Icarus Masters/Vets Squad
Matches
Icarus Masters/Vets SquadOverviewMatchesSquadStatsReports
Thu 30 Nov 2017
Icarus FC
Icarus Masters/Vets Squad
G Shutie (0')
1
2
Cosford Eng Students
Icarus Vets Squad v Cosford Eng Students

Icarus Vets Squad v Cosford Eng Students

Icarus FC30 Nov 2017 - 15:30
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.icarusfc.co.uk/tea

Match report

A bitterly cold December afternoon at our home ground of RAF Halton was the setting for the Icarus Masters to face their next challenge, against a youthful looking Cosford Engineer Students team. After a slight delay, owing to nobody having the key to the padlock to gain entry to the pitch, the match got underway, with Icarus employing their more familiar 4-4-2 formation.
It was immediately evident that John Hetherington’s pre-match words along the lines of ‘they’re not very good’ were a little off target, which unfortunately the Engineers were not, and only a combination of some resolute defending and outstanding goalkeeping by Jackson, kept the score at 0-0.
As the half developed, Icarus continued to repel wave after wave of Cosford attack, until the pressure finally told and the Icarus defence was breached, with Steve Hollick putting Cosford 1-0 up with a well taken goal.
Even under this first half pressure, Icarus had still been trying to maintain the playing style that we have come accustomed to from them this season, and though they had not had a great deal of the ball, this persistence paid off. With the ball out on the right wing, and under pressure from the Cosford left back, Hetherington managed to work enough space to deliver a peach of a cross, which the onrushing Shutie met with a bullet header at the back post, and in the blink of an eye (or eyes closed in Greg Shutie’s case) the game was all square once again.
 
1-1 Half-time.
 
Water distributed and words of wisdom delivered, it was back out for the second half after a shorter stop than usual so that the players weren’t stood around getting cold for too long in the plummeting temperatures.
Clearly still buoyed by their equaliser before half time, Icarus were now starting to see more of the ball, with the game starting to open up and chances coming at both ends. Hetherington and Evans continued to be a thorn in the side of the Cosford defence, and their runs off the ball were causing Cosford constant problems.
However, Cosfords more junior attack were always a threat and it was the visitors who edged back in front after another well taken goal. Icarus responded with another attack of their own but the ball would just not drop for them and the Cosford defence scrambled it away.
The rest of the second half continued in much the same vain, with chances at both ends, and after yet another goal mouth scramble in the Cosford penalty area, the ball somehow managed to stay out and the game finished in a 1-2 defeat.
Icarus go into the next game against the Prison Services with many positives to take. The character shown by the team in response to going behind twice was clearly evident, and on another day we would have come away with at least a draw from the game. Also, Rich Lowe put in an impressive performance at left back, only beaten to the Man of the Match award by Vinny Jackson, who pulled off a string of superb saves, and kept the team in the game in the first half in particular.

Match details

Match date

Thu 30 Nov 2017

Kickoff

13:30

Meet time

12:30
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

MS Teams - MS Teams Site
Financial Support - RAF Sports Lottery
Teamwear - Nike
Join the RAF - RAF Recruitment
Governance - RAF FA