[choirboy]

A well earned three points tonight.
After a difficult start for both teams in the pouring rain we then started to take control and scored a deserved goal on 19 minutes in front of the Clayton End!On nineteen minutes after some good attacking play Clarke got the ball about eight yards out and held on to it superbly, trying to find a shot, then he laid it on a plate for Sean Mac to power the ball into the net. We only looked at risk an odd time when Omar was just being a bit too casual on the ball in the greasy underfoot conditions. Gradually we took charge of the match and started to play our trademark passing game. Billy was winning a lot in the air in spite of the usual physical treatment he was getting from the Cambridge centre backs. Shay was playing full of confidence and he was driving at their defence constantly with a hunger for goals! On the balance of play we probably deserved to be two up at half time.
The game continued in the second half in similar fashion and Clarke was doing some great things down the wings interplaying triangular passing movements with Billy and Shay to good effect. Cambridge made three substitutions more or less simultaneously and they became quite physical in their efforts to get back into the match. I thought that the referee had done quite well up to this point but he let a few things go that he should have dealt with. The game could have boiled over at this time but Stanley's calmness and coolness, exemplified by a masterful performance by Hughes at the back, kept us well on top and we coped really well.
Harvey Rodgers was a having a tremendous second half too and his ability to 'Watch the Ball' and time his tackles was just superb. It was certainly a good lesson for all youngsters in how to play at full back! He was also marauding forward in the lovely passing sequences that we were creating.
The second goal was a peach! Billy collected the ball forty yards out and played a super diagonal pass for Shay to run onto and into the penalty box before slotting it into the net across the advancing keeper. Well deserved as Shay had another cracking game tonight!
All the Stanley players played well tonight and although Coley did not use any subs you can see how he is just happy to keep the eleven playing so sweetly.
I think it was a close call between Shay and Harvey for the MOM award but Shay was given it over the Tannoy tonight.
At times tonight our football was scintillating and a joy to watch!
ONWARD AND UPWARD
ON STANLEY ON