Club Notes 18th March 2019

With the Reserves "resting", just the one match for Achilles last Saturday with the Seniors making the short journey to a wind-swept Haughley for a re-arranged SIL Senior League meeting.

After a poor start the homesters have gradually climbed the league table and, despite the adverse conditions, took the early exchanges "by the scruff of the neck" and only some desperate defending kept their nippy forwards at bay. Even then it took our forwards time to worry the home defence and another swift attack saw Haughley in the lead via a cracking effort.

At long last, the first half wind advantage started to tell and an involuntary "save" on the line by our host's captain reduced Haughley to 10 men and a successful "clipped" penalty by Gavin Van Oene to bring the scores level. Not long after, another penalty came our way but this time Gavin's almost identical "clip" struck the post and bounded across the face of the goal to safety - for Haughley, that is!

Half-time came at 1-1 and, despite losing the wind advantage, Achilles came increasingly into proceedings. For a while Haughley's goal led a charmed life but then Connor Field and new boy, Jack Sayers, eased us into a two goal advantage at 3-1, a lead held fairly easily up to the final whistle. In addition to Jack, another face in Achilles' line-up was Jerome Primus and we welcome both youngsters to Achilles' ranks.

This coming Saturday the Seniors are once again on their travels, this time to East Bergholt, while the Reserves welcome to Salmet Close their counterparts from Wenhaston for an SIL League "A" match.

Finally, a quick reflection on the relative position of both squads - the Seniors, currently in third position in the SIL Senior League and with matches in hand, are well in the hunt to hold onto the League trophy and, on the 5th April, take on Henley in a Suffolk FA Senior Cup semi-final on the Felixstowe & Walton Utd ground. The Reserves are in runners-up position in League "A " with an outside posibility of taking "top spot" and, in addition, on the 10th April at Woodbridge Town's ground, take on Trimley Red Devils in the SIL Travel Plus Cup.

Plenty to look forward to!