Wapping [M6s] 2 v 0 Upminster [M3s]

After back-to-back opening league wins, Upminster Mens 3s were in good spirits when they visited the Queen Elizabeth Park to face a well-drilled Wapping Mens 6 side.

In the opening moments, Wapping applied a high press and their movement was excellent making Upminster work extremely hard. The pressure eventually told when Wapping were given a Penalty Flick but were denied when Upminster’s goalkeeper John Daltry pulled off a great save to keep the scores level until half-time.

With Upminster frustrating the home side, their game plan for the 2nd half was to keep their shape and look to steel a goal on the break. And it seemed to be working as Upminster started testing the Wapping goal on a couple of occasions. A superb save from the Wapping goalkeeper was followed up by an outrageous Wapping goal line clearance when a Luke Alexandrou drag flick was somehow flicked away around the post.

The game turned again in Wapping’s favour when they scored the opening goal of the game after the ball was tapped in from the Wapping forward after a goal mouth scramble. Further pressure followed but a terrific displays from the U’s defensive duo DOTM Nick Green & MOTM Martin Nutt kept Upminster still in the game. And with just 2 minutes left a breakaway from the U’s saw a golden chance fall to Will Murphy but his mis-control within the ‘D’ was only made worse when Wapping when straight up the other end of the pitch and scored with an unstoppable strike to end the game 2-0.

Another encouraging performance from the U’s will give the confidence to get back to winning ways when up against Crostyx at Coopers next Saturday.

MOTM – Martin Nutt
DOTM – Nick Green