1-0    to Lancaster after 7 minutes.

Lancaster kept pressing hard and scored a second goal in the 12^th minute after making UoL take forced passes in possession.

2-0    to Lancaster after 12 minutes.

20 minutes into the second half, UoL started to look more dangerous with the ball and increased the pressure on Lancaster University whose high intensity pressing dropped significantly after the first 20 minutes.

In the 22^nd minute, Dan Lewis put in a dangerous cross in from the left which was blocked by Lancaster.

Lancaster’s back line started to drop considerably which allowed Liverpool to keep the possession higher up the pitch. It was quickly apparent that Lancaster couldn’t sustain the high tempo they imposed in the first 20 minutes for the entire game.

Unfortunately, Franki Pashias came off injured in the 28^th minute, replaced by Isaac Raynor.

Late in the 1^st half, a lot of space appeared in midfield for Liverpool to exploit with the Lancaster team becoming a little less disciplined when out of possession.

In the 40^th minute, UoL got a massive goal chance. After a quick throw in, Toby Cogswell put Dan Lewis through with a great pass, Dan took a shot which the Lancaster keeper was only able to parry, the ball bounced back just inches too far away from Isaac Raynor who was ideally placed for a tap in.

Despite a difficult start UoL started to impose their style of play and started to control the rhythm of the game.

UoL were rewarded in with a goal in 44^th minute when Toby Cogswell dribbled in tight space in Lancaster’s box, he put in a strong cross which bounced off a Lancaster defender and into the goal.

2-1 to Lancaster, the comeback is on!

 

2^nd Half:

In the 48^th minute Dan Heald made a vital clearance off his line to keep his team in the game after a Lancaster header from a corner cross.

In the second half, the Lancaster players looked leggy and weren’t pressing the ball anymore. The Lancaster front three especially, seemed to let their teammates deal with ball recovery which led to a lot of space in midfield for Theo Hayford to showcase his playmaking talents.

UoL nearly equalised in the 54^th minute after Dan Lewis lead a good counterattack.

Lancaster’s pressing became non-existent and the consensus amongst the crowd was that it was only a matter of minutes before UoL would score. The Lancaster team was on the ropes and seemed physically drained.

UoL’s hard work and patience finally paid off with a great individual exploit by Dan Lewis who took a shot from outside the box and scored.

2-2 and a well-deserved goal for UoL after a period of domination.

-          - Substitution in the 68^th minute, Thom Macrow on for Matt Molyneux.

UoL got through an anxious moment in the 71^st minute after a scramble in the box which led to multiple shot attempts for Lancaster but fortunately UoL managed to clear the ball.

-          - Substitution in the 72^nd minute, Luke Jones on for Lewis Bridson.

Lancaster scored in the 74^th minute from a quick counterattack.

3-2 to Lancaster.

Lancaster then went on to waste a huge amount of time with all sorts of distasteful tactics.

-          - Substitution in the 83rd minute, Sam on for Toby Cogswell.

Lancaster scored another goal in the 88th minute, making it 4-2.

In the last minutes of the game, UoL were awarded a free kick for a foul which appeared to have been committed inside the box, nevertheless the referee saw it as being just outside the box.

Dan Lewis stepped up to take the free kick, which he shot just inches off the bar, close one!

The referee blew the final whistle minutes after.

 

The boys will feel very hard done by tonight, after being 2-0 down, they managed to engineer a come back to make it 2-2 and absolutely dominated the second half. UoL had moments in the second half to score a third goal which would’ve completely changed the momentum in UoL’s favour, unfortunately it wasn’t to be tonight for UoL.

Credit must be given to Lancaster who imposed a very high tempo in the first twenty minutes of the game which overwhelmed UoL. Lancaster took their chances and managed their 2-0 lead as best as they could.

Overall, it was an exciting game to watch with both teams leaving it all on the pitch.

 Post match interview with Dan Heald and Toby Cogswell (MOTM):  https://youtu.be/h1MsMsLq4PI

UOL Men’s 1^st play their next game in two weeks’ time on the 3^rd of November away at University of Salford.

 

 

Finn McGinley