A slow after Christmas start for the Slazenger’s fifth team saw a dismal first half with a competent Doncaster team who ran rings around both young and old players.
Within 5 minutes Doncaster had scored with some fine wing movement and neat triangular passes. Slaz with possibly too much Xmas pudding still in them looked lacklustre and seemed unable to track or mark any of the Doncaster players. Slaz spent another 15 frustrating minutes unable to clear their own half and get the ball to the forward line.
Doncaster capitalised on this and scored another fine goal beating Harry Buttery in the Slazenger goal.
After a stirring team talk and a frank discussion of strengths and weaknesses from Captain Geoff Birkett, Slaz returned to the field looking a different team indeed. Within a minute a smart move down the wing from George Fealy passing it to midfield player Harry Gunning who’s loose shot hit the post but the subsequent rebound hit the back of the keeper’s foot to cross the line. An own goal but a deserved lift for the team.
From that point Slaz quickly found their feet, Tom Pitchforth put in a superb shift all over the field tracking and moving the ball around comfortably and more good work from Geoff Birkett and Harry Gunning in midfield saw George Fealy released onto the wing to make space to bring the ball to striker Peter Gunning to put away Slazenger’s first proper goal. An almost identical goal and Peter Gunning’s sixteenth of the season, brought the complete turnaround of a game that was thought dead and buried at half time. Dogged defensive work from Dave Smyth, Danny Croxall, Alex Calderley and Steve Wood kept the last hurrah of Doncaster at bay as they tried desperately to gain a last goal but it all ended Slaz 3 Doncaster 2.
