UCL PREMIER ~ EASTWOOD CFC 0-4 MELTON TOWN

Eastwood CFC.......0
Melton Town FC.....4 (Beaver 40', Munton 69', Lee 84', Mulvaney 90+3')

Three defeats in a row for lack lustre Eastwood....

The Manager made 6 changes from the loss to Belper 10 days ago. Isaac Morledge and Surf Tefera were out and Kyle Wrenn was injured. Captain Jacob Sturgess and Jahren Barrow were both suspended. Keeper Squires was on the bench. In came ‘keeper Alex Graham who made his debut, McKenna Parton, Ayleal Dill, David Leak and Louis Anthony all made their 1st starts of the season.

The opening exchanges were quite even with not much action to talk about apart from a decent chance from visiting full back Patrick Prosper-Fini within minutes which Alex Graham had to punch clear to keep his goal intact. Melton were prepared to sit tight and wait for the counter attack while the home team's forward efforts were too often cut short by he offside flag. Graham again was called to Eastwood's rescue as he saved smartly from Zak Munton and McKenna Parton, for the Reds, headed just over from a Sam Meakin corner.

Eastwood's best chance of the half came as Jared Holmes blasted a goalbound effort which was superbly blocked by Eze Henry. Minutes later and the home side were reduced to 10 men as Ayleal Dill was shown a straight red card by Mr Caley for, allegedly, a late and dangerous tackle. Most pundits thought a yellow would have sufficed. Three games in and 3 red cards for the Red Badgers which would ultimately cost them dear.

The visitors upped their game and tempo and went close twice before the break through Munton again and Ethan Hulley shaved a post. Their persistence finally paid of when Melton skipper Sam Beaver squeezed a shot through a forest of legs for the go ahead goal.

The onslaught continued after the break as Henry headed just over and Mason Lee almost shattered the bar with a fine effort.

Just before the hour and the games turning point. Brontae Wint, having a fine game down the left wriggled his way through the visitors defence with pace only to bought crudely to the floor by a combination of Toby Fura and Henry. A penalty all day long which was waved away by the Referee to astonishment. To a man the whole Eastwood team made their feelings known to Mr Caley resulting in a 10 minutes sin bin for Holmes.

Wint went close again after 63 as he was denied a fine stop by Harrison. Melton smelt blood now and went for the jugular, Munton scoring the 2nd from 22 yards. After Graham again made a decent stop from Tom Mansip Lee swooped to score his sides third. A fourth was added by substitute Syme Mulvaney in stoppage time to pile more misery on the home team.

The Gaffer needs to address the disciplinary issues and fast. Three red cards in the opening 3 games is not the way ahead in any level of football.

Eastwood played some decent stuff at times and the back four didn't deserve to be on the end of a 0-4 loss.

Rockley spoke to me post game with this thoughts~:
"Sadly another red card. We cannot keep going down to 10 men. Again another close competitive game which could have gone either way with 11 versus 11 but with 10 men and the heat this simply was self-destruct in these conditions.

I cannot fault the lads efforts, and can see a result coming with 11 men on the pitch but that has to happen week in week out otherwise we keep leaving ourselves with a mountain to climb as this proved a step too far today once their 2nd goal went in"

Attendance ~ 62.
Referee ~ Gary Caley.
Assistants ~ Michael Evans and Alex Orchiston.

Eastwood CFC~ Alex Graham, Oliver McCourt, Louis Anthony, David Leak, Ayleal Dill, Sam Meakin (C) McKenna Parton, Jared Holmes, Brontae Wint (Kamani Wilson 68') Alex Steadman (Callum Jones 66') Sean Devlin (Joe Harrison 66')
Substitutes not used ~ Jamie Light and Warren Squires.
Cautions ~ Steadman (10' foul) Parton (46' foul) Holmes (59' sin bin)
Dismissal ~ Dill (34' serious foul play)

Melton Town ~ Bill Harrison, Sam Veaver (C) Patrick Prosper-Fini, Eze Henry, Toby Fura, Zak Munton (Syme Mulvany 85’) Tom Wakley, Ethan Hulley (Tom Harris 75’) Tom Mansip, Ethan Patterson, Mason Lee .
Substitutes not used ~ Ryan Culver, Alex Vaughan and Paul Anderson.
Caution ~ Hulley (50’ foul)