Central Humbled by Govan and UoM at Seashell Trust

Govan and University of Manchester took their fifth win in their five league fixtures at the mercy of Manchester Central on Saturday. The visitors proved their quality as they won 4-2 in a highly competitive match at Seashell Trust, which left Tomkinson and his coaching team frustrated.

The game started quietly under the lashing rain, with the highly saturated AstroTurf pitch dictating both the speed and style of play for both sides. However, early on, it was clear to see the tactical styles which both sides would look to assume.

Central looked to exploit the weather conditions by utilising long, high balls forwards, whilst Govan and UoM preferred to utilise wing-play in their advances – although the standing water would stifle the short passing moves that Govan would favour later in the game.

Thus, in the opening minutes of the game, the ball would spend a significant amount of time in the air, bounding about from long balls, crosses, and heads. This would be how Central’s first opportunity would arrive. A long ball was floated over the top of the Govan defence, finding the head of Fuad Kasali. However, his header was directed straight at the goalkeeper.

Central would dominate the early periods of the game, with Asqari having an opportunity on goal soon after. The ball dropped to the Iranian youth international on the edge of the box, after bouncing around the box for what seemed like an age, and the midfielder’s half-volley would dribble just wide of the post.

However, the game was not completely one-sided in, with Govan quickly responding with an opportunity of their own. It was the first time the visitor’s trademark move would come to any real threat, with a through-ball to the right winger leading to a rapid attack down the by-line, before cutting the ball back to the number 10 on the edge of the box, whose shot screamed over the bar.

Both teams began to grow into the game around the quarter-hour mark. However, with this came an added competitive intensity, leading to free kicks becoming a common occurrence throughout the game for both sides. However, it was the Govan defence that was forced to defend the first onslaught of set-pieces.

After Central’s successive free kicks were cleared by the visitors, the home side soon regained possession, finding Claudio Costa alone in the left corner of the box. However, the winger’s shot would bounce off the bar. Soon after, Govan displayed their trademark move down the right, with Daniel Cooke clearing the low cross.

This pattern was repeated for the next ten minutes, with multiple free kicks cleared by the Govan defence before Daniel Whiting was called into action to save a curling effort from the opposition’s number 9. Just a minute later, Whiting made another save, catching a headed effort after a Govan free kick.

In the 31st minute, Govan would have possibly the best goalscoring chance of the game so far, catching the Central defence out of shape and slicing through the split back line. The visitor’s number 11’s shot, however, pea-rolled wide of the far post from around 18-yards.

Central would try to strike back just a minute later, with a lovely passing move allowing Tomkinson’s side to weave their way around the Govan defence and into the box. The ball eventually found Fuad Kasali just outside the left corner of the box, whose cross had to be tipped over the bar by the goalkeeper.

With both goals having been peppered with shots but to no effect in the first half an hour, it was Manchester Central debutant Emmanuel Shalobi who finally netted. In the 33rd minute, the centre-back scored a scrappy toe-poked goal following a corner for Central, leading to celebrations on the side-lines.

After the opening goal, Central were brimming with confidence, searching for the opportunity to double their lead. In the 38th minute, the second nearly came via Sultan Kasali, whose shot from the right side of the 6-yard box was saved on the line by the shot-stopper.

Unfortunately, Central’s lead wouldn’t last long. Just seven minutes after the game’s first goal, Govan would score its second. On this occasion, Govan’s trademark move had come true, with a mazy dribble down the left touchline by the winger before cutting the ball into the box via a low cross, which was directed into the back of the net.

However, Central were not immediately discouraged as they nearly struck back with immediate effect via a long-range effort from Sultan Kasali which forced a diving save.

Govan would have the next two attempts, of which the second would put the visitors ahead at half-time. Central’s defence would once again be caught out of shape, with a through ball cutting through the lines to find their attacker one-on-one with the last defender. However, a reinforcement would soon join the attack, who would neatly receive the ball squared to him and calmly slot it past Danny Whiting.

Despite conceding in the 43rd minute, Central still didn’t look discouraged, playing with the same intensity and still searching for the equaliser before half-time, however, this was yet to arrive as the whistle blew for the break.

After the break, it appeared Central had lost some of the belief and intensity that had pulled them through the first half. This, along with a switch of tactics for Govan, made it very hard for Central to break down.

Govan, who had re-emerged defending very deep in a 4-4-1 formation that rapidly transitioned into a passing 4-3-3 in attack, began to take control of the game. The opposition’s first chance of the second half came once again via the same move, with a bullet header forcing Whiting to pull off a sensational diving catch.

After 12 minutes of Govan dominance, their third came via a penalty. Tefahi, who had only come on two minutes before conceded the spot kick after making contact with the Govan number 7 just inside the box, with the penalty slotted away by the number 10.

Central’s coaching team began to chop and change with a second double substitution, attempting to fight their way back into the game, however, they were unsuccessful.

Little action ensued for the next 20 minutes or so, other than the referee waving away a penalty shout for Central, who claimed that a Govan defender had handled the ball in the box. However, Govan continued to look threatening, using passing triangles to play their way around the pitch.

It was not until the 81st minute that the next notable piece of action occurred, with Govan scoring their fourth goal of the game via another penalty, which was gifted by a sliding Sholabi.

Central would still not be quietened, however, which led to Danny Whiting receiving a yellow card, but also to a consolation goal by Fuad Kasali in the 89th minute.

In one last piece of action, man of the match Whiting saved his side from further embarrassment with a save that even saw Govan’s striker applaud the goalkeeper.