Joshua Brooks Vs AFC Didsbury (16/04/14 - Simon Field, Didsbury)

Joshua Brooks 1
AFC Didsbury 0

AFC Didsbury: Leighton, Musson (Hay), Rogers (Johnson), McDonald (C), Bermingham (Mackie), Lee, Whiteley, Creasey, Peat (Corcoran), Berté (Wallace), Harrison.

Goals: -
Assists: -
Man of the Match: Peat

Didsbury lack killer instinct

The first midweek game of the season for Didsbury came against Joshua Brooks, knowing that a win would stand them in good stead for a top 3 finish in the league. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, but enough about Whiteley's songs, there was an important game ahead, but unfortunately the weather was not reminiscent of the final result. 
 
Didsbury started sharply, and within two minutes Adam Musson and Rick Peat linked up down the right flank. The latter showed some lovely feet to ghost past the defender and fizz a tantalising ball across the edge of the 6 yard box, only for it to be narrowly missed by the outstretched leg of Tom Whiteley. 

Chances were coming for Didsbury and they could smell the sweet scent of blood, the midfield duo of Whiteley and Neil Creasey, were linking expertly with the front men. However, they remained cautious of the threat that the opposition posed, as their right winger pushed the ball past skipper Colin McDonald, who bundled into him just on the edge of the area; luckily the referee gave a free kick that lead to nothing. 

The flowing football of Didsbury was always threatening to rear its beautiful head, yet the pitch didn't lend itself to the tika-taka we are so used to seeing.
Despite this, a flowing move saw Matty Harrison put clean through on goal but he failed to capitalise on the situation. More efforts were carved out with the best falling to Neil Creasey, whose attempts were flicked round the post
numerous times by pirouetting defenders and the flapping keeper. The half time whistle blew with Didsbury clearly the side in the ascendancy.

The second half got underway with plenty of joy for the two wingers Gaz Lee and Man of the Match, Rick Peat. The chances however were drying up for Didsbury, somewhat poetically intertwined with the gleaming sunshine. Then the hammer blow. A half chance created, out of a rare defensive lapse and the Joshua Brooks' striker was cool enough to slot home and make the little they had created count. 
 
Didsbury began to pile on the pressure and had a goal ruled out after Creasey's corner was deemed to have crossed the by-line before substitute, John Corcoran, powered a header home. From a later corner Harrison propelled himself towards the front post and glanced a header neatly towards goal, only for the somewhat, let’s say, larger goalkeeper to leap uncharacteristically like a Salmon out of water to deny what would have been a great goal. The game trundled on towards a disappointing result for the Didsbury on what was a glorious evening in the middle class capital of the North West.

Words by Rick Peat