|
Ninth Eleven
Winchmore Hill 0 Old Finchleians 3
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four North
Tuesday 22 April
Saturday’s win meant we were still firmly aiming for third spot in
the league. The opposition had guaranteed their promotion before
this game but were still aiming for the league title. We’d beaten
this team at their ground earlier in the season, but at the time
were told they were missing several of their players. We were close
to full strength, with a good midweek turnout meaning we were only
missing a couple of “regulars”.
It soon became apparent they were back to full strength with a team
of talented youngsters, showing a good combination of skill in
midfield and speed up front, as they put us under early pressure.
Once again, as so often throughout the season, our defence showed
how good they are under pressure by preventing the opposition from
breaking through. Chances were kept to the odd long shot from
distance and any space that was created in our area by their quick
movement was soon closed down.
It wasn’t plain sailing for their defence as we continually tried to
catch them out high up the pitch with through balls, but we only
created half chances. 0-0 was fair at half time, and we were
definitely in with a good chance of using our experience to nick a
goal in the second half.
Unfortunately this wasn’t to be. We were soon caught out when our
defence and goalkeeper relaxed after a long ball seemingly rolled
over the line for a goal kick. The opposition forward played on,
crossed to their other forward who tapped in within seconds. With no
whistle sounding they’d played on and our heads dropped following
this. They followed up with a header from a corner and their skilful
forward then twisted his way into space to fire in a third. That
effectively ended the game and we couldn’t grab a consolation at the
other end.
In the end, a disappointing way to finish a topsy-turvy season that,
until recently, could have led to promotion. Now for the long summer
break and the preparation for a strong challenge next year.
Winchmore Hill 3 Norsemen 0
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four North
Saturday 19 April
Three defeats in the last three games had ended any hopes we had for
sneaking second place and a promotion spot. We still had a very
respectable third place to play for, and so that prevented this
penultimate fixture of the season turning into an end-of-season
stalemate. There was definitely no such prospect as Norsemen 8’s
were fighting to stay in Division 4 North and so were going to be a
challenge to beat.
We’ve seen Pitch 12 at Firs Farm in various conditions over the
season, and today it was dry and firm, especially around the
goalmouths, which was going to do wonders to Glenn Coopers’ (already
sore) knees. It was probably no coincidence that, having close to a
full squad for the first time in recent weeks we began playing some
football of good quality, straight from the off.
Good passing moves resulted in several corners, and from one such
corner Callum Ali’s header hit the post. We were perhaps guilty of
rushing too much to find the killer ball in the final third and so
clear chances were not constantly created, but at least we were
looking dangerous.
At the other end we were pressing well, preventing the opposition
from stringing passes together. Norsemen 8’s consisted of
experienced veterans and so it was important not to let them string
any passes together to get into the game.
The game was won in the second half as the drizzle started to fall.
Callum Ali scored the goal of the game after picking up the ball and
beating at least four challenges before striking the ball from 20
yards. A convenient bobble in front of the goalie meant this strike
put us in the lead, and at last the deadlock was broken.
Tony Crouchman soon put Peter Cooper through to nutmeg the goalie
and make it two, before a three-man break beat the Norsemen off-side
trap leaving sub Frazer Ali to tap in. In defence we held off for a
clean sheet as Norsemen increased the pressure towards the end of
the game.
This game wasn’t straight forward, but hard work and good
perseverance earned a nice win, and it was a relief at the final
whistle to get back to winning ways after three disheartening
defeats.
Winchmore Hill 1 Broomfield 4
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 29 March
It’s a lot harder to write a match report for a game in which we
lose, and it’s easy to fill it with excuses as to why we didn’t win.
We had pushed ourselves into the promotion race with 6 wins and 2
draws in the last eight – I guess the law of averages meant we would
lose eventually.
Losing the toss wasn’t a good start, and so we had the strong wind
at our backs in the first half. Unfortunately, the good football we
had so often showed in recent weeks abandoned us for the first half
hour, and Broomfield worked well together, took the game to us and
were 2-0 up after 30 minutes. Try as we did, we couldn’t string
together more than a couple of passes, and any slightly over-hit
ball rocketed down to the Broomfield keeper, who used his experience
to waste as much time as possible, even in the first half.
We eventually found our feet and began showing an attacking threat,
with Peter Cooper going close and Frazer Ali creating space down the
right. From a slick passing move, Ali’s low cross found Cooper in
space who fired home to give us hope of a comeback.
The second half started with a good spell of pressure by us on the
opposition defence – but the more we tried the harder their defence
stood firm. Out of nowhere we conceded an unfortunate own goal, and
this was a blow from which we couldn’t recover. A change of
formation to provide more attacking strength did not last for long
as we lost Callum Ali through injury, meaning we finished the game
with 10 men, and Broomfield snatched a fourth in the dying minutes.
In hindsight to this disappointing result, 1 loss in 9 and second
place in the league is still a great record, and shows how well this
team have developed throughout the season. With 4 games to go we
still have a great chance of snatching 2nd place at the
end of the season, so we need to put this result out of the way and
pick ourselves up for next week.
Winchmore Hill 7 Norsemen 1
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 15 March
And so our good form continues. This result sees us cement our
position in second place in the league. As we found out a couple of
weeks ago with a draw against the bottom of the league side, no
fixture in this league can be taken for granted. To maintain the
second place spot, the same high work-rate shown in recent games
would again be needed straight from the off.
Injuries and unavailability’s meant some small shuffles around the
team; Chris Bond stepping up-front to partner Shin Ito, Mark Turner
shifting out to wide right, and most notably, forward Rob Sweetner
donning the gloves for his debut appearance as a goalie.
Within minutes of the start, Norsemen forced a corner, and their
centre forward rose unmarked to head home. This stunned our team
into action; we were determined not to let ourselves down.
The standard of football we had been showing in recent weeks soon
returned. Tony Crouchman, recently returned from Australia, joined
Dom Molloy in the centre of midfield, and they soon began creating
openings for the forwards and wingers to latch onto. It wasn’t long
before Shin Ito drifted past his marker to slot home into the
corner. From a far side cross, Andy Bocchi then found himself
unmarked on the edge of the area to loop a shot over the keeper to
put us 2-1 up. From then on, our defence stood firm, all bar the odd
defensive goalmouth scramble, and the emphasis switched more and
more to attack. Molloy set Ito through to chip past the keeper, and
as the half time whistle blew, we knew a solid second half would
earn us three points.
The fourth arrived not long into the second half, and this settled
any nerves of a Norsemen comeback. Ito completed his hat-trick after
controlling the ball in acres of space on the edge of the area
before firing into the corner. Another Molloy through ball then saw
Bond beat the ‘keeper at the near post, and it was then 6-1 with
probably the best of the day’s goals. A long through ball from
defence saw Ito beat the off-side trap, and on the half-volley he
lobbed the keeper. The game’s scoring was concluded following
another good build up from which Crouchman nipped in front of the
defender to poke home the 7th.
This was another good all-round performance, yet again. The defence
was once again tight, and the midfield worked well to minimise the
time the opposition spent in possession. Thanks also to Sweetner for
filling in in goal.
Earlier in the season our efforts were not always rewarded with the
points we often felt were deserved, and so it is great to see our
recent form has resulted in a surge up the table.
East Barnet O.G. 6s 2 Winchmore Hill 4
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 8 March
Following the disappointing 0-0 draw away at Norsemen last
week – a game where playing football was difficult due to the strong
winds – we were keen to get back to winning ways this week. Our good
run of form has seen us leap up the table. If results went our way,
we knew we could have gone top following today’s fixtures.
Having scraped past this EBOG side 3-1 just a couple of months ago,
we knew they had a good, all-round line-up. Our game plan was to
take the game straight to them and not allow them to settle, and
this worked perfectly.
Despite more high winds and a heavy downpour for the first few
minutes, we started playing the ball in to our forwards and wingers
and then closed in on the EBOG defence to contain them in their own
half. This policy created the first goal, with an EBOG defender’s
clearance being charged down and the ball subsequently rolling
perfectly for Frazer Ali to slot into the far corner. More chances
were created, and Ali hit the post not long after.
EBOG had one quick and one strong forward, and the latter showed
good touches in helping the rest of the opposition join into attack,
but once again our defensive line stood strong, as they have all
season, and clear chances were never conceded. David Behling stepped
into goal following last week’s injury to Glenn Cooper and he
settled in immediately. Mark Turner showed once again how he has
found a new “home” in centre midfield, covering the gaps in front of
our defence.
Our great start soon saw us add a second then a third. Firstly, Shin
Ito was in the right place to nudge a failed clearance past the
helpless EBOG goalie, and from a Rob Sweetner corner, Callum Ali
rose high to head home via a small deflection.
The great start was muted by half time however, as EBOG pulled two
quick goals back. The first was a great strike by their big forward,
spinning with the ball before chipping in from 25 yards. The second
came following a failed clearance from a corner.
As expected, the home side put us under pressure from the whistle to
start the second half. Good communication and determination foiled
the EBOG attack, and with the pace in our attacking line a
counter-attack goal was always a possibility. From one such break
away, an opposition clearance hit a defender’s arm and we were
awarded a penalty. Shin Ito stepped up and grabbed the fourth.
This was enough to deflate the opposition and the game finished 4-2.
We’ve now moved on to the tails of the 8’s into second place.
Despite certain teams around us having games in hand, it’s great to
see our good work throughout the season has achieved some reward –
although there is still a long way to go.
Old Finchleians 7s 0 Winchmore Hill 3
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four North
Saturday 23 February
This game had the potential to be our toughest test of the season so
far. Old Finchleians 7’s boasted a solid record of 6 wins, 2 draws,
and no defeats so far this season. They have games in hand, are
sitting nicely behind the leaders and have proved with their results
they are a good team. With this challenge ahead, the first half
kicked off with us playing down the Oakhill Park slope and with a
tail wind.
Old Finchleians were a mixture of youth and age, so often a good mix
at our level, but we set about denying any space for their forwards
and midfield and played with a very high tempo to take the game to
the opposition. We soon began producing some excellent football,
varying patient build-up play with quick through balls.
It was from a high tempo counter-attack that we took the lead. Rob
Palmer cleared a corner from the edge of our box to Shin Ito on
halfway. From out of central defence, Andy Bocchi stormed into the
attack to provide us with a 3-on-2 break. Ito found Bocchi who ran
through to smash over the goalie for a well taken goal.
Confidence was running high at our positive start, but the defence
had to remain tight to restrain the oppositions’ efforts, and Mark
Turner’s shift into midfield to cover injuries and unavailability’s
proved fruitful with a solid display in front of the back four.
It wasn’t long before we went 2-0 up. Bradley Hill suddenly found
himself in acres of space following a quick through ball. The
opposition defence had pushed up but had left their full-back
behind, leaving Hill with time to slot home. A great first half
display meant a deserved 2-0 half time lead.
We expected an onslaught from Old Finchleians in the second half,
especially as we were now attacking uphill and into the wind. They
certainly upped the tempo, winning several corners and testing our
defence with high balls. Our defence stood firm however, determined
to hang on for the three points.
From an opposition’s corner, Neil McCann cleared off the line with a
last gasp effort and from then it started to look like we’d hang on.
We always looked a threat when on the counter attack, and one of
these breaks towards the end of the game led to a free-kick on the
edge of the box. Rob Sweetner’s low drive was split by their keeper,
and Frazer Ali tapped in to guarantee the win.
This was a great win, possibly the best of the season so far,
against a team that is flying high in our league. We have built up
good momentum at the moment that we need to take into the final
section of the season - a season that now has the potential to
provide a high final league placing.
Winchmore Hill 3 Old Finchleians 6s 2
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 9 February
With the league campaign now at the halfway stage, finding ourselves
mid-table in the league and out of both cups might appear a
disappointing season. Playing in this team, however, is never dull,
on or off the pitch, and the season has been extremely enjoyable
all-round so far. From front to back the players are determined to
win and give their best every game, but most of all they enjoy
themselves throughout. Although during the second half on Saturday,
things were not so pleasant.
The sun was shining brightly as we kicked off against a strong Old
Finchleians’ side that we’d previously tied 3-3 with earlier in the
season. To avoid a kit clash, we’d changed to a yellow kit. Although
it didn’t quite inspire a Brazil-esque performance, we were quick
out of the starting blocks and took the game to the opposition. We
struck first in a topsy-turvy half; Rob Palmer took a long throw
that was flicked on by Frazer Ali into the path of Darryl Martin who
poked home – simple but effective.
Old Finchleians soon found their feet and came at us, carving holes
via some quick interlinking between the midfield and forwards. Their
nimble striker soon changed the game, firstly by firing into the
bottom corner after beating two challenges, then by smashing a
superb shot into the top corner.
This shocked us back into action, and a good move down the left
between Martin and Mark Turner resulted in a cross that Frazer Ali
met at the far-post, just beating the defender. Ali then spread a 40
yard-plus pass over the defender into the path of Rob Sweetner, who
smashed the ball into the far corner to break his goalless streak in
style – more will surely follow now.
The Old Finchleians striker that had caused us so many problems then
became involved in an exchange of words with the referee that
resulted in his dismissal. In theory, this should have made the game
easier from now on in, but as the second half opened the opposition
reorganised and were up for the challenge. It is safe to say that
most of the half was spent digging in as they continually put us
under pressure – time and again we failed to find a yellow shirt
with a clearing pass and Old Finchleians came back at us again.
It was to be our day, however, as we stood firm and saw the half
out. The relief was evident at the final whistle of what was a great
game, played in good spirit by two evenly matched teams, and so we
headed back to the Club for a well earned drink.
Winchmore Hill 2 Broomfield 1
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 2 February
A combination of bad weather and a “No Fixture” in the league
fixture calendar meant this was our first game in three weeks.
Having drawn with this same Broomfield side just before Christmas
the memories of how strong they were then were fresh. We’d played
well that day, but a similar display was required today, along with
hard work for 90 minutes, if we were going to win three points this
time around.
From the first whistle the energy displayed by the team was
first-class, in both defence and attack. Broomfield were showing
signs of their strength but good pressure by our team, from front to
back, ensured chances were kept to a minimum.
Our break-through came following a foul on the edge of the
opposition penalty area. Shin Ito stepped up to superbly bend the
ball low around the wall and into the corner, despite the goalie
getting his fingertips to it. The lead at this point was deserved,
and it was soon 2-0 after Ito was tripped in the penalty area. After
earning the penalty, the forward calmly slotted in from the spot.
The job was clearly only half done at the interval, as we all knew
Broomfield had enough skilful players to trouble us, and the
introduction of a strong forward at half time meant the tide slowly
turned, but our defence was up to the task. When the back four was
breached, Broomfield found goalkeeper Glenn Cooper in top form.
Cooper pulled off several top draw saves, including a last-gasp save
from a misguided defensive header that appeared certain to be
nestling in the corner. This save was vitally important in
preventing the opposition tying the game, as they had made it 2-1
not long into the second half after scoring direct from a corner.
The game became end to end as the high work rate from both teams
began to take its toll, with injuries and fatigue hitting both sets
of players, but neither team wanted to lose. Tony Crouchman hit the
bar from 25 yards and Jon Reilly forced a good save from the
Broomfield keeper direct from a free-kick as we continued to pose a
threat when on the attack. It was a relief when the final whistle
blew, but unfortunate at the same time, as Crouchman was in the
process of chipping the stranded ‘keeper for a third goal that would
have settled the game.
This was a hard earned but rewarding three points. There’s still a
long way to go in the season, so similar performances could easily
result in a steady climb up the league table.
Winchmore Hill 3 East Barnet OG 1
Southern
Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four
Saturday 12 January
First league game back following the Christmas Break and it was a
game that we needed to win to get our league campaign back on track
following a string of disappointing results in 2007. Although we
were struggling to score goals at one end we still had the second
best defensive record in the league, we just needed some goals.
Everyone remained positive following the return of Sweetner from his
short spell at the Mexican Soccer School and were eager to watch him
unleash his new earned skills. The team did seem slightly concerned
when ten minutes before kick off Firs Farm appeared deserted, this
was not really the answer we were looking for. After a short
discussion between the ref and the opposition we decided that the
pitch was playable and both sides were keen to get the game
underway.
The pitch was muddy, wet and sticky and the first ten minutes saw us
under a bit of pressure with a good spell of EBOG possession, but
the Hill’s back four and centre midfield were looking both confident
and organised dealing with everything that was being thrown at us.
After a short spell we found our feet and started to dominate
possession having a number of chances through on goal with good
passing and movement from the whole team. Just as we were looking
likely to take the lead, an EBOG through ball over the top saw their
player pick the ball up, run down the wing towards goal and calmly
slot home at point blank range despite a strong determined challenge
from Callum Ali. The Hill replied with a good five minutes of
pressure with a number of corners before the break, however, we were
one goal down!
The half time talk remained positive focusing on our strong points
knowing that it was only a matter of time before we equalised, and
deep down we all knew that we were capable of going on to win the
game, we just needed to finish our chances.
The second half started well and the Hill equalised minutes into the
second half. After a good build up of pressure we found ourselves in
the box and Fraser Ali found himself calmly slotting home to earn
the well deserved equaliser. This goal was the turning point and
gave the team the boost of confidence that we all needed.
The second half saw a change in personnel with Neil McCann replacing
Ian Watkins at left back. The defence again remained strong and
organised with the team playing well. Our captain Chris Bond soon
made way with a straight swap seeing Mark Turner come in at centre
mid to the delight of his fans. Dom Molloy and Mark remained
composed and continued to battle well taking control of the
midfield. It was soon after that Shin Ito came on replacing Peter
Cooper upfront and scored a scorcher from outside of the box, with a
shot sailing high over the keeper dipping into the back of the net.
This was the well deserved lead we had all been looking for.
This saw a reply from EBOG and they fought hard to try and get back
into the game, unfortunately leaving gaps at the back which saw Shin
break through the defence and coolly side step the keeper slotting
home to win the game 3-1.
This was a well deserved 3 points which showed us all that we could
in fact score if we need to. Let’s keep it up lads and look for
another 3 points against the 8’s.
Winchmore
Hill 0 Kew Association 9’s 3
AFA Junior Novets Cup
Saturday 5 January
Back in October we comprehensively beat this same opposition in the
SAL Cup. Having drawn them again in the AFA Cup, we fancied our
chances but we knew we couldn’t be complacent and expect the same
result without earning it.
Straight from the kick-off the opposition came at us, playing
confident football. Whenever they lost the ball they worked hard in
groups to win it back, and once they had it they played good
football to retain possession. Our back-four soon realised they were
in for a challenge and did exceptionally well to prevent the
opposition cutting through to create clear chances, but a threat was
clearly evident from a tactically astute Kew team.
We were struggling to get anything going in the offensive third and,
despite a tactical change, by the half hour mark we were 3-0 down.
The first followed pressure by the oppositions’ forwards on our
defence, with the striker eventually winning the ball to slot home.
The second came direct from a free-kick played in from the wing, and
the third from a cross-come-shot from the other flank. On another
day all three goals may have been prevented, but there was no
doubting that Kew deserved their half-time lead. We had created only
one real chance.
The second half saw a changed Hill performance, as we started to
threaten deeper in the Kew half. We were now creating some chances,
although most were shots from the edge of the box that sailed just
over. Their defence was organised and only let their guard slip on a
couple of occasions all game, and their offensive threat was still
evident, but our defence worked well to keep the chances conceded to
a minimum.
By the time the whistle blew it was clear we weren’t going to break
them down and both teams had cancelled each other out. The damage
had been done in the first half. Maybe we struggled early on as it
was the first game back after a break, but credit to the
well-organised Kew team for not allowing us to get going. After
other defeats suffered this season, positives were taken as we’d
played good football, created chances and could have gained good
results. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said today. Now we
concentrate on the league, treat this result as a blip, and aim for
a return to the performances we’re used to.
Broomfield
1 Winchmore Hill 1
Southern
Amateur League
Minor Section Division Five (North)
Saturday 15 December
The extremities of winter weather were evident once again this week.
The rain from last week had passed, but this time the cold played
its part,with several layers from both sides donning extra layers
under their shirts as the game kicked off. Unsurprisingly, the pitch
seemed to have been affected by last week's rain, feeling sticky and
uneven underfoot. Like last week, a passing game would be tough.
Nevertheless, the team were determined to continue the good form
shown in recent weeks, despite missing a few retulars. Broomfield 5s
were sitting second in the league, so a challenge was in store.
Despite the opening exchanges being scrappy, both defences
looked comfortable, and so it was unfortunate that an
uncharacteristically scuffed clearance from Glenn Cooper fell
straight to a Broomfield player who lobbed the ball in superbly from
30 yards. Just a few minutes later a long ball found former
Winchmore Hill striker Michael Robinson in space but he lobbed wide.
These two moments had arisen out of nowhere and spurred us on into
attack, as 2-0 from two chances would have been very harsh.
Chances for us soon started arriving as we began playing the ball
about into the spaces that Broomfield began to leave. Mike Johnston
worked well on the left, causing the defence problems, and Frazer
Ali and Chris Bond both had shots that couldn’t beat the keeper.
Rob Sweetner had an effort cleared from the line, and Neil McCann
had a 35 yard curler tipped over well by the goalie. The use of
Sweetner’s head became useful from throw-ins, and it was one of
these flicks that found the chest of Carl Steward who controlled and
volleyed home. We were back in the game at 1-1.
The half-time team talk followed the pattern of recent weeks –
we’re playing well, defence is tight, everyone working extremely
hard, the chances will soon start flying in……..
But today it wasn’t to be. Despite having good periods of
possession and looking controlled as we broke forward, we could not
conjure up the go-ahead goal. Sweetner had a header cleared off the
line and Ali couldn’t quite reach a cross across the box.
Broomfield were working hard too, and always looked a threat when
utilising their skill players in Midfield, but our defence was yet
again up to the task of keeping clear chances to a minimum. A final
break through their defence in the dying moments again failed to
produce a goal.
We now boast the second stingiest defence in the league having
conceded just 11 in 7 games. As we go into the New Year we must take
heart from this, and that at the other end we are creating chances
that will soon turn into goals.
Winchmore
Hill 6 East Barnet Old Grammarians 1
AFA
Junior Novets Cup
Saturday 8 December
With the relentless rain falling Saturday morning, it was expected
our Cup game would not survive. After arriving at Firs Farm, it was
still raining. We were up for the game and changed into our kit, as
did the opposition, but the prospect of the game being abandoned was
clearly present. It was therefore a relief that, after a brief
discussion with the ref, the game was given the all-clear to
commence.
The rain cleared up the second we kicked off, but the pitch was
obviously very wet and was riddled with small areas of standing
water. The passing game we have been working to produce this season
would certainly be tested, but with a strong northerly wind lashing
across Firs Farm, adopting a long-ball game would have been just as
unpredictable. As it turned out, a passing game was still possible,
especially down the flanks, and this tactic assisted in producing a
comprehensive win.
It was just 1-0 at half-time, however, with Tony Crouchman putting
Carl Steward through to slot past the EBOG ‘keeper. To lead at the
interval was a relief, after the unpredictable shooting that has
crept into our game this season threatened to resurface again, as
several early chances went wide. The discussion before the game was
to keep plugging away, keep creating the chances because the goals
would surely start to come. The defence was the usual tight unit,
with Ian Watkins joining Andy Bocchi in the centre, and Rob Palmer
and Neil McCann completing the back four. Just two long range
efforts were conceded all half, along with a few corners that were
well defended.
The flood gates opened not long into the second half. Rob
Sweetner’s in-swinging corner was met by Tony Crouchman’s
unmarked head, then Callum Ali collected the goalie’s kick
35-yards out and, aided by the wind, superbly slotted into the far
corner. We continued to use the wings to avoid getting bogged down
in the middle, and following some passes across the 6-yard box, Mark
Turner drove in from the left.
EBOG’s won a corner following their best spell of the half and
fired in a shot that took a heavy deflection to pull back a
consolation. This only encouraged another Hill drive and Crouchman
cut-in unchallenged to grab his second. Frazer Ali, who had caused
EBOG’s problems on the wing all afternoon, grabbed the sixth.
A good win and we progress into the next round of the AFA Cup. The
season has been somewhat topsy-turvy so far, but if the goals start
flowing like this in future games we will be very difficult to beat.
Old
Actonians Association 1 Winchmore Hill 0
SAL Junior Novets Cup
Saturday 24 November
Our SAL Cup run met an abrupt end on Saturday at the hands of Old
Actonians 8’s. Old Actonians always field a strong side, and as
kick-off approached we were under no illusions this was going to be
easy – however, we were confident our team would be good enough to
triumph.
Confusion over referees meant we had a few vital extra minutes
warm-up after the kit got stuck in traffic on its way to Gunnersbury
Park. With a couple of players missing some minor tactical changes
were made before the start, but we soon settled down and began to
look a threat - it was clear we’d have a good chance today as they
seemed very similar in ability to us.
The passing was good, especially considering how sticky the pitch
was, and we continued to pursue our aim of hanging on to the ball
and not conceding possession with hopeful long balls. Whilst this
didn’t create clear chances early on, the patience did pay when
Peter Cooper and Carl Steward started to find space only to see
their shots fly over or be saved. The clearest chance fell to Cooper
who, just as he was about to slot home, was clipped by a defender on
the 6-yard line. It seemed a blatant penalty (even some opposition
players appeared to stop), but unfortunately the ref didn’t agree.
Had this been awarded, it might have been the ice-breaker that could
have led to more, as we were starting to take a hold on the game.
The defence were once again looking solid. A record of just 9 goals
conceded in 6 games to date, a good record at this level, proves how
well the back-line has been performing, and only one chance was
conceded; a shot whizzing towards the corner being brilliantly saved
by stand-in 10’s goalie Mark Cocksedge. Half-time came and
all-square, 0-0.
The break-through, however, did not arrive as Old Actonians stood
firm and restricted our second half chances. Then came the
sucker-punch. A cleared corner was flicked back in to the area where
their centre-forward somehow flicked the ball over his head and into
the corner. This stunned the team as it was the closest they had
been to goal bar a couple of mazy dribbles that on both occasions
had been denied by last-ditch Winchmore Hill tackles.
We then threw everything forward to desperately grab an equaliser,
but to no avail as Old Actonians defended solidly. The whistle blew
and the disappointment was obvious – this was the second 1-0
defeat this season and on both occasions we should have got
something from the game. Back to the league this week against
Alexandra Park, and a chance to make amends for the reverse we
suffered at their ground earlier this season.
Norsemen
9s 0 Winchmore Hill 7
Southern Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 10 November
The week previously had seen us lose 1-0 to the 8’s
in a match we felt we should have got something out of. This week we
were determined not to let another result slip away and we were
desperate to win the 3 points.
The pitch was sticky and so was the week leading up to the game. A
squad of 15 was down to 10 at one point, so thanks to Chris Grey,
Darryl Martin and the experienced Joe Henry for filling in (and to
those that made it to the game after rushing from various places).
Dom Molloy also made a welcome return.
Norsemen proved a tough team to break down early on, but our team
slowly built momentum and began to control possession. Joe Henry and
Andy Bocchi clicked immediately and controlled our half defensively,
allowing us to build possession. At the other end, Carl Steward,
making his first start for the team, relieved the pressure with a
couple of mazy dribbles deep into the Norsemen half and eventually
gave us breathing space, firing a shot in that the keeper would have
liked to have done better with. Peter Cooper also had efforts well
saved by the goalie who put up a good display and kept Norsemen in
the game.
As the game progressed it soon became one-way traffic as our fitness
began to show and the opposition’s defence began to tire. Peter
Cooper posted another two-goal haul, taking him to 8 for the season,
and Carl Steward wasn’t happy with just a hat-trick, grabbing a
fourth before the end of the game. Substitute Frazer Ali also got in
on the action, racing clear and finishing well. The gaps in the
opposition’s defence were wide and but for off-side calls and some
wayward finishing we could have grabbed a few more.
All-in-all, a very solid, pleasing, all-round performance that has
hopefully put us back on track following some topsy-turvy results.
Old
Finchleians 6s 3 Winchmore Hill 3
Southern
Amateur League
Minor Section Division Four (North)
Saturday 29 September
Report from Chris Bond
It was
very enjoyable to play on a smooth surface at the opposition’s
main ground, a pleasant change from the dry, hard, and bumpy pitches
of recent weeks. A slight slope to the pitch could have played a
part should teams tire through the game, and we were lucky enough to
lose the toss but still be awarded the advantage of the slope for
the second half.
Early in the game Old Finchleians took the game to us with some
slick passing into space, but the defensive combo of Messer’s
Palmer, Ali, Bocchie and McCann showed how well they’re gelling in
the new season with a solid performance throughout, restricting the
opposition to half-chances. We eventually began creating our own
chances, but Rob Sweetner and Peter Cooper both had powerful shots
saved by a strong Finchleians goalie.
We found ourselves behind following a cross to the far post, a
simple header back being nodded in by their forward. A momentary
lapse in an otherwise good first half. We discussed at half-time
about stepping up the pace as we knew we were capable of playing
good football and continue to create chances.
It wasn’t long however before an opposition forward sneaked in to
tap past Jon Edwards in goal and put Old Finchleians 2-0 up. At this
point we became determined to make things happen, as 2-0 did not
reflect the game. We began playing with confidence and took the game
to our hosts, producing the best 15 minutes of football all season,
and it clearly rattled them. Peter Cooper beat a defender and rifled
home with the outside of his boot, Rob Sweetner tapped in another
Cooper effort, before a fortunate deflection fell to Cooper who slid
the ball into the corner. 3-2 up, and a great turn around.
The game turned scrappy from this point as Old Finchleians tried to
claim a draw, and both sides had further chances. It was from a
corner that the opposition grabbed the equaliser with a few minutes
remaining – their player somehow flicking the ball in under
pressure.
Against a good 6th XI side, this was a very encouraging performance
and a good sign for the season. Nothing more could have been asked
of the players as they battled back from 2-0 down into a position
where the game could have been won.
Report by
Chris Bond.
|
