FCC were in bouyant mood for our first Premier League Game of the 2011/2012 campaign. 

On a very humid afternoon we faced a bigger and very physical challenge away to our bogey team Ely City.  Last year we lost both games after dominating both matches.

League Debuts were given to Joe Playle and Joe Martin.  Liam Whittaker who was celebrating his 18th birthday, was on the bench for his first game on loan from AFC Sudbury.

Both teams seemed to cancel each other out throughout the match and the match statistics below show this to be right.

ELY CITY                                FCC

6           GOAL KICK                  9

1         SHOTS ON TARGET       3

8         SHOTS OFF TARGET     3

8                 CORNERS               4

12       FOULS CONCEDED     10

3               OFFSIDES               3

0          YELLOW CARDS          1

0             RED CARDS               0

The Ely front men were causing our back line all sorts of problems throughout the first half, using there height and speed to there advantage, but we weathered the storm well. It was not until the 22nd minute that we produced the best move of the half.  Lee Peacock started the move from defence, passing to Billy Wales who beat 2 players in midfield and his inch perfect ball found Matt Waters who still had work to do beating 2 defenders only for the ball to have been deemed to have gone over the goal line for a goal kick.  Straight from this goal kick Ely attacked and from a long throw, Richard Chadwick the Ely Centre Forward, who had a very good game, and was very lively all afternoon back headed into path of the Ely number 10 to head towards the top corner of the net.  However Joe Playle our number 1 was equal to the effort and tipped over. The referee brought play back as he awarded a free kick to us in the penalty area, so Joe's acrobatics were in vain!!  It was still all Ely until we were awarded a throw on. Kev Coyle making his 150th Club appearance, hurled in one of his customary long throws into the path of Sean Hillier who with a snap shot from fully 30 yards out hit the Ely upright.  Just before half time we could have been awarded a penalty - Kev Coyle put through Joey Martin who was in a tangle with the Keeper inside the area.  The Keeper Lee Pacey was spoken too by the Referee but no nothing was given!!??

For the first 20 minutes of second half it was mostly all Ely City pressure.  This being said, Ely, still were unable to get any shots on target such was our great defensive display. In the 63rd minute FCC made our first substitution when James Dunkley replaced Tommy Moore.  From then on we appeared to be getting more into the game.  In the 70th minute a good move resulted in a Matt Waters shot being fumbled by Ely's keeper - Sean Hills followed up the loose ball, he collided with the keeper and Sean was yellow carded for a foul on the keeper?  A bit harsh as the ball was loose and both players went for the ball!!  Sean was then  substituted and replaced by Liam Whittaker.  We were now attacking more and were having a very good spell of play.  Karl Andrade was replaced by Scott Yearling as we pressed forward for the winner.  Ely's corner count went up in the 80th minute as they were awarded 5 corner kicks in quick succession.  Kev Coyle then went on one of his jinking runs beating 3 men, he was now in the Ely penalty area and with only the keeper to beat albeit from a narrow angle he shot just wide of the far post. (This miss was to be costly)!!  We were still playing really well going forward but were still unable to unlock the Ely defence.  Liam W, Kev C and Matt W were linking well.  Turning point of the game was in the 87th minute, when from our corner kick, Joey Martin challenged with a header he jumped with the Ely number 5 Adam Murray only for a really bad clash of heads.  The clock was ticking and this injury break was timed at 6 minutes!!  Joe was able to carry on, after receiving treatment, with a couple of big lumps on his head!! but Adam Murray was replaced as he had bad concussion.  It was still all FCC who were attacking at will and who looked the most likely to score the winning goal.  But the curse of Ely struck yet again. In the 8th minute of injury time (98th minute) a speculative shot from 25yards out was so far off target that it would have been closer to the corner flag than the goal - til it took a wicked deflection, which totally altered the flight of the ball, and agonisingly for us went into the net just inside the post. The goal was scored 15 seconds from the final whistle!!  What a sickener!!  

The score was very harsh on us as we had battled gamely throughout the match.  Lets hope that next time we meet Ely City (FA Vase) at the Bowl on September 10th, we can exorcise this curse for once and for all!!

Promising debuts were made by the 2 Joe's, Playle and Martin well done boys.  Well done to the whole team who battled gamely. 

In the Stats table above you will see that Ely had 1 shot on target - that was due to our great defensive display where we held firm and that 1 shot was there goal!!  I know they scored it BUT was i right in saying that it was a shot on target as it was heading towards the corner flag til the deflection?

Yes it was a defeat BUT this was far from that - so well done FCC.

Lets now look forward to our next game - AWAY TO GREAT YARMOUTH IN THE FA CUP NEXT SATURDAY 20th AUGUST 3PM KICK OFF

COME ON YOU SEASIDERS