ac milanda afc

MILANDA missed an opportunity to go top of the table on a day when just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Players turning up late or not turning up at all disrupted the pre-match build-up and Milanda were so slow in getting out that another team had pinched their usual pitch.

Things went from bad to worse from then on, including key players Ross Early and Scott Preston having to go off, and Invac took advantage to record a deserved win. Milanda started well enough and at times moved the ball about smoothly but when the breakthrough failed to materialise they seemed to lose their way against powerful opponents who won their individual battles all over the pitch.

One of the best Milanda moves came in the opening stages when Mark Russell had a shot parried and Early hit the loose ball just wide. Then Martin Johnstone broke through and was cynically fouled by what may or may not have been the last defender. Referee Jim Breckenridge decided the culprit wasn’t the last man and showed just a yellow card. Martin Coyle took the resultant free-kick and was unlucky to see his effort clip the top of the bar.

Invac, who had always looked a threat on the break, took the lead when their best attacker was allowed to get a shot away at the edge of the box. Craig Fawns couldn’t hold it and the loose ball was knocked in. Kevin Grehan was introduced in place of Thomas Addison before the break in an attempt to improve the passing from midfield because the forwards were receiving little service.

It was important to get off to a good start in the second half but Milanda did the opposite and conceded again. A botched throw-in saw the ball bobbing around the edge of the box and two poor attempts at headed clearances before a free-kick was given away. The Invac player duly thumped it through the defensive wall and past Fawns who failed in his effort to clear the ball with his right foot.

It was a mountain to climb after that because Invac were pressing the ball at every opportunity and giving Milanda’s key men no room in which to work. There were one or two near things, including a superb ball across the six-yard box by Russell that found no takers. Milanda did eventually score a late consolation when Johnstone’s left-foot shot on the turn from inside the box was deflected past the keeper.

MOM: Invac didn’t heavy many more strikes at goal than the two they scored with but Milanda didn’t exactly created a barrowload of chances either. The creative players failed to shine and so work rate has to be the criterion for man of the match this week and on that score Kevin Williamson takes it, just pipping Dave O’Neill.