Match Report: 1st Team 4-6 Chingford Athletic (Sat 7th Nov)
Forest United lost 4-6 at home to Chingford Athletic on Saturday.
In a very open encounter between the two teams, defending did not appear to be high on the list of priorities for either team, especially in the opening 45 minutes of the match.
Despite the final score it was Forest United who took a 2-0 goal lead early in the match. While Chingford Athletic had already threaten to score from a corner kick early in the match, Forest managed to take the lead after poor defending from the away team, with plenty more to come from both sides, allowed Chris Mitchell time & space outside their 18 yard box to strike the ball into the top corner of the goal & beyond the reach of the Chingford keeper. Forest later increased their lead after a great counter attacking move set Michael Powell free & after a surging run, his 20 yard drive into the roof of the Chingford goal, left their keeper with no chance. Credit to Chingford for hitting back within minutes after some good work from them to retain the ball lead to one of their players recieving the ball wide on the right & he cut inside before striking the ball into the roof of the Forest goal. Chingford than went on to score the first of their next five goals in the match, all coming either via long throws (One of their players has a style very similar to Rory Delap of Stoke!!!) or from corner kicks. Some totally abysmal defending from Forest allowing three headed goals (One of which came from the smaller player on the pitch!!!) & enabled Chingford to race into 3-2 lead. Forest than won a penalty after a tackle from a Chingford defender on Aiden Thomas, inside the box took the player out as well as winning the ball. Yet the Chingford keeper did well to get down to his right & save the resulting penalty. Forest managed to score again via a free kick that was than headed home by Christian Pinnock, although Chingford protested that the player was offside when the kick was taken. Chingford than went on to score again from a corner kick & the first half ended with Chingford 4-3 in front.
The second half saw a far more calm & certainly less frenzied pace from both teams as neither side was keen on conceding any more goals. Yet as the half went on both teams began to play with a very open, attacking mode once again. Forest scored for the fourth time in the match after some good passing between the forwards & midfield presented Jake Rogers with the chance to steal in & put the ball in the bottom corner of the Chingford goal. Yet with the scores now level at 4-4, Forest allowed their poor defending to take centre stage. Despite both teams still creating chances, Michael Konis forcing a save from the Chingford keeper, 40 yards out from goal on the left, that the keeper did well to save, one handed & palm over the bar, it was Chingford that scored twice again to take all three points. A Chingford player, unmarked at the far post was on hand to head them in front from a long throw in & later another corner kick, which was not cleared by the home team, was turned in to the goal to place Chingford 6-4 in front. The match ended with the same score line.
So once again poor defending rears its ugly head. But with players failing to attend training, a severe lack of communication on the pitch & individuals failing to take responsibility on & off the field, will things improve? Next week Forest United take on Midland away in their next league match.