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Sat 05 Dec 2015
Southgate Olympic 1sts
Icarus Senior Squad
3
4
A Toogood (0'), T Somerville (0'), (0')
Icarus Senior Squad v Southgate Olympic 1sts
Icarus FC5 Dec 2015 - 15:30
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Match report
ICARUS BATTLE THE ODDS TO CONTINUE WINNING STREAK
Well, what can you say about this game - quite a lot as it happens - but let's get the easy bits out of the way. Icarus beat Southgate Olympic 4-3 away to progress to the 1/4 Final of the AFA Challenge Cup.
Things were not looking good for Icarus just 24hrs prior to game day with a spate of injuries and absences of key players threatening to derail the team. In the week's build up Icaurs lost Skipper Matty Williams, Club Captain Arnie Arnison and one of the team's main threats, Dan Turner, to injury or illness.
This meant that Icarus turned up in North London with a bare 13 players which included an injured Arnison on the bench, Manager Howie Heap being forced to play and a few debuts taking place. Having said that, the starting 11 was strong and Icarus were in a confident mood following the Cup win the previous week.
The game kicked off with Icarus playing against the horrific gale force wind which was a feature throughout the 90mins. The opening exchanges saw Icarus on top and trying to play some nice stuff on the deck but it was the Southgate who went ahead about 10mins in. A Southgate corner was whipped in, and with added wind bend, the ball made its way towards the back post where it was knocked in on the half volley. Icarus responded well, again with some nice build up play and got the leveller through Tom Somerville. A lovely through ball from Howie Heap held up in the wind and Tom danced through a number of challenges to slot it it.
HT and 1-1 which was probably about right - Mark Bowden making some great saves but Icaurs missing some chances also. With the wind on their side for the 2nd half Icarus went out confident. All was going well for the first 10mins; Icarus were camped in the opposition final third, the wind making it almost impossible to clear their lines but it went rapidly downhill as Southgate scored 2 quick succession goals with the wind once again playing a major part.
3-1 down at 65mins and it didnt look good but Icarus regained their composure and once again started to dominate creating multiple chances. Tom Somerville got his 2nd (a tap in from a wind affected cross) and Alex Toogood added a 3rd with a sublime lob of the keeper on about the 80min mark.
What followed was a mental 10mins with both sides having chances, typified by Icarus having the ball cleared off the oppo goal line immediately followed by them going down the other end and hitting the Icarus bar. Moving into the final few minutes with chances on either side and things couldn't be more tense. It looked like ET was beconing as the 90min passed but Icarus drew a foul 25 yards out, still with the wind behind them.
Alex Toodgood stepped up and delivered a perfect ball into the danger area; cue wild celbrations as a diving header saw the ball fly into the bottom right corner - what an own goal!! And that was it as Icarus saw out the last few seconds of the game.
Unbelievable from Icarus once again - that's 2 weeks in a row that they have battled against the odds and come out on top in thrilling cup wins. Attitude, fitness and a never say die attitude coming to the fore.
Icaurs Ho!
Unfortunately no pics or vids - it was just too tense!
Well, what can you say about this game - quite a lot as it happens - but let's get the easy bits out of the way. Icarus beat Southgate Olympic 4-3 away to progress to the 1/4 Final of the AFA Challenge Cup.
Things were not looking good for Icarus just 24hrs prior to game day with a spate of injuries and absences of key players threatening to derail the team. In the week's build up Icaurs lost Skipper Matty Williams, Club Captain Arnie Arnison and one of the team's main threats, Dan Turner, to injury or illness.
This meant that Icarus turned up in North London with a bare 13 players which included an injured Arnison on the bench, Manager Howie Heap being forced to play and a few debuts taking place. Having said that, the starting 11 was strong and Icarus were in a confident mood following the Cup win the previous week.
The game kicked off with Icarus playing against the horrific gale force wind which was a feature throughout the 90mins. The opening exchanges saw Icarus on top and trying to play some nice stuff on the deck but it was the Southgate who went ahead about 10mins in. A Southgate corner was whipped in, and with added wind bend, the ball made its way towards the back post where it was knocked in on the half volley. Icarus responded well, again with some nice build up play and got the leveller through Tom Somerville. A lovely through ball from Howie Heap held up in the wind and Tom danced through a number of challenges to slot it it.
HT and 1-1 which was probably about right - Mark Bowden making some great saves but Icaurs missing some chances also. With the wind on their side for the 2nd half Icarus went out confident. All was going well for the first 10mins; Icarus were camped in the opposition final third, the wind making it almost impossible to clear their lines but it went rapidly downhill as Southgate scored 2 quick succession goals with the wind once again playing a major part.
3-1 down at 65mins and it didnt look good but Icarus regained their composure and once again started to dominate creating multiple chances. Tom Somerville got his 2nd (a tap in from a wind affected cross) and Alex Toogood added a 3rd with a sublime lob of the keeper on about the 80min mark.
What followed was a mental 10mins with both sides having chances, typified by Icarus having the ball cleared off the oppo goal line immediately followed by them going down the other end and hitting the Icarus bar. Moving into the final few minutes with chances on either side and things couldn't be more tense. It looked like ET was beconing as the 90min passed but Icarus drew a foul 25 yards out, still with the wind behind them.
Alex Toodgood stepped up and delivered a perfect ball into the danger area; cue wild celbrations as a diving header saw the ball fly into the bottom right corner - what an own goal!! And that was it as Icarus saw out the last few seconds of the game.
Unbelievable from Icarus once again - that's 2 weeks in a row that they have battled against the odds and come out on top in thrilling cup wins. Attitude, fitness and a never say die attitude coming to the fore.
Icaurs Ho!
Unfortunately no pics or vids - it was just too tense!
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