2023_24 Season – Match Report 10
Date –13th September 2023
Competition – Staffs County Senior League – Premier Division
Venue – Hillsfield, Rocester
Rocester FC v AFC Alsager
Kick-off 7:30pm
Result - Rocester FC 1-3 AFC Alsager
Another entertaining match sees the Romans losing to ‘in-form’ AFC Alsager…
AFC Alsager arrived at Hillsfield having maintained their 100% record in both league and cup fixtures since the start of the season and so they presented the Romans with yet another tough challenge…
However, if anything, it was Rocester who had the better start as they pushed forward, and with less than 3 minutes on the clock, Mo Al Amin found himself in space on the left and just outside the Swans’ area – from where he unleashed a shot which just curled wide of the far post…
This set the tone of the match for the next 10 minutes or so as the Romans endeavoured to ‘take the game’ to AFC with their enterprise and no shortage of excellent moves…
Around the 15-minute mark, one of these moves found Scott Bew in space and on the left. Unfortunately, this was a repeat of the earlier opportunity as he saw his shot curl just wide at the far post…
By now, AFC had settled into their stride – and having coped with the not inconsiderable early pressure created by Rocester, they too started to make their presence felt as they broke down the right to set up their forward who fired straight at ‘keeper Lewis Jackson…
Just 2 minutes later, and the Swans were again on the attack as they pushed up the right wing to force a corner, and although nothing came from the set piece, once cleared, the Swans quickly regained possession…
Their forward unleashed a speculative shot from the right – only to see it missing its intended target as it curled wide of the far post…
Just 3 minutes later and the Swans were attacking from the left and put in another shot which was bravely blocked by Lewis Jackson and cleared behind by Izaak Walsh. – Rocester were beginning to feel the pressure, however, the resulting corner came to nothing as it went out for a goal kick!
Rocester ‘regrouped’ as they immediately broke up the right to force a corner of their own. Unfortunately, the Swans gained possession from the resulting corner kick and countered with a break of their own which the Rocester defence failed to deal with as striker Jordan Rigby ‘turned his man’ first one way and then the other before unleashing an excellent shot straight into the top left-hand side of the goal – and leaving Lewis Jackson no chance of saving, to make it ‘one-nil’ to the visitors…
The Romans didn’t take this ‘lying down’ and just 2 minutes later, they broke in numbers, and from the left, Scott Bew played the ball into Mo Al Amin who was some 15 yards out and right in front of Alsager’s goal. Unfortunately, his shot was blocked and cleared as the Swans countered, however, Rocester quickly regained possession as Izaak Walsh played a superb ball from the half-way line to Scott Bew who in turn showed a brilliant touch as he ‘lobbed’ the Swans’ ‘keeper to level the score…
Just 2 minutes later and Rocester were pushing forward again, and this time, Mo Al Amin unleashed an excellent shot only to see it well saved…
There then followed a period of ‘attack’ and ‘counter attack’ before the Swans forced a corner on the left. A well taken kick saw the ball heading into the middle of the goal mouth where unfortunately, the Romans’ defence failed to deal with the situation which basically left a free header for Keilahn Annikey who nodded in to make it ‘two-one’ to the visitors…
Half-time Score: Rocester FC 1-2 AFC Alsager
Right from the whistle, both teams continued in the same competitive manner, and it was the Swans who broke first to force another corner – which came to nothing…
Rocester replied with a break of their own, however, the manoeuvre broke-down in the ‘final third’…
Four minutes later, and Rocester raced down the right wing. The ball was played to Mo Al Amin who in turn crossed to the advancing Scott Bew who headed into the side netting…
AFC countered with a break of their own and the resulting shot was well saved as ‘keeper Jackson ‘tipped’ it over the ‘bar for a corner – which came to nothing…
Rocester then replied and following more pressure, they forced a corner of their own - The corner was played into the Swans’ area and found a Rocester player, unfortunately, his shot was high and wide of the mark…
Just five minutes later, the Romans were awarded a free kick inside the Swans’ half. Miles Johnson played the ball to Jordan Dodd, who crossed to Izaak Walsh, who then saw his shot fly just over the bar…
The remainder of the second half continued in much the same fashion as the teams took it in turn to attack, followed up by a period of ‘countering’, in what was turning out to be a really tough encounter for both sides as the players harried each other whilst also playing some excellent football…
In the 74th minute, Scott Bew appeared to have been fouled in the Swans’ 18-yard box, but despite a massive appeal from the Romans and their supporters, the referee played on. – Needless to say that Scott was ‘incandescent’, and ‘as if to rub salt into the wound’, just two minutes later, Adam Holford got a third goal for the Swans and immediately from the kick-off, Oliver Davies ‘saw red’ as he received a second yellow for a foul! – It clearly wasn’t going to be Rocester’s ‘night’…
For the remaining 10 minutes, despite being down to ‘ten men’, the Romans ‘dug in’ and continued to battle their way to the final whistle without conceding further goals…
Full-time Score: Rocester FC 1-3 AFC Alsager