Clifton Robinsons 2s travelled down to face Truro in the second league game of the season. Late arrivals James Meakin a welcome return to the side recovering from a hamstring injury and Will Gardener boosted the squad. Chris Tidy (illness), Juniors (1 & 2) & Ollie Alker-Stone (knee) failed to travel.
The game started well for Robbies, adapting to the questionable pitch nicely and stroking the ball around the back and into midfield well, Truro were reduced to trying disrupt the away teams flow and could not get a foothold in an important match for both sides. Truro changed tact and pushed a third forward high in an attempt to rattle Robbies but with Alex Kirkpatrick sitting deep it opened space higher up the field for the industrious Jack Martindale & Gabe ‘Sunday socks’ Hardwick to craft opportunities to play in Lewis Francuz and James Meakin. Mid-way through the half, Lewis Francuz, with a mazey dribble across the byline, won the first short corner of the game. Up stepped Robbies most hated man, Mitch Francuz, with a cool ~drag~ flick to side netting, 1-0.
Robbies continued to venture forward with vigour and some lovely interchanges in midfield saw the ball drop to Gardener in the D. From that position he was never going to waste the opportunity and put the ball out for six with a cricket shot into the roof of the net.
A strong talk at half time from Kirkpatrick and Francuz at half time, before the heavenly sunshine started to beat down on Truro, with the heat making the game become error strewn with both sides throwing away possession in key positions on the pitch. Robbies drove forward and a blind under arm attempted pass from Hardwick saw the ball gifted to Truro who drove forward hard at the exposed Robbies defence. The result: O’Sullivan sliding out like a bulldozer in a china shop and nearly getting done for manslaughter. Penalty Stroke for Truro, 2-1 Robbies. With many opportunities not falling for Robbies and 2 goals disallowed it was not feeling like it was our day. A swiftly converted corner routine from Truro compounding this feeling.
At 2-2, Robbies now knew they were in a game against side Truro and threw caution to the wind pushing forward and pinning the home side into their half. A rapid break into the Robbies down their right side saw Francuz in the D, another short corner. This presented M.Francuz with another opportunity to ‘fake it till you make it’ with another drag flick. A low & slow drag flick going in via a touch from the home keeper. Boom 3-2 time to dig in and keep the ball. A vital 3 points on the first road trip of the season.
Onwards to Saturday’s fixture at home against Wotton-under-Edge at 2:30pm.
Hughes Carpentry Man of the Match: 2 goal Mitch Francuz
Lewis Francuz
