[Izulde]

Transfer In - DLC Jon Beeden (25)
I opened up the wallet for this guy - $100 p/a, because of his 12 Tackling, great mental attributes including 13 Bravery, 15 Teamwork and 12 Work Rate. Although not an ideal attacking FB, he still represents an overall upgrade.

vs Portland United (10th)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Jon Beeden/Tom Rowbotham/Ryan Talbot/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Paddy Griffiths/Mark Reynolds
AM: Omarr Austin/Roy Horgan
S: Tate Sheppard/Aaron Gibson

So many short turnaround games. It's something we're used to by now, however.

11 - Reynolds wings it out to Mensah, and the cross is cleared. But not cleared enough, as Horgan's in position to pounce and hammer his first ever Cheeseman goal in the upper corner of the net! 1-0

23 - A suspect penalty tagged to Mensah, but Rees saves it, continuing to show why he's paid the biggest bucks on the team at $140 p/a.

Williams replaces Rowbotham and Frost makes his first appearance back from injury at the half, subbing for Griffiths.

49 - Sensational interception by Beeden, and it sets off a continuous triangle of passes between him, Frost, and Austin. Finally, Frost lays off to Reynolds for the pass to Horgan. He feeds to Gibson just outside the half-circle, and our youth striker's audacious shot sings home! 2-0

Aaron Gibson was PotM with 8.2, but it's Roy Horgan's 7.7 the announcers kept talking about. 7.6 for Emmanuel Mensah, and 7.2 for Billy Frost off the bench. Not a bad 7.0 debut for Jon Beeden, either.

Minor injury to Mark Reynolds in a U-18 game the day after this, so he'll be out on yet another short rest league game.

@ Roman Glass St. George (14th)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Curtis Burrows/Tom Rowbotham/Jim Williams/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Sam Higgins/Paddy Griffiths
AM: Omarr Austin/Roy Horgan
S: Carl Harris/Tate Sheppard

This has trap game written all over it.

47 - Gibson in for Sheppard

71 - Talbot on for Williams

81 - Griffiths goes out, so we have to get creative, moving Austin to MC, Mensah to WBR, and putting Ross in at DR.

Should we, could we have won that game? Yeah - even the announcers said so. But I'll take that draw, given all the tiredness and injury issues that cropped up. We lose Paddy Griffiths for a month, continuing our health problems in the middle of the pitch.

On the plus side, we're still in 1st, game in hand caveat applying, and the six games unbeaten is a new Cheddar record.

vs Chinnor (FA Vase First Qualifying Round)
D: Jon Beeden/Ryan Talbot/Jim Williams/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Omarr Austin/Tom Rowbotham/Billy Frost/Nathan Haynes
S: Aaron Gibson/Tate Sheppard

We're Fluid in this formation, which is awesome. Not awesome: Still a lot of tired guys, and the short rest thing is going to continue for this entire month. We lost $5.03k last month, but the board is still very pleased with me, even though they're still salty about letting Josh Graham go.

33 - We build up an attack on the right flank after Mensah's throw-in deep in our half. Haynes jackhammers it all the way down into the box, where Gibson takes advantage of a keeper too far out to power it behind him. 1-0

b]40[/b] - Rowbotham has been pleasantly effective in the BWM CM role, and he directs the action here. For his finisher, he wings out to Austin, who crosses far post. Someone, Haynes I think, falls to distract the defense, and Sheppard takes advantage to kick in the short goal, causing the stands to erupt in glee. 2-0

Higgins goes in for exhausted Rowbotham at half.

69 - Burrows comes on for Beeden

Despite the scoreline, this wasn't a particularly impressive win beyond Aaron Gibson's PotM 8.3. Just everyone more or less having a solid game. What's exciting is, we pocket $1.01k for the win. The soothing sound of cup money.

vs Witheridge (Western Les Phillips Cup First Round)
D: Curtis Burrows/Tom Rowbotham/Jim Williams/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Mark Reynolds/Sam Higgins
AM: Omarr Austin/Roy Horgan
S: Aaron Gibson/Carl Harris

Cheddar's never made it out of the first round, so it'd be nice to get it, even on the short rest we're dealing with.

17 - That was a particularly bad piece of defending. 0-1

39 - Gibson gets it on the wing and sends it into the box, where Harris nails the short post goal. 1-1

44 - Mensah throws into Higgins and gets it back, then questionably far crosses into the box that should have been intercepted. Nevermind because Austin, who has been crying for a break, fights exhaustion to slam the go-ahead goal! 2-1

Frost steps in for tired, yellow-carded Reynolds at half.

58 - Horgan is being chased by the defense, so he outlets back to Mensah. Wing out right side to Frost, and he plays a beautiful high ball to Gibson in the box for the insurance score. 3-1

63 - Bad backpass by the defense has Gibson getting it back in the box. Kickback to charging Austin for the in-box cross to Horgan. The shot's deflected, but Harris is there for the rebound. 4-1

85 - Austin is decked in the box, and we're awarded the PK. Frost coolly chills the keeper, and the rout will be official. 5-1

Everyone other than our goalie who was in at the end of the game had a 7.2 or better. Highlights: Billy Frost with a 7.7 in 45 minutes, a real catalyst in our second-half surge, Emmanuel Mensah with an 8.4, Sam Higgins with 8.3 - ditto Aaron Gibson, 9.0s from Carl Harris and Roy Horgan, and a PotM, 9.1 from Omarr Austin!

Transfer In - ML/AML/ST Gregg Crane (16)
A transfer we netted from Northwich, his physical attributes are beautiful, with only a 4 strength the worry - otherwise it's 8, 9, and then double digits everywhere. I quite like having players with Flair, and he's got that at 14. My staff likes him better than Omarr Austin because he's a physical specimen, but Austin is a better crosser and has even more flair at 17.

No prize money here, which I figured since it's a regional trophy. Was hoping, though.