Match Review: TGA Rangers FC vs 1TM Latini FC

• DF Fraser Anderson
• DF Jordan Laing
• DF Hiromitsu Nakaue
• DF Chris Jones
• DF Jonathan Cloak
• MD Nathan Bryer
• MD Paddy Sutton
• -- Paul Stark
• -- Kosuke Uchida
• -- Ryoga Yamada
• -- Danny Dean

• DF Dan Ousby
• DF Sivakumar Arumugam
• MD Sam Barrett
• ST Mike Sharples
• ST Todd Koning
• -- Dominic Booth
• -- Olly Griffin

Last game before the winter break put us up against the team we seem to have had a good record against of late. Always enjoy a good game against the Latini boys. We inserted Sharpy into their training in the week to get the low down on Tally’s master plan. The game started at a decent pace with both sides knocking it around, Latini started to look a threat going forward and in the middle of the half the young lad up top scored with a good finish after a swift count attack. We had a couple of half chances but nothing to make a serious mark on POB so half time 1-0 to the men in red and white. We knew we would create chances as we always seem to, so it was just a case of persistency. We started to look a bit more threatening going forward and got the equaliser when Danny worked some space out wide to pick out the onrushing JB to volley home sweetly from around the penalty spot. We were now getting on top of the game and with a couple of injuries to the Latini boys we need to make this count. Sharpy was brought on to continue his injury recovery and with a little shifting of his feet on the edge of the box slid Nate in to slot home with the aid of a deflection. Both sides did have more chances in the game, Starky making a couple of top saves during to keep it at 1-0 but finished 2-1 to TGA. Cheers to Latini for another exciting game, mom for them goes to the goalscorer lad. Mom for Rangers goes to the departing Ryoga and Danny, although we can only pick one so Ryoga gets it because he hasn’t been offside.

• Pete O'Brien GK
• Thomas Sumantri DF
• Andrew Mollitt DF
• Jamie Townsend MD
• Jonathan Lukito MD
• Rory Anderson ST
• Daniel Gregson --
• Ruairidh Winters --
• Mark Raven --
• Darren Wareing --
• Mathieu Harding --

• Jonathan Baker DF
• Lee Bradshaw DF
• Tomoya Fujikawa --

Big Bad TGA Blows Our House Down

Latini welcomed back the Wardrobes and Yak for this 3rd versus 4th encounter, we had a very strong squad despite Woody being away and Duplo out for 8 weeks with a fractured foot, sporting a moon boot. We’ve had some close games versus TGA recently and this was to be exactly the same. Lego had the best chance of the opening 10 minutes, placing his far post volley straight at the keeper with the goal at his mercy six yards out. The rest of the half saw both teams cancel each other out with both defences limiting chances. Latini broke the deadlock on 40 minutes, Rory Anderson ran on to a through ball, jinked inside the TGA central defender and arrowed a right footed shot in to the bottom corner of the TGA onion bag. Half time Latini 1-0. Our 2nd half plan was to keep a clean sheet, but as happens on occasions with Latini we started the 2nd half off the pace and TGA ramped up their efforts. TGA equalized on 55 minutes after we failed to cut out a right-wing cross, the Latini defence was surprisingly outnumbered as TGA players filled the box and one of them smashed home. Five minutes later and we were behind through our own carelessness. Losing the ball deep in to our half, Sharples squared to Nathan who despite Tard’s attempted block, arced a left foot shot around POB. This was a wakeup call we needed, but should have been avoided. The game opened up and both sides were creating chances or counter attacks. Latini could and should have equalized on 2 occasions – Pep steering his header wide and Rory Anderson was one on one with the keeper and picked his spot perfectly only for the keeper to pull off a worldy and somehow nudge the goal bound shot on to the post. We continued to huff and puff but there was to be no fairy tale ending, TGA as on recent occasions defeated us with the familiar score line 2-1, and have turned in to a bit of a nemesis in recent seasons. This was a good honest game and great to play in despite the score line. The defeat was harsh but we gave our all and on another day we may have secured a point or all three. We’ve played the top three teams and lost to them all, the margins are fine in the Cosmo so something we hope to address in 2018. Congrats to TGA on a hard fought victory. Thanks to Nick and Arthur and Mrs LTG for coming down to support Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to the Cosmo family. Next game TBC Kit: Tommy Balls: CE