Casuals and Pelham FC 1 vs 3 Grange United FC

Casuals and Pelham fell to a second successive pre season defeat against premier division opponents, this time 3-1 against Grange United. Pelham started the game brightly and more than matched Grange’s quick start. The home side most probably should have gone into the lead, as Dan Boyce played Tim Shaw in only for him to be wiped out in the box by the last defender, somehow the ref said no penalty!! Both teams were fairly evenly matched but Grange started to get more of a foothold in the game after that. The away side eventually found a break through and took the lead, with Pelham just showing first signs of switching off with a Grange player free at the back play for a tap in, 1-0 to Grange. After that goal Grange slowly started to take over the play and started to have a fair amount of success. However neither team could find another goal before the half, so Grange lead 1-0 at the half. Pelham made wholesale changes at the half but unfortunately Grange picked up where they left off. They soon found a second goal, as Pelham were caught napping. Two became three from a corner not long after as Grange looked like they had killed the game off. Pelham did apply fairly quickly after Grange’s third as a Steve Callan cross panicked the Grange defender who turned into his own net. Pelham after that goal did start to push for another but that final ball just wasn’t there and the game finished 3-1 to Grange. Two defeats on the bounce against league opposition for next season, so plenty to think about before the league campaign officially starts.