MARSDEN 5 - 4 DIGGLE (AFTER EXTRA TIME)

Team: 1. John Pooley; 2. Pete Jones; 3. Murray Hill; 4. Jake Jacobs; 5. Lee Rainford; 6. Ryan Hewitt; 7. Mark Jackson; 8. Chris Moore; 9. Jeff Whittaker; 10. Keith Martin; 11. Wayne Broadbent; 12. Bev Mayall; 13. Martin Mayall; 14. Lee Clarke; 15. Danny Cheetham

Quote: "Stone the crows, if you've done it again,
             If I've told you once, told you a thousand times,
             Sometimes I am so convinced, that we're casting pearls amongst the swine."
("Native Land"; Everything But The Girl)

Match Report: This match had pretty much of everything that you would want in a cup tie, and it must have left a lasting and impressive impression of this Diggle side upon all those who watched this thrilling encounter.

However, before we deal with this match, we do need a brief word (the briefer the better to be honest) about the previous week's encounter between Slawit and Diggle in Round 2 of the Barlow Cup.  Diggle had bounced into that match off the back of a disappointing defeat, but stirring performance, against current League Champs, Lepton.  Diggle continued with their momentum and swept into a 2 goal lead (Whittaker and Jackson (penalty)) inside 20 minutes and had numerous other chances (some saved well by the very competent Slawit keeper) to run up the proverbial cricket score, all created with fast flowing football.

However, as the minutes ticked by Diggle's bounce turned into a limp as they proceeded to turn in their most ineffective performance for months (except perhaps for their punch and judy show away at Shepley) giving Slawit a vague hope of taking something from the match.  Diggle kept their 2-0 lead at half time and then received a bonus with a Slawit striker being controversially dismissed on 55 minutes.  This should have been the sign for Diggle to kick on and hammer home their advantage, but they proceeded to stutter through the remainder of the tie, punctuated by a general lack of effort, dreadful pass selection, negligible leadership and criminal finishing.  Slawit, to their eternal credit, battled hard and deserved their consolation goal 5 minutes from time.

A 2-1 win for Diggle and a quarter final tie.  However, if their was much honour in the defeat at Lepton, their was an equal amount of shame in this meek and complacent performance.  Chris Moore was man of the match, on the grounds that he was a non playing substitute - Diggle were that poor.

So, back to the Marsden game - a game that had had (I think) 4 previous postponements before we finally got the game on.  Credit to Marsden's ground staff who turned an unplayable frozen pitch into, er, an unplayable part frozen, part muddy pitch.  Anyway, it was game on - and what a game it turned out to be.

However, after 11 minutes play it really did look game over as Marsden skipped into a 2-0 lead - and with some ease it has to be said.  Goal number one came after 5 minutes when a routine pass down the Marsden left found the Diggle defence way too high up the pitch, and exposed Diggle stalwart Ryan Hewitt to the pace of the Marsden striker.  (Imagine that goal that Torres scored against Man Utd when he outpaced Ferdinand at Anfield this season.) 

Goal number 2 came after 11 minutes from the penalty spot when Murray Hill upended a Marsden striker in the penalty box. (Our appeal against the penalty was a bit like Ferdinand's appeal to the Premier League Disciplinary committee after he gave that Hull player an elbow in the face at Old Trafford - i.e. - we had to appeal, but it was all a bit pointless).  The second goal was a result of more ineffective defending: we managed to clear the ball from one attack but don't get enough distance on the ball; we fail to push up in a line; ball is fed back over the Diggle defence; exposed defender has to make last ditch tackle.

2-0 down against higher league opposition after 11 minutes, and things did not look good.

Corrective action was called for.  The Diggle defence were instructed to remain deep, cut the space between keeper and the Diggle defence, and make it harder for Marsden's cute through ball's to find runners who would have the speed advantage over the Diggle defence. Whether it was just coincidence or whether the tactical change worked, but Diggle slowly began to play their way into the game.  Marsden found it harder to thread passes, the Diggle midfield began to take possession and we began to made ground in the Marsden defensive third.

Having begun to get close to the Marsden goal, we found a nervous looking home defence who looked ill at ease on the sticky pitch.

With their self belief restored, Diggle pulled their first goal back on twenty minutes.  Creative play down the Diggle right wing involving Jones and Broadbent allowed striker Whittaker to receive the ball on the edge of the Marsden area.  The ever hard working striker jinked into the box and scored from close range.

Diggle sensed a recovery and also noticed that Marsden were struggling to raise their game (not too dissimilar to the way that Diggle's performance against Slawit had deteriorated the week before).  Diggle's work rate was impressive and their ability to pass the ball despite the testing conditions showed that Diggle wanted to play their way back into this game, rather than bludgeon their way back.

Diggle's efforts were rewarded on 35 minutes when Moore scored from close range after terrier-like effort from Whittaker who dispossessed the Marsden captain deep in his own final third - the captain deserved a telling off for playing football in such a bad area.  2-2.

It remained 2-2 until half time and Diggle left the field with a belief that they could win this encounter.

5 minutes into the second half and that belief grew even more.  Diggle grabbed a 3-2 lead when Ryan Hewitt stooped to head home a precise Murray Hill free kick from 6 yards out in a crowded penalty area.

Diggle's resurrection was fully deserved and immediately after the goal they looked more than capable of winning this tie.  Marsden looked, well, disinterested to be honest.  The body language of some of their players was not good, as if they had read the script before the game and their lower league opponents weren't meant to put up such a fight.

Inexplicably, this is where Diggle's demise began.  At 3-2 up, Diggle deserved their lead and looked capable of keeping it.  However, Marsden slowly began to turn up their efforts, and Diggle began to lose their discipline.  That indiscipline showed in their frustration with each other's mistakes and it showed in the rapid number of reckless tackles leading to needless free kicks.

The match came to a pivotal moment on 70 minutes when there was a treble sending off: 2 from Diggle, 1 from Marsden.  We can say that the sendings off were harsh (which they were for all 3 players) and say that it spoilt the game (which, to a degree, it did), but it does come back to indiscipline and getting involved in business that Diggle players should stay away from - particularly when the referee had already awarded us a free kick, particularly when you are 3-2 up and particularly when your opponents are soon to be getting desperate.  The Diggle players are constantly told to only get involved with things that win matches or create an advantage - i.e. - don't do things that don't win you matches or don't get you an advantage.  Squaring up to opponents usually doesn't win matches.  It is clear that some of our talented players have brought bad habits with them (or been allowed to get away with them at Diggle and elsewhere), but the Manager must persist to try and remove those habits.  What passes for individuality and confidence at other clubs, or is behaviour that other managers tolerate, amounts to petulance and bad decision making when playing in the colours of this club.

Down to 9 men and having lost 2 of their most influential players, Diggle had to re-organise.  This they did with success until late in the game when Marsden forced, in fairness, a deserved equaliser.

Extra time - tired legs and all that.  Marsden were quick out of the blocks and within minutes of extra time beginning, they had retaken the lead - 4-3 to Marsden.  Diggle looked tired, which was understandable, but they dragged out every last bit of energy to keep pressing forward.  Diggle's equaliser had lots of controversy to it as well: the goal, a well executed penalty from Jeff Whittaker, came after an off the ball incident in the Marsden penalty area.  The writer did an Arsene Wenger ("I didn't see it") but, apparently, a Marsden defender threw a punch at Diggle's Lee Clarke.  The ref sent the offender off, and was about to carry out a drop ball somewhere near the halfway line, when he was reminded that the punch must have been foul play and therefore must have been a penalty.  The ref agreed, and Whittaker slotted home the goal.

4-4 - Diggle elated, Marsden furious.

Chances came and went for both sides as either of them could have wrapped up the game.  However, it was to be Marsden's day as they crafted a well worked breakaway down their right hand side, aided by some questionnable defensive play by Diggle (more bad habits) to score the winner with only 20 seconds to play.  Game over 5-4 to Marsden.

Having got to the end of the game, we had no real qualms about the result.  We could have won, but we didn't.  Marsden won, and fair play to them.

Diggle had given a superb display and all of their players had given everything.  Debutant goalie, John Pooley, was outstanding, and his performance was marked by his persistent bravery - particularly late in the game.  Full backs Jones and Hill showed an intelligence and a patience in their play, rarely giving the ball away, and rarely beaten.  Centre backs Hewitt and Rainford defended sensibly to restrict space, and tackled ferociously to try and keep out the inventive Marsden forward line.

In midfield all four looked very comfortable against their higher league opponents.  Martin proved the tiger in midfield and gave one of his best and most aggressive displays.  Jacobs was bright and busy, but must take more time on the ball and keep possession. Broadbent and Jackson continued their rich vein of form and rarely gave the ball away.

Up front Whittaker was a non-stop threat, and his contribution is a huge factor when Diggle play well.  Lee Clarke came on as sub and got through a lot of unselfish work up front - particularly when we went down to 9 men.

All in all, another great afternoons work, despite the defeat.  The trick is now to carry that forward into our League form.....................