League

Thurlaston
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Dato Pawletko started the match with the kick off. When Sese Beroshvili fell near the penalty area in the 3rd minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Rochdale's protests and gave Sese Beroshvili a yellow card for diving instead. Sese Beroshvili kicked well hit freekick during the 3rd minute of the match. 14 minutes into the match, Rochdale's goal looked a bit too open when Dato Pawletko came free, but Gocha Kikalishvili reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 15th minute Dato Pawletko shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Gocha Kikalishvili saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Gocha Kikalishvili showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Dato Pawletko in the 17th minute of the match. Aydin Robakidze kicked well hit freekick during the 24th minute of the match. Gocha Kikalishvili took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Mirian Burduli, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Eldar Tsitsishvili showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Roland Milakiev, who was totally free with the ball in the 36th minute. After a defensive mix-up in Rochdale's zone, Aydin Robakidze stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Gocha Kikalishvili came out of the goal and Aydin Robakidze tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. In the 41st minute, Dato Pawletko made a precise shot to the right of Gocha Kikalishvili. Rochdale's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 2-1. When Aydin Robakidze came up free with the goalie in the 45th minute, the Thurlaston fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Aydin Robakidze couldn't finish the play. Dato Pawletko recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 46th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. All the noise was coming from the home fans when the whistle went for half-time. The home team had fought hardest to put themselves in a deserved lead.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Anatoly Paghava to make the kick off. Dato Pawletko struck a weak shot in the 55th minute. Gocha Kikalishvili didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Thurlaston. In the 57th minute Dato Pawletko shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Gocha Kikalishvili saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 64 minutes into the game, Roland Milakiev was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Rochdale's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Thurlaston the free kick. In the 64th match minute, Rochdale was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Roland Milakiev to maneuver through the defense. Gocha Kikalishvili didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Aydin Robakidze went, in the 66th minute, to the upper right corner, 3-1 was the resulting score. Djondo Topnikov could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 75th minute of the match, but Eldar Tsitsishvili made a huge save. After a defensive mix-up in Rochdale's zone, Aydin Robakidze stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Gocha Kikalishvili came out of the goal and Aydin Robakidze tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Djondo Topnikov's late challenge caught a Thurlaston's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Djondo Topnikov helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Rochdale getting a freekick after 83 minutes play. Djondo Topnikov hit a great ball. In the 88th minute Dato Pawletko shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Gocha Kikalishvili saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 91st minute, Dato Pawletko left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Thurlaston fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 5-1. There was no doubt that Thurlaston were the better team. Thurlaston's players enjoyed the ovations of the crowd after the victory.