Evans: Consolation goal
Albion went into the game as League Champions, hoping to get their first ever double. De Novo went into the game as League runner ups, Blunstone Cup runner ups, and hoping to prevent winning the runner ups treble. Albion brought their very own Ultras under the guidance of the infamous McPhee senior.
Line up was: Blaney – Twigg, Abbott, Lauder, Slater – Turner, McCue, Mann, Evans – Leslie, Pemberton. Subs were from McPhee ‘junior’, Desenberg, Palac, Day and Thomas.
Albion played the 1st half against a very strong wind, which helped De Novo take a quick 2:0 lead. Despite this, Albion didn’t come under that much pressure, and still managed to push forward, but without the quality to seriously threaten De Novo. Albion had a goal ruled out for offside for what looked a tight decision.
In the second half Albion were better and put De Novo under a sustained period of pressure. However, with Albion increasingly pushing for the next goal the counter attack was always going to be a danger. Sure enough with the back four exposed a penalty was conceeded via some desperate defending. 3:0. Then Palac came on for Leslie, and Thomas for Turner. With Albion playing to the “sound of the trumpets” (c) Big Ron the game completely opened up. Unfortunately De Novo scored again, 4:0. Finally, Albion scored consolation goal by Evans, after Thomas had run away down the right wing.Â
Overall Albion were made to pay heavily in a game where Bill had now’t to do, and where we weren’t under constant pressure. And while the referee missed 4 controversial decisions that the assistant referee tried to support him in correcting it shouldn’t distract us from the fact this was a poor collective performance.