Milanda’s Jekyll and Hyde season continued with a convincing victory over Renfrew Town at Netherpollok. After the nightmare performance of last week it was Milanda’s Jekyll side that showed up this week with as good a display as Milanda have put in all season. Although the margin of victory can be attributed to the kind of morning the Renfrew keeper will want to forget, Milanda still played some good football in stark contrast to the attempts of last week.
Milanda started the game in similar fashion to last week by taking an early lead before letting the opposition in for a soft equaliser. The game was only 5 mins old when the Renfrew defence should have easily dealt with a long ball from the Milanda half. Reid however gave chase to what looked a lost cause and his presence seemed to un-nerve the Renfrew keeper who couldn’t decide whether to clear his lines or let the ball come into his box before picking up. In the end he did neither and Reid got a foot in to steal the ball away and leave himself an easy tap in to put Milanda in front. Like last week a great start to the game but also like last week the lead didn’t last long. Milanda failed to clear their lines and let the Renfrew forward get a shot in which Preston looked to have covered but unfortunately a last ditch attempted interception by Duncan only succeeded in diverting the ball past Preston into the net. A soft goal to lose and the game was worryingly following a similar pattern to the previous weeks debacle.
The game was an even affair at this point and neither team was in control. Williamson was laid out after a clash of heads but was able to carry on after treatment. Milanda did eventually regain the lead again with the aid of the Renfrew keeper. Wilson, who had returned to the Milanda starting line up, sent a left foot cross deep into the Renfrew 6 yard box and despite several wild swings by players from both sides nobody got a touch and the ball somehow found its way into the net with the Renfrew keeper guilty of ball watching.
This was the start of a Milanda goal frenzy and goal number three arrived soon after. Some great work down the right by Reid ended in a backpost cross which found the head of Coyle whose header back across goal found Williamson unmarked and he finished off the move with a header that went in off the post. It was four soon after when Coyle scored the goal of the match when he picked up a Murray pass about 30 yards out. Coyle took the ball forward to the edge of the box and looked as if he was going to square across the box but instead unleashed an unstoppable shot that hit the net via the underside of the bar. Milanda were rampant now and looked as if they could score at will. Another goal was inevitable and it was Coyle again who provided the finish and once again it was a lack of communication in the Renfrew defence that provided the opportunity. A cross into the 6 yard box wasn’t dealt with and despite some desperate defending the ball fell kindly to Coyle who controlled it on his chest before volleying into the net. Although anything is possible with Milanda it was game over at this point.
Half time arrived and Milanda could feel justifiably happy with how the half had gone although they needed to keep the concentration up for the second half Renfrew looked a beaten team.
The second half was tame in comparison to the first with Renfrew trying hard to make a game of it but Milanda’s back line gave them little opportunity and Preston was only called into action on a few occasions one of these was a save from his own player Williamson whose attempt to cut out a cross sent the ball heading into the bottom corner but Preston was down in time to smother the ball.
At the other end Milanda looked for more goals and were given plenty of set pieces to add to their tally. Scott Preston was particularly unlucky with a couple of headers from long throw ins. Coyle also had a great chance to complete his hat-trick when Murray found acres of space down the left. Instead of going for goal he decided to cut it across the six yard box to Coyle but before the ball reached him he had somehow managed to fall over. Despite this he still got a touch that went agonisingly past the right hand post with the Renfrew keeper scrambling across his goal.
Milanda brought on their subs with Fawns coming on for Scott Preston and Grant coming on for Reid who had deposited last night’s dinner on the halfway line. Grant almost made it six with his first touch when his left foot shot was turned away for a corner. From the resultant corner Milanda did finally get goal number 6 and again the Renfrew keeper was the culprit. Fawns saw his near post cross fumbled into the net by the Renfrew keeper who despite being under pressure from Coyle should have dealt with the cross. In the end the goal was given to Fawns. Renfrew did attempt to put a little more respectability on the score when replying almost immediately when a loose ball in the box was poked home from 10 yards out.
The game got a bit heated in the last 10 mins as Milanda began to showboat and the frustration of the Renfrew players saw them lash out on a couple of occasions resulting in a booking. Soutar came on for Milanda and played upfront with Williamson and he had a couple of chances to score, one after a cute turn on the edge of the box that made him some space but he was unable to finish off and the other chance ended in a poor toe-bashed effort from the edge of the box.
Milanda did make it seven and it was the final embarrassment in a day he’ll want to forget for the Renfrew keeper. Fawns hit a high hopeful ball into the box that the keeper looked to have safely covered but he appeared to lose the ball in the glare of the sun and let the ball slip from his grasp and Williamson who had followed the ball in was left with his easiest goal of the season.
A completely different Milanda this week, played some good football, closed down space, made themselves available for team-mates and generally worked their socks off. It will be interesting to see which Milanda turns up next week.
Website man of the match – A number of players were on the shortlist in a week where the team didn’t have any failures. The defence were solid with special mention to Wilson who had an excellent game at left back and sent in a number of dangerous crosses and got his name on the scoresheet. Milanda’s midfield did some sterling work with Murray having a productive game but this week’s man of the match goes to Coyle who, despite falling over when the hat-trick was going a begging, scored an absolute peach and finished tidily for his second. Always willing to take the ball from his team-mates and capable of beating everyone in the opposition team twice on a good day. He even passed the ball on Saturday.
Footnote
After his clash of heads Williamson became the proud owner of a quite impressive black eye. If you have a strong stomach you can see the results by scrolling down.
. 