Summer football finally visited the GDSML. After months of snow, sleet, thunder storms and torrential downpours Saturday morning was a day in the sun and a chance to get a tan while playing football. Milanda faced up to current bottom dogs Wanderers and boss McMillan sensed there were goals to be had for Milanda and decided to go with an attacking 4-3-3 formation.
The game started off slowly and for the rest of the half it never really picked up. Milanda had most of the play with occasional breakaway by Wanderers. Apart from saving a Wanderers free kick Preston in the Milanda goal was mostly untroubled in the first half. At the other end Milanda fashioned few clear cut chances and generally couldn't get out of first gear. Coyle, unusually for him, wasted good possession on a number of occasions but it was symptomatic of a sluggish first half performance that was really only notable for Fawns in the heart of the Milanda defence becoming Victor Meldrew for the day and much waving of hands as yet another Milanda player failed to live up to his expectations. Half time arrived and Milanda were still huffing and puffing but other than getting a sunburnt they had little to show for their efforts.
The second half started with Milanda nearly going a goal down when S Preston misjudged a long ball and slipped to let in the Wanderers forward but he played the ball far too wide and Preston was grateful to see the chance come to nothing. Not long after Milanda finally took the lead. Good work by Gardener won Milanda a corner on the right and Early met Reid's cross at the front post and a despite a Wanderers defender's attempts his header went over the line. This was the breakthrough Milanda needed and from that moment on they were in full command. Shortly after Gardener made it two when cutting in from the right and hitting a right foot shot past the Wanderers keeper.
Not to be outdone 5 mins later Coyle picked up a pass in midfield and shaped to pass but instead unleashed an unstoppable right foot shot finding the bottom right hand corner. Milanda were now in easy street and some Wanderers tempers were becoming a bit frayed. At one point they even had a go at the Milanda bench for not coming on to help one of their injured players. Not sure what they expected them to do but the Milanda bench found the episode quiet amusing.
Milanda sealed their victory when Gardener picked up a loose ball in the box before hitting a shot into the roof of the net. Gardener now holds the best goals to minutes ratio since Fitzpatrick devised the complex formula. Gardener was desperate to get his hat-trick but the Wanderers goalkeeper made a couple of good saves to deny him. At the other end C Preston could have gone and had a shower and joined his team mates on the sidelines for all the work he had to do. The Phil O'Donnell of Milanda Mark Callender was given the last 10 mins and almost scored with his first touch but again the Wanderers keeper helped keep the score down. The game finally reached its inevitable conclusion with Milanda securing an easy 3 pts while also topping up the tan.
Milanda should probably have had more goals and if they'd played the first the way they played the second then victory would have been by a far bigger margin. The match had an end of season feel about it and it was almost played that way even though Milanda still have an outside chance of promotion although the title seems beyond their reach.
Website man of the match - Despite his moaning and all round huffiness Fawns at the back had a solid game and it was his promptings and runs forward that helped to push the team on in the 2nd half so Fawns gets this week's man of the match award and with it some toys he can throw out his pram