Report

Before the game, the minutes silence for Armistice Day was impeccably respected, thank you everyone.
On a chill November afternoon Poppies eventually managed to grab all three points in a game where we looked very good going forward but our defence was not brilliant and, with no disrespect to our visitors, a better attacking side would have punished on more occasions- indeed we can count ourselves lucky not to have gone in at the break 3-2 down instead of 2-0 up!
Poppies took the lead on 12 minutes when Baggers, back from a short break from the game, leapt like the proverbial salmon beating his taller marker at the far post to head home low to the keeper’s right, from a pinpoint centre.
Some 12 minutes later we extended our lead when Lamin sneaked in at the back stick to effortlessly nod home whilst under pressure.
It was not all one way though, and Jason made three one on one stops during the opening period, these together with some more stops in the second kept us in the game and on this can just about claim the MOTM award from Rides and Gazza.
With some nine minutes left in the first half, we nearly extended our lead when Baggers picked out Rides, the visiting keeper managed to parry his effort, at the first attempt before falling on the rebound.
Into the second half, it took us just five minutes to get the third when Dance was on hand to squeeze the ball home under pressure from very close range after the keeper couldn’t hold on to the ball. Three nil and coasting………. However just two minutes later Aeros were awarded a free kick some 30 yards out following a needless foul given away. Morse was able to bend the ball around the wall leaving Jase stranded, to open up the game a bit more.
We restored our three goal cushion on 67, when a long ball in from Adie saw Gazza able to bring it down and slot home from around 5 yards out.
Jason was again called on in a one on one situation but in the dying seconds Aeros grabbed their second through Dollard following some very sloppy defending. However had strikes from Rich on 80 that the keeper somehow tipped over the bar, and a flashing shot from Billy gone in the score line would have been a lot more emphatic, still three more points in our campaign- and four goals with the leading scorer absent!