Colombians hit Yobbos with sucker punches

Investec Colombians 5, Mosgrove's Yobbos 0

INVESTEC COLOMBIANS have badly damaged Mosgrove's Yobbos' title hopes. The yellows soaked up pressure and for long periods in the first half were content for their opponents to enjoy the majority of possession. But when it came to finishing, Yobbos were given a masterclass.

Their leading goalscorer Nic Chambers was left wandering ever deeper, both in search of the ball and in an effort to shake off the attentions of the limpet-like Chris Colmer.

Colmer's brief, to stick as closely as possible to the dangerous Chambers and make his life a misery, worked a treat. Whenever the ball found the front man, there was Colmer, jabbing in a stick, shepherding him away from goal. It was no surprise that he came nowhere near adding to his impressive tally of goals this season.

Yobbos had only themselves to blame. At times they sat far too deep, even with possession, seemingly loathe to break upfield to offer support to their attack.

They also wasted what short corners they did earn, allowing too many opportunities to go begging and rarely stretching the Colombians defensive quartet or keeper Kees Jager.

Three had already been frittered away when Colombians put four slick passes together, drew Adrian Gidney into a save and Matt de la Mare tapped in the rebound. It was their first attack.

Again they were patient, happy to build slowly and draw Yobbos out of position before striking hard and fast. TJ Ozanne's lovely 30 yard aerial pass released Chris Gill and his volley caught the advancing Gidney in the chest.

Finally, Yobbos drew a save from Jager at a short corner, only for the yellows to break upfield, earn their own short and have an unmarked Tim Creasey finish from close range.

Chambers' best chance came just after the break, but his shot clipped the outside of Jager's left post and flew to safety - it was one of those days for the whites.

Another Yobbos short, another dreary effort; Colombians earned their own, and Ozanne dragged a flick low past Gidney's right hand. That's how you do it.

Three down, Yobbos had to push on. Again Colombians, with Matt Elston drifting imperiously along the back line, stood firm.

Damian Wallen and Tristan Cairns increasingly looked like the midfield spine that was the strength of Colombians' league title win last campaign.

As Yobbos sought some way back into the game, they lost their shape. A 50-yard pass down the right wing from Ozanne set Gill free one-on-one with the last defender. Gill held up play just long enough for the charging Creasey to hare into the middle, and the astute pass into his stride was clipped home over the sprawling Gidney with a gorgeously deft touch. From Colombians' D to Yobbos' goal took barely 12 seconds.

And the scoring was rounded off with another Colombians break from a Yobbos short corner. Ozanne drove down the right, crossed, and there was Gill to apply the finishing touch.

Gidney was still the busier keeper in the final five minutes, flinging out a stick to divert Cairns' reverse-side undercut onto the post and away, then blocking smartly with his body as Ozanne crashed in a close-range shot from the left.

Yobbos have to adopt a more adventurous approach if they are to maintain their push; they cannot always rely on Chambers alone, especially if he is forced 30 yards from goal. Colombians, meanwhile, have their own shout for the title in this second half of the season.