Trojans Reserves 1, Spa Athletic Reserves 4

WITH their first team without a game Burley Trojans Reserves took the spotlight but they ended their league campaign with a performance which summed up their season. After a bright opening they lost their way and finished disappointingly.

On reflection the game probably should not have gone ahead. The torrential downpours of the previous 24 hours had seen postponements at other local venues but referee Bill Simpson was happy that The Rec was playable, although by the end the pitch was in an awful condition which does not bode well for the three consecutive home games that Trojans' first team have during the remainder of the month.

Trojans, adopting an unfamiliar experimental line up, got off to a dream start with a goal inside 60 seconds. Centre-forward Steve Fozzard broke up a Spa move and shipped the ball on to strike partner James Hoskin who, spotting stand-in 'keeper Steve Jones off his line, expertly lobbed him from fully 35 yards.

Trojans enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and Tim Fendyke was twice denied by Jones when he had sprung the off-side trap. At the other end Matt Steer foiled the Spa forwards on a number of occasions with some unorthodox saves.

Trojans' central defensive pairing of Phil Constantine and first team manager Chris Worts, boasting a combined age of 79, belied their years in the heavy conditions to keep the youthful Spa strike force at bay.

Indeed Constantine also found time to go on some adventurous forays upfield which probably caused more concern to his own team mates than to the opposition.

Spa equalised ten minutes before the break with Conrad Addinall's stinging drive from the edge of the area catching Steer out as it fizzed past him and the visitors took a half-time lead with a fortuitous effort from Neil Richard-Smith which was deflected and looped over the unfortunate Steer.

Trojans lost Constantine through injury early in the second-half as the conditions deteriorated rapidly. It didn't prevent Spa from increasing their lead on the hour when a fine right wing move ended with Dom Sunley turning inside Worts and curling a superb effort beyond Steer's despairing dive.

Trojans huffed and puffed to get back into the game but were unable to really threaten the Spa goal.

A flowing move involving all three Wheeler brothers ended with Rob shooting narrowly wide and the same player was also denied by Jones at full stretch.

Trojans could have had a penalty but Iain Gibbons stayed on his feet when he was clearly fouled in the area and shortly afterwards he found space to send a powerful drive flashing wide.

Spa continued to look dangerous on the break and it was no surprise when Paul Morris grabbed a fourth.

The young substitute dispossessed Guy Smith on the right and cut inside to squeeze the ball home from an acute angle.

Referee Simpson showed great common sense and discretion in difficult conditions and did his best to keep the game flowing.

The veteran Worts, in a rare outing, picked up match point for his battling performance at the heart of Trojans' overworked defence.

l Attention now turns to Trojans' first team who entertain title rivals Pannal Sports on Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm. Players should meet at The Queens at 1.30pm.