Dream League Season 2 - Week 11 results

ARSENAL 1-1 SOUTHEND UNITED

Fruity split
Home 3+2
Draw 5
Away 7

Arsenal (4-3-3): Bravo; Janmaat, De Vrij, Fernandez, Cole; Diaby, Swift (Drogba 70), Gago; Joaquin, Piatti (Perisic 70), Ibrahimovic

Southend (4-3-3): Buffon; Wisdom, Schar, Lucarelli, Bijker; Geis, Pjanic, Strootman; Welbeck, Sturridge (Sakho 80), Oxlade-Chamberlain

MATCH REPORT

New manager Wils comes in and steals a point for his side. He set up his midfield wrong for me - no way is Gago a box-to-boxer, he's a deep-lying metronome if ever there was one, and Diaby, who IS a box-to-boxer, is never a holding midfielder. This meant Southend butchered Arsenal in midfield although with both teams set up to counter-attack there were large phases of the game with few chances. Southend will rue the more missed opportunities though.

Southend took the lead midway through the 2nd half, Pjanic continuing his excellent form by striding through midfield after 67 mins and leathering a shot that Bravo just about palmed out, but Welbeck had plenty of time to square the rebound to Sturridge to tap in. It looked like that was that but Zlatan had to have his say, holding off Schar to stroke home from Joaquin's low cross in the 90th minute.

A result that doesn't help either team ahead of their run-ins, Southend may feel more harshly done by but them's the breaks.

Goals
Arsenal: Ibrahimovic (Joaquin)
Southend: Sturridge (Welbeck)

Yellows
Arsenal (3): De Vrij, Piatti, Ibrahimovic
Southend (3): Bijker, Lucarelli, Welbeck

MotM: Miralem Pjanic (Southend). Bossed the midfield and was instrumental in the goal.

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FISHGUARD SPORTS 1-3 BLYTH SPARTANS

Fruity split
Home 3+2
Draw 3
Away 7

Fishguard (3-4-3): Ryan; Veltman, Van Beek, Rekik; Biglia, Baselli, Klaassen, Praet; Bernardeschi, Andersen (Daehli 75), Fischer.

Blyth (4-3-3): Gordon; Darmian, Jagielka, Dede, De Sciglio; De Jong, Wijnaldum, De Rossi; Dyer, Zaza, Gabbiadini

MATCH REPORT

Welshy's tactics came unstuck today unfortunately. He lined up with two aggressive centre halves both pressing Tino's 2 most advanced central players, but unfortunately one of those two was a central midfielder with Tino lining up in a 4-3-3. That meant that the wider Fishguard centre halves were occupied with Zaza and Wijnaldum more often than not leaving huge gaps for Tino's wide men to play around with.

And so it proved, Nathan De-Yer joining his other De-team mates and setting up two goals in a frantic first half. Fishguard were competing strongly in midfield but Zaza was dragging Veltman and Rekik all over the place and quick balls out to Dyer gave him the run of the right wing; first time his driven cross was bundled in by Gabbiadini at the far post on 13 mins, and second time it was thumped home first time by the onrushing De Rossi after 41 mins.

Blyth were 3 up in the 57th minute, which was extremely harsh on them as they'd carved a number of half-chances out, but Tino's men were ruthless on the break, this time Gabbiadini left in acres to bend a delicious cross onto Zaza's forehead. This Fishguard team have something special about them though and they continued to press forward, getting their reward after 78 mins when Klaassen escaped De Jong and bent a gorgeous finish past Gordon from 25 yards. The De-Wall held firm though and Blyth got the De-Victory.


Goals
Fishguard: Klaassen (Biglia)
Blyth: Gabbiadini (Dyer), De Rossi (Dyer), Zaza (Gabbiadini)

Yellows
Fishguard (2): Fischer, Bernardeschi
Blyth (2): Wijnaldum, De Sciglio

MotM: Nathan Dyer (Blyth). Tired in the second half but a stunning start to his Blyth career put his side in a winning position in the 1st half.

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SEKHUKHUNE LIONS 2-2 BASINGSTOKE TOWN

Fruity split
Home 5+2
Draw 7
Away 5

Lions (4-3-3): Lodygin; Danilo, Howedes, Vertonghen, Amavi; Krychowiak, Jorginho (Stark 80), Gundogan; Anderson (Locadia 75), Calhanoglu (Fekir 75), Sterling

Basingstoke (4-2-3-1): Cesar; Carvajal, Marquez, Zouma, Gibbs; Rode, Ramsey (Vilhena 70); Menez, Quintero (Boetius 65), Teixeira; Rossi

MATCH REPORT

This was too close to call for me. Both sides are extremely well balanced and well drilled. Leiva has bought really well to begin his reshape and TBag has added a few new faces that have given a really dangerous look to his attack. Both attacks were on top today and either side could've nicked it but a draw was the right result in the end. Both sides are solid through the middle and I actually thought both sides' attacks had the edge over the other's defence - I didn't think Leiva's full backs were built to defend against such tricky inside forwards the way he wanted them to, and I though Leiva's front 3 would be simply too quick and clever for TBag's back line, particularly with Sterling dropping deep.

Basingstoke took the lead through Menez, who gave young Amavi a tough game today. He twisted him inside and out before playing a one-two with Quintero and drilling it home on 39 minutes. The Lions were right back in it just on the stroke of half time though, Gundogan striding through midfield and shrugging off Rode before thumping it in off the bar, a stunning strike from the edge of the D.

Lions started the second half strongly and took the lead after 55 mins when Sterling peeled off into the left channel before taking on Marquez and leaving him in his dust. He sped in on goal and was felled by Cesar who was lucky to stay on the pitch; Calhanoglu stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way. Basingstoke weren't to be denied though and they had Lions penned back in their own half for long stretches late on, and they got their reward in the 84th minute when Vilhena wriggled free to direct a low ball from Carvajal past Lodygin from close range.


Goals
Lions: Gundogan (Amavi), Calhanoglu (pen)
Basingstoke: Menez (Quintero), Vilhena (Carvajal)

Yellows
Lions (4): Krychowiak, Amavi, Vertonghen, Howedes
Basingstoke (2): Ramsey, Cesar

MotM: Ilkay Gundogan (Lions). Close game all round but he scored a great goal and was an important factor in the midfield battle.

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STOCKPORT COUNTY 3-2 ANDOVER TOWN

Fruity split
Home 3+2
Draw 5
Away 7

Stockport (5-4-1): Forster; Yedlin, Varane, Ginter, Hernandez, Durm; D Coutinho (Gonzalez 70), Kramer, Clasie, Grealish; Costa

Andover (3-5-2): Casillas; Byrne, Alderweireld, Agger; Elia, Eremenko, Wanyama, Natcho, Chadli; Kane, Austin (Berahino 60)

MATCH REPORT

This was never going to be a low-scoring game, even with star man Ivan Rakitic inexplicably left out of the Stockport squad amid fierce rumours he's fallen out with manager Park. Andover were set up to exploit their opponent's lack of width, with their wide men being proper forwards rather than wing backs; however Park lined up with wing backs AND wingers and planned to play as wide as they could! Play was funnelled down the wings by both sides which left massive gaps in the pocket of space behind either set of strikers; Andover had the stronger team on paper with Costa very isolated up front but somehow the fruity decided to feck RAP over anyway.

Andover took the lead through Natcho, running onto Elia's cutback to bend home after just 4 minutes. The lead was gone within 8 minutes though, Jordy Clasie thumping an absolute worldy home on the volley from an Agger clearance. Stockport then nicked the lead after 51 minutes, Ginter prodding home after a goalmouth scramble following a corner. Andover were back in it after 73, Harry Kane turning young Hernandez and drilling home after receiving Eremenko's ball with back to goal. Costa won it late on for Park though, beating Byrne to yet another Durm cross and thumping home a proper #9's header.

Harsh on RAP but the fruity's a bítch.


Goals
Stockport: Clasie (no assist), Ginter (no assist), Costa (Durm)
Andover: Natcho (Elia), Kane (Eremenko)

Yellows
Stockport (3): Ginter, Costa, Kramer
Andover (3): Chadli, Elia, Casillas

MotM: Toby Alderweireld (Andover). Could do nothing for any of Stockport's goals and marshalled the defence well against Costa throughout.