FINAL SCORE:

Wheatsheaf..................6 Tantamount FC........... 0

Report by Sam Charman

Hopes were running high pre-match that the Mount could claim their first win, having achieved a well earned 1-1 in their last outing against this opposition. The squad was bolstered by the return of Ollie Howarth and Jimbo Rose, fuelling an optimism in the dressing room. Yet The Mount made the worst possible start, allowing a Wheatsheaf player far too much time on the right to fire a pin point shot across Spencer into the bottom corner. The response however was encouraging, Tantamount attacked with vigour and enthusiasm, O. Howarth providing strength on the right and yet was restricted to long shots. Moody and Pilcher played their part as well with darting runs and some nice passing moves although no gilt edged opportunities could be carved out. Defensively The Mount looked okay, B.Howarth making tackles and doing a job. However after riding their luck maybe once too often at the back the same Wheatsheaf player was given just as much time to score an almost identical goal. Half time the Mount were 2-0, but it had been far from one sided and they were still in it.

The second half however saw what can only be described as capitulation. Charman and Rose came on, yet never settled into the game. The positional play and organisation at the back, which had been the key to the Mount’s recent good performances, simply fell apart. The failure to close down Wheatsheaf when they had the ball was a major failing as well. The Mount seemed nervous to tackle and allowed Wheatsheaf far too much ball and space. At least two goals came from an almost lazy attitude to defending, whilst Wheatsheaf used the time they had to pick off a few more. In the end a 6-0 loss, Tantamount can perhaps look to the 2 week break or even lack of games for O.Howarth and Rose, or even the absence of Jacobs as excuses, but must realise that this was a poor showing and owe themselves and their fans a big performance.

B.Howarth - kept things tighter in the first half

LINE-UP: Spencer; O.Howarth, B.Howarth, Pilcher; Moody SUBS: Charman, Rose

SCORERS: None

Manager's Comments:

"I am at a complete loss to explain what went wrong. We never really settled into the game, conceding a goal earlier on didn't help us and from then on we weren't really in it. We had a few shots, Modders was unlucky with one from long-range that deserved a goal, but after Wheatsheaf went 1-0 up it was their game. We can look to the fact that we hadn't played for two weeks, or that Jimbo and Ollie hadn't played for even longer than that, or any number of things, but the fact of the matter is we were outplayed all over the park and didn't deserve anything. Fair play to Wheatsheaf, I think they had one player from the 1-1 draw, and they controlled the game from the first whistle to last. Everyone will be disappointed, and with good reason. Perhaps we were a little complacent but that doesn't excuse the second half showing, where we were pulled all over the place formation-wise. I hope we can bounce back and put in a performance against Modbury next week."