After the Badgers were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline on Saturday, Manager Nick Hawkins made four changes to the starting eleven for the visit of Dynamo. Out went Whitman, Robinson, Simmons and Raven - replaced by Burton, Slater, Garner and Kirk. Not that it helped any - the visitors were far too good in every department and were fully deserving of the three points.
Loughborough Manager Tommy Brookbanks watched the game from the stands - and he must have liked what he saw, as his charges took the game to Eastwood and ran the home defence ragged.
Eastwood lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Keiran Wells ploughing a very lonely furrow up top. Playing this formation at home, against a team below you in the league makes no sense to me - but what do I know?
The home team were two goals down before they had their first serious effort on goal, but with 5 in midfield and the ball more often than not by-passing the lot of them, what else was to be expected?
The goals were both scored by Dynamo striker BRUNO HOLDEN and both scored in the 28th minute! The first was a sweet volley from 12 yards after he controlled a superb ball in from the right from Rob Norris. The second was straight from the restart and saw the no.9 run through the Badgers' midfield without a single challenge and unleash a low drive from 25 yards out that beat Gary Hateley's despairing dive.
Richard Whyman did manage to force a save from Kahil Mann-Kier on 39, but apart from that the home team never looked like scoring. H-T 0-2
Dynamo went further ahead with just 10 seconds of the second half gone. Referee Andy Park was unhappy with the first attempt to re-start the game, and Badgers keeper Hateley was totally unprepared when the Ref eventually blew his whistle after the 30 second delay - and NATHAN WATSON took full advantage, looping the ball, from just inside the centre circle, over his out-stretched arms and into the net. What a finish - fully 45 yards out! Take a bow, young man!
Eastwood made changes as they tried to find a way back into the game, but the changes were in personnel only - the formation stayed the same. Changing one lone striker for another when you are 3-0 down was slightly bizarre, especially when Shannon Grant would have made a decent enough pairing along with with Wells.
As it transpired the Badgers did make more of a fist of it during the second period, but Mann-Kier was not unduly troubled. He was culpable for the Badgers goal in stoppage time though - racing from his area in an attempt to get to the ball before SHANNON GRANT, but failing miserably allowing the sub to fire into the goal from an acute angle.
Great finish to the game, but Eastwood fans must be slightly worried at their teams current form - 5 games without a win, with 5 goals scored and 12 conceded. Must be some concern at the gate of 114 too. Steve Peat mentioned in his programme notes that attendances were on the increase, (a midweek game against Loughborough Dynamo is never going to be a crowd puller) but with the form that the Badgers are showing at the moment, I can't see that trend continuing. F-T 1-3
Admission: complimentary - apologies to Steve Peat, Paul Braithwaite, John Farmer et al, but I couldn't find anything with which to sugar coat this report.
Programme: £2
Attendance: 114
