Panthers' hopes kilt off by Highlanders

SHELF PANTHERS MATCH REPORT 19 SEPTEMBER 2010
Shelf Panthers 1 Lepton Highlanders 5

A new season, a new pitch – and new opponents. The quaintly-named Lepton Highlanders were something of an unknown quantity. Would they turn up sporting tartan kit? Would they dismantle the goalposts at the end of the match and carry them away up North?

Maybe they’d all had porridge and deep-fried Mars bars for breakfast. Maybe the wet and windy conditions reminded them of the mountains back home. Whatever the reason, the visitors surged into a two-goal lead after just nine minutes.

Shelf were missing industrious midfielder Ross (injured in a freak training accident by a large piece of falling Wood), and, playing up the slope against bigger opponents, they struggled to get out of their own half. So it was no surprise when Lepton grabbed two more goals before the break.

The second half was a much more even affair. Adam Renard – named Man of the Match for a characteristically wholehearted display – latched onto an opposition goal-kick close to the half-way line and blasted a screamer of a volley just wide. Then Toby hit a shot from the edge of the area which was well saved by the keeper.

At the other end, the Panthers’ new goalie Tom Brett pulled off a great diving save in the 53rd minute. A minute later, “new” centre-back Jonny (an immaculately coiffeured model, replacing last season’s shaggy-haired specimen) saved what looked like a certain goal with an unorthodox back-heeled tackle as the Lepton striker prepared to shoot.

Tom Mann and Toby both went close, but the visitors made it 5-0 after 59 minutes, following up from close range after Adam Renard’s brave goal-line block.

Shelf refused to give up, though, and Robert was tripped on the right-hand edge of the penalty area after a powerful run. Up stepped dead-ball specialist Tom Wood to chip the free kick into the top corner for the Panthers’ first goal of the campaign.