The Just picked up their first three points in three games on Sunday in a very close, yet very entertaining 1-0 victory over Top ‘O The Toon at Easthouses complex writes Paul Glynn.

Both teams made it clear in the very early stages of the game that their intentions were to play good football with both goalkeepers using their fullbacks to good effect from the off.

As the game neared half time with neither team having broke the deadlock,  The Just were beginning to show the same talent and class on the ball as they have shown in every game this season. But the difference on Sunday was they did NOT look like shooting themselves in the foot. Both teams defended excellently, hard and fair being the motto for both defences, but when the half time whistle went it was The Just who must have felt the most disappointed not to be winning the game.

Centre forward Goggs Snedden had a very good chance to open the scoring after half an hour when put clean through on the keeper but the Toon goalie did well to get down and smother the danger. Five minutes later the ball broke to Laurie “Noddy” Flynn, arriving at speed into the box from a right back position who rattled the Toon bar with a thunderous volley from an acute angle. The Just were beginning to sense they were on top and the management were determined to keep the players concentrated wholly on the game.

After half time the game followed the same pattern as the first half with The Just now dominating for very lengthy periods of the game. If they can continue to hold onto the ball the way they did on Sunday then I’m sure they will start to climb the table from now on. Credit to The Top O The Toon who, when they did get the ball, never panicked and tried to play the same kind of flowing football their opponents were enjoying.  But as the game wore on the Toon legs looked like they were wavering with all the chasing they had done and The Just took full advantage of this.

With around 25 minutes left to play The Just brought on Dougie Laing at right midfield to replace the industrious Michael Melrose and the tactics couldn’t have been better. Dougie is a natural striker and asking him to play on the right of midfield gives the team a very strong attacking option. Dougie’s impact was immediate; his instructions were to get behind the full back and within 30 seconds of taking the field he was clean through on goal only for the keeper to force him out wide so the defence could get back in.

However, 5 minutes after that Dougie was through again and found Goggs Snedden coming in at the back post with a low drill across the face of the goal for Gogg’s second goal of the campaign. The Just have won both the games he has scored in now.

The Top O The Toon really had to do something to freshen things up at this stage and brought on two attackers who caused The Just some major problems in the dying stages but to no avail.

The best chance The Top O The Toon had was in the second half when a blocked shot broke very kindly to the centre forward with about five minutes to go. The striker hit a rocket shot which the sweeper; Paul Glynn managed to get a very slight contact on. This contact took the ball away from the superb Ross Cooper in goals who brilliantly adjusted himself and tipped the ball onto the post and out for a corner.

Man of the Match award had to go to Caji Gordon of The Just. He won every ball in the middle of the park and started every move. For a guy with a very slight frame he manages to go up against players twice his size but never lets anybody shove him off the ball and very rarely loses possession ; a class act!