Manchester City FA Cup Semi Final Wembley Lost 2 – 1
Time to dust off the Wembley glad rags to see our team, deprived of the services of Stephens (still injured, as expected), Manning (suspended, as was known) and Downes (also suspended, thanks to his indiscretions at Swansea being spotted on TV – that means VAR would have sent him off). This was to face Manchester City, now favourites to be crowned the best side in the land, and it wasn’t long before we had to thank a fine save onto the post and a goal-line clearance to prevent the ball going in the net. It wouldn’t have been a goal as an often overlooked effect of VAR is that offside flags go up late, to deflate all the excitement. Saints fans were also to suffer in this way as offside Scienza finished in style – if only the pass had been sooner, as he would still have got clear. Fears that Saints would be over-run were unfounded, at least in the first half, as Peretz was only really called into action once more, saving with his right foot. It wasn’t the same story of near-equality after the break as City moved up a gear, although Saints had threatened to draw first blood, and should have really, but Fellows had neither pace nor strength to get clear of Ake with a run on goal threatening. It was taking heroic blocking and good goalkeeping to keep the scores level, and it seemed that the defensive task was only going to get more difficult when Welington limped off after 77 minutes, having to be replaced by midfielder Matsuki. Maybe City didn’t realise that the shape may have changed subtly as Matsuki was to provide the final pass for the opening goal after good work by Jander and a superb finish by Azaz. Having kept our opponents out for the first 80 minutes, even the previously sceptical were now believing we could see out the last ten or so. Alas, the blocking that had been so effective had a sting for us as Bree’s attempt to stop Doku (sorry, “Jérémy”) only sent the ball away from Peretz’s dive and into the corner. Matsuku forced Trafford into a save ‘for the cameras’ before Gonzáles (sorry, “Nico”) unleashed a shot from some distance but of incredible power that gave Peretz no chance. The lead had lasted three minutes and it had taken eight minutes in total to fall behind. Of course we didn’t give up and with all his colleagues caught upfield for a corner, Peretz had to dash up to the halfway line to try to prevent Doku, and when he missed, City had three players beyond our keeper and bearing down on goal; they didn’t put the ball in the net after Savinho’s shot was cleared off the line by Matsuki. Thus Saints emerged with pride intact after a single goal defeat and, in the words of the musical Camelot, “once there was a fleeting wisp of glory…”
Three LSSC Man of the Match candidates to choose from:
10. Finn Azaz. A truly fine goal, sadly eclipsed by Gonzáles.
15. Nathan Wood-Gordon. I think he’s been a bit of a liability when replacing Stephens recently, but he leads the team in blocking ability.
41. Daniel Peretz, No chance with either goal, no matter how far out Gonzáles was.
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