Chopbacks bounce back in style
Orington 0
South Coast Athletico 6
After throwing away the previous weekend’s game The Chopbacks had to pick themselves up and respond.
Orington, on a fine Saturday afternoon, had no idea what hey were about to face, it took five minutes for Dom McGurk to open the scoring with a thunderous effort – the keeper had no chance of saving it.
The Chopbacks immediately stole the ball from the restart. A shot on goal was parried by Oringtons keeper to give South Coast a corner. The corner was taken well, fell into the box and the keeper did well to save another shot on goal.
Orington fought their way into the Chopbacks’ defensive third and were awarded a free kick from a sloppy challenge.
The resulting free kick was well taken – a textbook shot, straight off the training ground, but was not controlled well by the receiving player so yielded nothing.
Orington now had a higher intensity and pressed to get a goal. Their only real effort was a good strike but straight in to the hands of Ben Tate, who held it with routine confidence.
This woke the South Coast boys up and they switched up a gear and began an onslaught that with the exception of another wasted Orington free kick would last the rest of the game.
On the 15 minute mark McGurk picked up the ball 30 yards out and smashed it at the Orington goal, an inspiring goal keeping was needed to match it and that’s exactly what it got, stinging the keepers hands.
Two minutes later Luke Darvill was released to go one-on-one with the Orington keeper and slightly over hit the crafty chip to see the ball sail over the cross bar. Luke was determined to make amends and a few minutes later fired a long range effort drawing a quality save.
There followed a rare appearance of Orington in the Chopbacks’ area as a defensive misjudgement allowed the Orington forward to pinch the ball steering it towards the goal. Fortunately Connor Smith flew in to clear the ball off the line.
Two minutes later Bradley Owens shot just wide at the other end and minutes after that Ryan Penny shot wide too.
The attacking waves of crisp one and two touch passing flowed, allowing wave after wave of attack. At 31 minutes in Darvill shot high over the bar, but knew his goal was coming – it was just a matter of time.
Seconds later Connor Easton picked up the ball from the left corner of the opposition’s box and unleashed a stunning driving shot which smashed into the top right corner puttig South Coast Athletico two goals up – the strike was identical to last campaign’s goal of season.
The action didn’t stop there, not for a second.
Just after the 30 minute mark The Chopbacks won a long range free kick 40 yards out. Up stepped the Captain Dayle Mcgurk who slammed a stunning effort that was just tipped over the bar by Orington’s heroic keeper.
South Coast recorded another shot from the resulting corner but a goal was deserved and needed. Five minutes later Easton obliged with a cool header from a high in-swinging ball netting his second of the day to make the score 3-0 to South Coast.
Four minutes from the break Orington had half a chance, again hitting a ranged effort at Tate who launched an attack, landing at Darvill’s feet who this time finished clinically with a delicious power strike from just inside the area into the top corner making it 4-0.
Connor Easton had another driven shot that looked certain to make the net budge but for a parried save falling to Ryan Penny to head in the rebound.
It was the end of he first half and the score was 5-0 to the Chopbacks.
Sam Cook was stand in manager for the game and gave clear instruction to now command possession and see the game out. For the first 16 minutes of the second half the lads played some inspiring passing playing Orington off the ball. Their frustrations began to show and a few tempers began to boil, so the Chopbacks reverted to plan A and attacked once more.
The ball pinged at Oringtons goal, not held by the keeper and was followed up by substitute Mike Hawley to slot home goal number six.
From the restart South Coast mugged Orington for the ball sending in Bradley Owens one-on-one with the oppositions keeper who stood his ground and saved well.
It’s a rare thing for Brad not to score but on the day it wasn’t to be. His performance in midfield pulling the strings with McGurk, Ryan Penny and Harry Jackson should hopefully have fulfilled his appetite regardless.
The Orington keeper made another stunning double save to stop the score line getting silly.
Eleven minutes from time a great team passing move from the back gave Hawley another sight of goal, slamming the ball from the right hand side of the box just wide to the keepers relief.
The last effort was speculative, a shot from the half way line by Byron Nichols who had played a stellar game, snuffing out Orington’s dangermen leading the defensive line for their second half. The shot was off target but, worth a go.
Orington are a good club and to their credit never gave up which was admirable.
They will no doubt bounce back, their goalkeeper who will of course be disappointed by the loss should hold his head high as a lesser keeper would have picked out another six balls at least from the back of his net.
It was a much needed, well earned and solid response to the previous week’s defeat.
Next up for the Chopbacks is a trip to Eastbourne to play Victoria Baptists.
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