I suppose it was too much to expect? Two games, two wins, six points and a promotion spot secured? Alas, it was way too much to ask.... two games, one draw, one loss and a wave good bye to second position as we let the future be taken out of our hands. The difference between winning and losing can be measured on the thinnest of blades but those thin blades can still cut, and as a blood spattered, beat up team trudged off the field at Guilford today that blade had stuck deep.
MATCH REPORT; Guilford 2 Madison 0
The squad survived the previous days travails against Morelia and started the game against Guilford in good spirits and with no little confidence. The Celts took the game to the home team and dominated the early play. In the first minute of the game Paulo broke free and was clear on goal only to be caught before he got his shot away. Madison kept up the flow of great attacking football with Carlos leading a rock solid defence that really blunted the Guilford attack. The first half came and went in the blink of an eye with Madison clearly the top team at the break but ominously still not able to get clear cut chances.
Controversy sparked the second half into life when the ref awarded a dubious penalty to Guilford. Their striker lined up and screwed the ball wide of the post to trigger wild celebrations from the Madison team, which quickly turned to shock as they saw the ref pointing to the spot again for encroachment. This time another Guilford player strode up to slam the ball past the Hulk again to a huge outcry from Madison as they pointed out that Guilford had switched penalty takers!
The ref chopped the goal off and the whole debacle was written off. Madison continued to press but the tackling from Guilford was getting uglier and uglier. Fribeka was taken out of the game with a terrible tackle from behind and then Carlos was raked in the face by a players studs as he lay on the ground. No action from the ref told you everything about how this game was going down. Then team "emotions" started to break down with shouting and finger pointing. Jorge stormed off the field because no one would pass to him and with Halil's hamstring pull we were down to the walking wounded. Carlos got himself patched up even though blood was everywhere and he was able to slot back into the defence. But Madison were clearly rattled by the rough house treatment and with only five minutes left on the clock a break down the Celts right was not cleared and a simple ball into the box was met by two (!) Guilford players in splendid isolation, one of whom gleefully slammed the ball into the net. Disappointed was not the word to describe the feeling of watching yet another totally preventable goal hitting the back of the Madison net. Of course, if you can do one thing badly why not do another? And within a couple of minutes a very tame lofted ball into the Madison box was met flush on the head by the smallest player on the Guilford team as the Hulk contrived to miss the ball completely. Two down and definitely out. The whistle went to end the game and most likely the dreams of promotion for the Madison team. Now is not the time for a post mortem, but this was a big weekend for the team and i did say let's try and leave the weekend with no regrets because we played to our best, no matter the score. So, if you feel that you played to your best and you did what was right for the team...give yourself a pat on the back. You may have lost but you tried your best. As for the rest...... The team played strong and well for 75 minutes but lost shape and self control in the last fifteen minutes of the game, and the last five were a bit of a joke. Madison are now three points behind Guilford with both teams having three games left in the season. We have to keep going, we have to keep believing but ......we have to start winning!!
MAN OF THE MATCH; Carlos was head and shoulders the best player on the field in both teams. He played through the awful tackles, bruises and cuts to fight for the team
Safet and Halil, until his injury, supported the team very well
MATCH REPORT; Madison 2 Morelia 2
The first game of the weekend double header ended in a frustrating draw for the Madison Celts. After a game that Madison controlled for over 90% of the time, with multiple shots on target, a missed penalty and a disallowed goal it was galling to see Morelia come within a minute of winning the match. Wallingford had two, possibly three, attempts at goal throughout the whole 90 minutes and contrived to score twice from those three attempts. If Madison do lose promotion it will be down to the many many defensive blunders that have led to goals and today was no exception. An expected 18 man squad had dwindled to 12 before the start of the game but it was still a strong squad that took to the field. Madison were obviously the better team right from the kick off and the majority of the first half was played in the Morelia half. Great play by the Madison midfield, especially Ilhan set up a number of clear chances for the Celts and the Morelai penalty box soon took on the characteristics of a besieged castle. Countless shots rained in on the Morelian goalie but he kept diving and punching those balls clear but it was certain a goal was going to come....and so it did, but shockingly it came to Morelia. A simple break down the Madison left allowed a player to pass the ball unchallenged into the box where it was met by a Moralia player equally unbothered by Madison tackles who slotted the ball into the net. A shockingly lax goal to let in.... but one of at least 40 or so of a similar nature that the Celts have let in throughout the season. Halftime came with the Celts down but not panicking. The second half was more of the same from the Celts as they increased the number of shots on goal even further. Carlos, Tano, Ruggero were shooting , heading, volleying as many shots as they could muster but to no avail. But then a break through. A great pass by Ilhan to Fribeka who crossed into the box and a fantastic header by Tano nearly bust the net. Now the tails were up and it looked likely that the winners would be Madison. But with only 5 minutes left a very strange field incursion by a mad, Madison mother halted the game as she demanded we stop playing so her son's team could get on the field! When she was finally encouraged off the field the Celts seemed to be more distracted than Morelia and sure enough they took full advantage of it as yet again another Morelia player found himself free and easy on the edge of the Madison box. He neatly stepped inside and fired a shot across the the ground over the outstretched Hulk. The goal was scored in the 90th minute and was so undeserving it made you choke. But straight from the kickoff the Celts went up the field Tano crossed the ball and Ruggero thrillingly headed the ball into the net for the latest of late equalizers. How Madison ended up desperately chasing for a point God only knows.... but we make defensive blunders that always result in goals for the opposition. Morelia had three shots on target the whole game and scored twice!
MAN OF THE MATCH; Great play by Safet and Halil, as well as Carlos. But
Ilhan had a great day and was MOM
Well as long as we are having a bit of a snow break to our season I thought I might give you the first of the Atlantic Rovers Tour reports!;
