MENS FIRST TEAM, ROUND 6 MATCH REPORT

Metro. 3.  ECBAFC. 0.

Metro under lights at Phyllis St is never the easiest of tasks and a poor second half by Bays ensured it stayed that way.

Both teams started the game at a fast clip and Dylan Stansfield had the first strike in anger, hitting the post following a break by Michael Gaze.

At the other end, Michael Kolston cleared a Metro corner off the line and Aidan Gwilt made a good save under pressure.

Both Nicolai Berry and Declan Sweeney had chances denied by the Metro defence as the game swung from end to end. Many good breaks were spoilt by a wayward final pass.

Maksim Manko had a good chance for Metro right on half time but put his strike just over the crossbar.

Honours even at the break, Bays were holding their own.

Metro play some good football but are also a physical side and can get under the skin of their opponents and they did this successfully to Bays in the second half. Stansfield and Berry both had strikes blocked or saved but just past the hour a Metro break caught the defence flat-footed and Hong Gyu Han gave Gwilt no chance in opening the scoring.

Bays were now reacting to the Metro players instead of concentrating on the game and it cost them further in the 72nd minute when Manko headed in from a corner.

Play swung from end to end with Gaze prominent in defence and Miles Palmer working hard in midfield.

With four minutes of normal time remaining, Stansfield was felled in the box and Bays awarded a penalty. Stansfield is normally lethal from this range but his effort was easily saved by Sean Dowling.

Then right on normal time, Metro was awarded a free-kick and while the defence was organizing itself, Han took the free-kick and placed it in the back of the net.

A couple of chances in stoppage time but they came to nothing.

A disappointing display with few highlights. Michael Gaze had a strong game a full back and new signing Miles Palmer will get even better when he gets used to his teammates. We missed Jordan Jayapuram who has returned to the United States to continue his studies.

Time to regroup and focus on next weekend.

Team: Gwilt, Simmonds, Forrester, Kolston (Kim 46), Gaze, Palmer, Ireland (Taylor 77), Sweeney, Berry, Stansfield, Scott (Franchini 62)