Mann of the match

SHELF PANTHERS MATCH REPORT 6 NOVEMBER 2011
Shelf Panthers 3 Greetland 5

A Man of the Match display of fine creative midfield play by Tom Mann – rounded off by a spectacular goal – should have been enough to earn the Panthers at least a point.

But, not for the first time this season, they carved out twice as many chances as the opposition – but ended up scoring fewer goals.

Nevertheless, there was much to admire in a Shelf performance that for much of the match was as bright as the unseasonably balmy November weather.

The Panthers should have gone ahead after 11 minutes when a corner from Adam Renard found Adam McDaid in the box. But both his header and Jonny’s shot were blocked, and when the ball rebounded to Robert, his shot sailed just over the bar.

Shelf continued to dominate possession, and a neat passing move after 19 minutes ended with Ryan getting on the end of Sam’s cross with a header which the keeper did well to scramble clear.

But the visitors began to come back into the match – and they took the chances that came their way, scoring three goals between the 28th and 36th minutes.

Despite playing up the slope in the second half, Shelf continued to enjoy the lion’s share of both possession and chances, with Ryan, Reese, Adam Renard, Jonny and Robert all going close in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

But once again, it was Greetland who found the net, to make it 4-0 in the 57th minute.

That should have killed the game off, but the Panthers showed admirable spirit to come storming back in search of a draw.

Straight from the kick-off, Tom Mann ghosted past a couple of tackles and hit a sweetly-struck shot high into the net from 25 yards for his first goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Adam Renard turned and floated a perfect lob over the keeper from a similar distance to make it 4-2. Then Adam Renard’s corner ricocheted off the keeper and just crossed the line.

With just the deficit cut to just one goal, ten minutes left on the clock and the momentum with the home side, a draw or even an unlikely victory looked distinctly possible.

But the keeper dived bravely to thwart Robert as he outsprinted the defence, and when the ball broke free there wasn’t a Shelf boot there to tuck it into the empty net.

And, as the Panthers threw caution to the wind in the final minute, Greetland sealed the match through a breakaway goal.