Match Review: 1TM Latini FC vs TGA Rangers FC

• GK Pete O'Brien
• DF Andrew Mollitt
• MD Jonathan Lukito
• MD Jamie Townsend
• MD Jamie Roberts
• MD Ethan Pizano
• ST Luke Townsend
• -- Abdul Miah
• -- Mark Raven
• -- Lewis Wood
• -- Mathieu Harding

• -- Krish Rapaka
• -- Takuro Isikura
• -- Lauritz Ritter

LLLLLLW

The 1TM vs TGA derby is always a mouth watering match up and Saturday was no different as we went head to head with the league leaders. The game was the late 5pm televised match on SkySports so it wasn’t a ‘scorcher’ down at turf city this time, however that didn’t stop Tally wearing his new lucky WBA cap. Tally and his cap were forced into a few changes, 3 fresh faces in the back 4 from the draw vs the Lions and Pet Shop coming into centre mid with reports Digit away in Thailand getting his & her tattoos…. A pretty high-octane 1st half ensued as forecast and it was a moment of magic from a derby veteran that separated the sides at the halt time whistle. E was brought down on the edge of the box and from the resulting free kick up stepped Pet Shop who rolled back the years and bent the ball deliciously up and over the wall into the top left bin. HT 1-0. 1TM bolted out the blocks 2nd half and nearly went 2 goals to the good after Duplo lobbed a shot onto the TGA crossbar. As the half wore on TGA edged the game with regards to possession and territory but without threatening too much in the way of an equalizer. It was actually 1TM who came centimetres from putting the game out of reach after Pet Shop stepped up again and rattled the underside of the bar from another fine free-kick. Then came the sucker punch; a good move down their left flank resulted in the lively Fraser finding Sharples AKA Thomas Shelby in the box with a half yard of space. It was all he needed and he dug the ball out from under his feet and slotted past POB. 1-1. A crushing blow but the lads didn’t give up. After riding out 5 minutes or so of heavy TGA pressure we retook the lead. Duplo cut in from the left flank and fired a low bullet of a shot into the far bottom corner from 30 yards. We managed to see out the game without any heart stopping moments and finally chalked up a long overdue win against a TGA side. Cheers for Team Pizza, Big Mike and Shdog for coming down to support and special mention to Nate and Cloaky for joining us for a few jars and a chicken tikka masala post game. Cheers to TGA for another hotly contested affair and all the best for the run in! Kit: - TARD Balls: - WW MOTM 1TM: - WW MOTM TGA: - Cloaky DOTD - Bumble the throw in extraordinaire!

• Chris Jones DF
• Fraser Anderson DF
• Jonathan Cloak DF
• Jordan Laing DF
• Hiromitsu Nakaue DF
• Nathan Bryer MD
• Paddy Sutton MD
• Mike Sharples ST
• Yuto Nagai ST
• Gianluca Franchetto --
• Rob Whitworth --

• Dan Ousby DF
• Stephen McLaughlin MD
• Victor Felicia MD
• Eugen Chaljavin --

Reality check

Seems like the Cosmo standard is ever improving year on year. The new year fixture list has been a tough start so far and there would be no let up with Latini looking to get one over on us in their hunt for the top 2. Both teams went straight in for the tussle, as we all know would happen. Rangers putting themselves about and Latini getting more joy in possession. In truth both teams had half chances but nothing of obvious note until a freekick was awarded on the edge of the box, nearing half time, and Raver dispatched it beautifully into the top bin. We felt the free kick was harshly given as Whitcoin got a toe on the ball but you win some you lose some. Half time 1-0 to Latini. Rangers looked to bounce back from the deficit but couldn’t really get going and, in truth, never really did in this game. Latini kept probing away, mainly through Duplo and Lego, and the defence not really giving Sharpy any scraps to feed off. Raver soon spanked another free kick into the top corner, unfortunately for him it bounced safe off the woodwork. Another shot from wide on the right hit the bar and we were fortunate it wasn’t 2-0. A slight tactical change moved Frando into midfield and it repaid immediate dividends with a sprint reminiscent of the Brazilian coach in the World Cup and he squared the ball back for Sharpy to take a touch and place into the corner past POB. With TGA in the ascendancy for once in this game we were starting to push for a winner. A last ditch headed clearance from their sub kept Nate from scoring a simple header and this proved to be vital as within minutes Duplo found some space from 25/30 yards and drilled a fine drive into the bottom corner to send Latini into raptures with about 10 minutes to go. TGA huffed and puffed but a mixture of poor decision making and solid defending meant we couldn’t get another back. Final score 2-1. Well played Latini, we did not have our best game so credit goes to them for their performance and clinical strikes to get the 3 points and we now need to bounce back against the Lions for FNL. MOM for Latini goes to Woody who had a solid game at CB, also worth a mention for Lukito who was solid at right back. MOM for Rangers to the rampaging Frando (was quite tough to pick really).