After the disappointing defeat to the OU Reserves just one week before, FC MMIX got straight back into the action with a fixture against FC Lifesearch.
Greg Austin returned to the starting line-up at the expense of Luke Carey, with Joel McBrearty also coming in to start – Shane Maynard dropped to the bench, with Will Wright being pushed out onto the left flank.
Mikey Lacey also returned to the matchday squad, and Darryl ‘Darcy’ Wilson – after finally completing his registration – also returned, looking to make his first league appearance of the season at some point during the game.
But once again, MMIX were left counting the cost of a sluggish start as after 15 minutes, they found themselves 2-0 down. The first goal came after 5 minutes, when a Lifesearch midfielder was allowed to ghost past 4 challenges before stroking home from the edge of the box.
And the second was as equally unimpressive from an MMIX point of view, as they failed to clear their lines and again gave Martin Compton no option but to pick the ball out of the back of the net.
It was the sort of start that they really, really didn’t need – but undeterred, they began to get the ball down and attempt to play their way back into the game.
Des Clark fired wide after a good run with Will also firing wide from a good position and after a sweeping team move, Joel was caught by surprise as he found himself unmarked in a good position but could only stab wide from close range.
Joel then came close again before David Bird and Graham Anderson both fired wide, and Greg’s surging run from deep was halted on the edge of the box.
Scotty Page and Pat Cass were looking strong at the back, spreading the ball wide and allowing Joe Meddings and Greg to get into the attacks. Will and Des were doing what they could but were seeing very little service down the flanks, leaving Pun Wadhwani increasingly isolated as he held the line on his own.
Graham was putting himself about as much as he could with David and Joel both looking to unlock the Lifesearch defence but on the whole it looked like a relatively sluggish, dejected performance from the home side.
Half-time, 2-0 to FC Lifesearch.
Right from the re-start, MMIX looked for a way to get back into the game and began to play a couple of moves as they looked to carve an opening. Pun fired wide after a good break and Des came close again, before Lifesearch made it 3-0 with 35 minutes to go with a header from a corner.
It looked like MMIX were dead and buried in a game that, again, they could have won.
David was withdrawn as the home side switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Darcy coming in alongside Pun up top. And it was Darcy who set up the 1st MMIX goal of the day, sweeping in a corner that Scotty despatched – with a bullet header – into the back of the net.
Joel then turned provider as he swept in a corner from the other side which Darcy headed home before grabbing the ball and rushing back into position. 3-2, and real hope.
Des and Joel then came off and were replaced by Carey and Shane in 2 direct swaps as the home side continued to push for the equaliser. But as they pushed, they left themselves exposed at the other end; Joe blocked a free-kick on the edge of the box, Martin pushed two efforts wide and Greg cleared off of the line after a goal-mouth scramble.
It was end to end stuff and after Pun fired wide, it looked like Darcy had grabbed the equaliser with a deft chip over the keeper only to see the Lifesearch defender and clear off of the line before smashing the ball away for a corner. A frantic final few seconds… But Lifesearch held on for the victory.
Full-time, 3-2 to Lifesearch – and once again, MMIX were left wondering what could have been. Changes will be made.
