Now that’s a bit of an unexpected start to the UU Accies’ new life in Division 4. A wounded Ryans Rangers travelled to the Sink for the Round 2 tie determined to get some momentum going after their home humiliation to Witton Albion last week.
Knowing the Accies couldn’t match the visitors on strength and skill KElliott lined up with an unusual 5-3-2 formation, not one he’d tried before. With only a 3-man midfield the Accies boss was happy to concede ball time to counter Rangers’ potent strike force, hoping chances for Rangers would be at a premium. However, there were 4 chances from either side but both goalies were in top form with Chewie, the Accies goalie in particular, playing a blinder. Dragan Andic, as usual, played out of his skin as he plays out his final season and, again, was the standout player on the pitch.
The home team won the match thanks to a set piece play straight off the training ground. In the 18th minute. Riccardo Lanna feinted to shoot a freekick and played the ball to Drew Harsley who fired home past the despairing Patric Fransson. Ryans Rangers controlled the majority of play both halves and some excellent interplay from their front 3 made life difficult for the home team. Yet, Andic, et al, were also on top of their game and ensured the Accies saw out the match a goal to the good.
Another 3 valuable home points for UU Accies that keeps them in the top half of the table, level with Hadjuk Spliff and Witton Albion who also won their Round 2 fixtures.
Hadjuk enjoyed the result of the Round with a very convincing 5 – 1 victory over Deportivo Cali XI. Wen Jie Gan put the home side ahead in the 4th minute from close range and Ivan Guijarro doubled the lead 15 minutes later. Defender Admir Kadiric pulled one back on 33 before Koshishiro Takamatsu restored Hadjuk’s 2 goal cushion 6 minutes later. Greyhead was upset with Constance Paine for disallowing Glyn Milbourne’s effort 4 minutes before the break but, with the score already 3 – 1, even allowed to stand it wouldn’t have affected the outcome.
More pain was inflicted on Deportivo a minute after the restart when Rico Schiaffino scored number 4 and, just to rub it in Guijarro scored his second, and Hadjuk’s 5th, a minute into injury time. It was a well-controlled, disciplined display from the home team and the scoreline doesn’t flatter them in the least: with 18 chances to Deportivo’s 3, Eorospurs again showed his ambitions for Hadjuk this season.
Topping the table are Witton Albion, courtesy of one more goal than Hadjuk. Witton followed up last weeks’ incredible away result with a tremendous 3 – 0 home win over Yamaha Aces who, themselves, enjoyed a winning start to the campaign. Both teams were in good shape for this tie at Wincham Park but it was Inselaffen’s team that stole the show with another astonishing display that Hambone’s Aces had no answer to: 64% of the ball and 7 to 0 on chances proved Witton’s abilities at home but doesn’t tell the full story.
The match was electric throughout but was won, and lost, in the first action-packed half hour. In the first minute Emerson Simas gave away a penalty to Witton that Salomão Phelipe stuck away. Jorge Carriço thought he’d equalised 3 minutes later but Donald Scott ruled it out then Simas eventually got the yellow his petulance deserved on 14 minutes. Roman Berezhinsky put Witton two ahead on 17 minutes with a neat turn and shot in the area. Scott evened up the disallowed goals by chopping off Phelipe’s 21st minute strike. Just after the half hour a, still angry, Carriço saw yellow for his challenge on Witton’s Frederick Anyon that saw the midfielder carried off, being replaced by Mario Aurelio. Some intense drama and action that carried on over the 90. Pedro Miramontes rounded off the scoring in the 61st minute to guarantee another 3 points for Witton that moved Yamaha down to 4th spot.
Disco Blue put Round 1’s disappointment behind them with a 2 – 1 home win over Clojo’s FC Ceahlaul Piatra Nea. Andres Berger (25 minutes) and Duncan Euan (83’) got the goals while Terrance McIntyre (43’) scored Ceahlaul’s first goal of the season. Honest D must be happy with the points from a match they controlled possession but were not as creative in front of goal. DB made 4 chances while the visitors created 6, so it looks as if Clojo has her work cut out for her early in the season as those misses are proving costly. DB remain in 5th place while the three teams below them have yet to get off the mark.
It might be early to say but it looks like Witton and Hadjuk are the teams to watch in this Division and, as results show, it’s not always the best team that picks up the points. More interesting times lie ahead with a dozen still to play.
KElliott is loving Division 4 at the moment after two wins from two matches but he knows it’s early doors and a lot of work is still to be done if the Accies are to secure a safe position. Their starting matches are mostly at home so the final run in will be very telling, not to say difficult.
For the moment though the Accies are enjoying a bit of success and head off to the Acter Baren to play Söderstadion FC in the Hattrick League Cup, Round 2, first leg on Tuesday.
The teams have never met before and KElliott has already scouted out Söderstadion ahead of the tie and was very impressed with what he saw. “KoloLudde has only been in charge a short time but the young man has his squad going great guns at the moment. They haven’t lost in the last 6 matches and won 8 – 0 this morning over lisewo citi fc real! That’s a nice Burns Night party right there. He has a real solid squad and doing well, topping Division 7:40, and I think he’ll top the table and move to D6 next season.
“That said, just because they are in D7 doesn’t mean we can take them lightly. His squad is dangerous, very dangerous, and more than capable of putting us to the sword – recent results have shown what they can do – so we will approach this tie with the same determined attitude we do every match, look to hold them out in the first leg and secure passage to Round 3 in the return at the Sink.
|