20/03/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2
IJLW Brazil
Carr, Davison, Churchley, Greenshields, Kennedy, Paterson, McGowan, Hinks, Harrison (Crabtree 65), Goodliff, Smith.
It was so windy in Winlaton that the game had to be played without corner flags. Brazil played the first ten minutes with ten men because Ian Greenshields, playing only his second home match, got lost behind the Metro Centre. South Beach used their early numerical advantage well and took the lead after a couple of minutes. Once parity of numbers was established, the game became quite even. Les Goodliff had Brazil’s first real effort on goal (his shot from just outside the area was just wide of the far post) but it was the visitors who were next to score.
After half an hour, Goodliff gave Brazil some hope as he pulled a goal back. After receiving Ewan Paterson’s short pass, he used his strength to bounce off a defender before firing in a fierce low shot. It clipped the inside of the post on its way into the net, leaving the keeper helplessly sprawled on the wet ground. Brazil had chances to score again before the interval but failed to take them. Some good work between Goodliff and Paul Smith left the latter with an opportunity but he scuffed his shot, allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save. A Paterson corner from the left was flicked on by both Mark Harrison and Jon Hinks before finding its way to Goodliff at the back post. His shot was blocked by a defender but he managed to collect the rebound and lay off a short pass to Dave Churchley who was unmarked at the edge of the box. The skipper had a chance to score against South Beach for the second time this season but he slipped as he shot, sending the ball just off target. Another Paterson corner, this time from the right, gave Brazil the last chance of the half as Paul Smith’s acrobatic volley was cleared off the line by a defender.
In the second half, conditions deteriorated and no-one would have been surprised if the referee had decided to abandon the match. He didn’t though, and Brazil found it very hard going to make any progress out of their own half. Man of the match, Jonny McGowan was instigating most of Brazil’s positive moves. He was always ready to receive the ball and play simple passes to try to retain what little possession his side had. Despite South Beach’s dominance, Matt Carr, making his debut in goal for Brazil, only had a couple of saves to make.
When Brazil did manage to break, there was a lot of open space in South Beach’s half. Paterson exploited this space with a fantastic, defence-splitting through ball from the right wing into Goodliff’s path. He shot wide. South Beach scored a third which effectively ended Brazil’s hopes of a comeback.
As the wind speed increased, Brazil attempted to counteract the long ball over the top by playing the offside trap with a very high defensive line. The trap failed on two occasions, leaving South Beach’s two strikers clean through on goal: The first time, Carr came out to meet them and made a fine save; on the second occasion the striker took the ball around Carr but Churchley sprinted back and managed to make a sliding block on the line. The visitor’s came closest to scoring a fourth when their right back tried his luck from the half-way line. His audacious wind-assisted effort pinged off the top of the crossbar.
Ollie Crabtree made an appearance in the second half, making him Brazil’s 35th player used in competitive games this season. This squad inconsistency is widely regarded as the root of Brazil’s problems this season. The defeat to South Beach, who are second bottom of the league, guarantees Brazil a last place finish, with three matches remaining to salvage some pride.