| On a glorious Sunday morning
Spartak had 16 to choose from and started with a rare organised warm up. Spartak won
the toss and switched ends to avoid the glare of the sun.
Spartak
started brightly for a change and were soon on top with the defense and midfield
working well and creating for the two up front. After 15 minutes the breakthrough
came from a corner taken by Brendan and headed out only as far as Steve who took a
touch and let fly. He had a square foot of goal to aim at and he hit it, beating the
keeper and the man on the post to put it right in the top corner. Exiles replied
immediately but were flagged twice offside when they felt they were clean through.
Spartak continued to pressure though and when a ball was played over the top Dave
chased and played the ball into Chris who won a freekick. Brendan again took the set
piece and this time whipped it in with the outside of his right foot and Bowman up
from the back stuck out a well directed heel to turn it in from a yard.
Spartak soon made it 3 on the half hour with some good work down the
right from Clive who got to the byline and pulled the ball back to a waiting Chris
and Dave, but with a call from Dave, he struck it and the keeper was unable to keep
it out. Withers then came on for Bowman who went off with the ever faithful popped
bollock.
The final notable action of the half was when a cross
came over for the Exiles which was headed back across goal and it seemed to wrong
foot Paul in nets who managed to get finger tips to it but was cleared off the line
by a covering Bren. Much to the Exiles disgust the ball was deemed not to have
crossed the line.
At half time Dan came on for an injured Chris and
it was Exiles who pushed forward trying to get something from the game. For most of
the half Spartak were defending but Paul in nets, Matt, Owen, Dave W and Andrew at
the back and Steve and Bren in the centre of midfield battling for all their worth
they prevented Exiles a sniff at goal. Spartak weren't without their chances. Dave F
was twice put through by Clive then Steve but scuffed his shots and Andrew had shot
amazingly saved from point blank range by the Exiles keeper.
A
nasty game which Spartak deserved to win but some sensible reffing by Graeme in the
second half prevented it boiling over. Man of the match could have gone to 7 players
for their battling performances but Bren just edged it in a very determined
performance. Finally thanks and sorry to Pete and Graeme for not getting a game but
it's really good to see such large numbers commited to Spartak this year. | 
League