It was a very cold afternoon at Fenland Park when the Robins landed. There was a lot of sand on the pitch and it was fairly rutted but this did not look as if it would be an afternoon for pretty football. Wisbech appeared to have a game plan, soak up pressure in middle of the park and hit your visitors on the break with quick forwards. Ely went into the game with a 4 - 3 - 3 formation
Ely as usual went on the attack straight away and for the first 5 minutes penned the Fenmen into their own half. Ely had a couple of early free-kicks and from the second one Austen Diaper headed over the bar. Three minutes later Luke Parkinson got in a cross from the left and again Austen get on the end of it, but this time he could only toe-poke the ball straight into the arms of a grateful keeper. On 12 minutes Wisbech had their first meaningful attack which led to a corner. This was taken from the right and went right across goal missing everyone and going out for a goal kick on the left. There was very little goalmouth action until t20 minute when Wisbech’s Lunn got away down the middle and Lee Pacey had to be awake to slide in at the players feet to take the ball away from him. The game now appeared to be defences hitting the ball backwards and forwards to each other, there was no real quality and unusually Ely were not winning headers like they normally do. On 32 minutes Chris Sterecki was injured and so replaced by Richard Gammon. He went wide right and Tino Diaper dropped in at right back. Wisbech went down the left cross in the Wisbech forward got a shot on goal, Pacy parried but only to another Fenman. He had a weakfish shot at goal but it went straight to Pace and he was able to hold on to it. On 36 minutes Ely had a Ben Lawrence long throw into the box although Adam Murray won this one he could only guide it wide of the post. The only goal of the game was to come on 42 minutes. Ely gave the ball away on the halfway line a Wisbech player played the ball down the right to a suspiciously looking offside Bacon, who was probably the best player on show. Unfortunately the linesman was not up with play and Bacon was allowed to carry on Ben Lawrence tried to catch up with him but Bacon advanced into the box and sent a very good lob over the advancing Pacey into the net for a good finish. 0 - 1
Ely tried to get back and had 3 corners in quick succession but were unable to make any of them count and just before the halftime whistle Liam Bolton saw yellow
Wisbech started the second period going forward and got an early corner but this was cleared. More scrappy play with mistakes on both sides but no real chances. On 65 minutes Richard Chadwick came on for Josh Bridgeman. Two minutes later they then got in down the right and again it had to be a good save from Pace to keep his goal safe. The ball went for a corner this was taken as an in swinger. Pace got a punch on it in a very crowded space, the ball went out to a Wisbech player who fired it back in, it hit two players who were laying on the ground before rebounding into Pacey’s hands as he was lying on the ground. On 72 minutes Chads upset the Ref and saw yellow. Four minutes later Luke Parkinson got in a cross from near the left corner flag, Andrew Clayton got his foot to it but it flew straight at the chest of the diving keeper and rebounded away. The last 10 minutes Ely threw Mussa forward going three at the back and there was a lot of endeavour but no end product. This saw Wisbech trying quick long ball attacks but they got nowhere. Lee Pacey then upset the Ref who seemed to have lost the plot with a number of questionable decisions and on 85 minutes he also saw yellow
Two minutes later it was Luke Parkinsons turn for that card when he was booked for diving, sorry simulation!!! What rubbish, soon after that the whistle ended a poor afternoon all round.
It must be said that although Ely battled they did not really make much in the way of scoring chances, Wisbech certainly did have more but in all honesty it was not a great match at all.