Bridlington Town 5 Bottesford Town 0 (h)

Tonight we kicked off our NCEL Presidents Cup run against Bottesford, who are currently mid-table in the NCEL 1st division. We had a few first teamers out, well actually they were eating chips and drinking beer in the bar (but they were there to cheer on their team mates!!) and Bottesford by all accounts were playing a fairly youthful side.

Conditions were good, yet again the pitch is in excellent nick, but the mid week games are now starting off in full moonlit night, today was officially the last day of summer – someone should tell mother nature, that summer finished sometime in early June, and she owes me 3 months of bloody hot weather.

Didn’t think many would come, 108 in the end, not surprising really, when none of us know who the NCEL president is and which one of his cups we were playing for ?

We have vast swathes of possession in the game, and create enough chances to make it at least 12-0, but it takes us until 43rd minute to get off the mark and we get another about 40 seconds later. I only know this because someone told me, as I had gone to the bar for a drink and to see the last 5 mins of the 1st half of Leeds Liverpool. Bloody typical.

2nd half and I felt we lost our shape a little early doors, but our stamina and skill level shone through in the end, and we scored three very good goals in the last 15 minutes. to be fair to Bottesford they never gave up and with some better finishing themselves in the first half, could have scored two or three good goals of their own.

A good run out for the lads, better than a training session, however, Frank Belt, Nathan Hotte were subbed and both looked to be hobbling a bit – lets hope they are ok for the impending goalfest on Saturday against poor old Brodsworth who have played 7 lost 7 socred 2 and conceded 42. So 0-0 it is then … lol.

If i was playing NCEL championship manager 2010 on the Xbox for this Saturdays game, I would play the following formation(for this game only):

Wilberforce

Gibbo, Mountford, Dexter

Belt, Rhodes, Hotte, Allanson, Buttle

Palmer, Burdick, Wilkinson

For me, I can’t see them scoring many, if any against our normal 4-4-2. Lets go all out attack and aim for at least 12-15 goals, if they get one or two, so what? It’s not going to hurt us too much. (and as I have now built this thing up so much, I realise some changes need to be made as Burdick probably can’t play due to his suspension for his recent red card.) but you get my drift….if so, move Rhodes to front line, and bring in Dave Ricardo or Tom Lee into the middle.