Dudley Lions 4 Monyhull 0

This week, regular match reporter Pete Langston has stepped aside due to a slight 'twinge' in his pride muscle. I had thought about feeding him to the lions and allowing all those he had laid into in the past, to write a report, but I have a little compassion and so this is how the manager saw it from the touchline…

Monyhulls last win, 6 months ago was against Dudley Lions and the 'hull had won it well. You could excuse the manager for being full of confidence as he made his way to Coseley.

Despite being without Jankowski, Pritchard and Buckley through injury the 'hull still had a strong side, a side capable of picking up the required points that would save them from finishing bottom.

Gary Hales, found himself back in goal, with Webber in defence alongside Langston, Pickett and O'Saye continued at full back. The midfield trio were Burke, Madden and Reeson, Hales and rainbow out on the wings with Ward up front.

The game began in a stop-start fashion, no real chances and nobody getting their foot on the ball. The big strong Dudley Lions tried to impose themselves on the game while Monyhull nippy players were looking to get it forward.

As usual though, Monyhull were the own worse enemies. Despite having pacey players as outlets, their refusal to play the possession game threatened to play into Lions' hands as their pacey strikers looked like they would get the better of the 'hull defence.

A shot from the edge of the area was well saved from a confident Gary Hales and the white and greens wondered if it might be there day. Reality soon caught up with them though when a flurry of chances midway through the first half paved the way for a dire second half.

After some good interchanges on the edge of the area from the midfield, the ball fell to rainbow who's shot smacked off the post, the rebound fell to madden who's sweet curling effort clipped the outside of the post.

Then, a whipped in free-kick by O'Saye and a point blank range header from an unmarked Madden saw the keeper tip the ball round the post unbelievably.

Just as the 'hull were on top, a ball through the back line saw the Lions striker get the wrong side of Langston who took the ball as well as the player. Unfortunately the referee was only ever going to give a spot kick in that situation, and despite hales best efforts Dudley Lions went 1-0 up.

Getting back on level terms was going to prove difficult as they were still not stringing more then 2 passes together and there were way too many 'hit and hopes', but a delightful through ball put Ward one on One with the keeper and just when it looked like Monyhull would draw level, Ward misfired and it bobble harmlessly away. At Half-time it was 1-0.

Whilst there were plenty of positives to take from the first half, there were none from the second half. Poor passing, poor defending, low confidence, no movement, the list goes on.

Every time Dudley Lions came forward they looked like scoring. Indeed, with the help of some comedy defending they tucked away another 3.

For manager Millist, the result was hard to take, "I don't understand how we can work hard and look good at training and then look so bad on match day. Perhaps I am expecting too much, I know we have  a lot of young lads who have yet to gain the onfield intelligence that comes with experience, but we have more then enough to compete."

"What distresses me the most isn't that we've lost 4-0 but that we are failing at the basics. It was a dire second half which we could have changed if we learned how to keep hold of a ball. We are yet to discover this secret, it seems!".

Monyhull need just one point from their remaining six games to ensure they don't finish bottom. is this enough of a motivation for the players. It remains to be seen.