April 2011 Match Reports

Sunday 17th April 2011

League, Trenham Drive

Banter Central FC 2 - 2 Selsdon FC
Boma, Tino

Banter: Tyler; Vidic, Tino, Boma; Ridders, Fintan, Wilkes, Cling, Wommy; Adkins, Brownie

Banter and Selsdon played out a hard fought draw to cap off another enjoyable season and in the latter’s case, certainly very successful one.

With Banter fielding a bare XI and without Doc, Dancer, Hughes, Euro or Baird, it was time to welcome back Adkins. Like Magnus Magnusson, he started (the season) and so he’ll finish. Making only his second appearance of the campaign, he was thrust into the starting line up much to his own concern.

Boma was made captain on the grounds that he gave the referee a quick and hassle free response to the question of corner flags being available and after said referee did every other check and delay possible, the game got underway.

The early possession and chances went in favour of the away side, but where Banter struggled to compose themselves or find their rhythm, they made up for in organisation and team work - often with last ditch blocks and shutting down quickly to stifle their opponents. Despite the raying sunshine, effort was certainly not lacking.

Selsdon’s best chance came when Tyler punched at a cross in his six yard box, only for a Selsdon forward to connect with a header at the back post, which went over the bar. Several corners were well cleared and a dozen or more long balls from the Division Two champions were gobbled up and headed away comfortably by the Banter back line.

Wommy was caught late by a challenge in Selsdon’s final third and never really recovered. He soldiered on throughout, but preserved himself as his foot was causing him too many problems to make any real impact.

Banter’s best chance came with around 20 minutes played, Adkins laying the ball off to his right on the edge of the area and Brownie having a shot on target, which the goalkeeper collected without fuss. This seemed to begin the start of a more evenly contested game, with Banter creating several chances, including another shot from Brownie following some neat footwork from Adkins and another effort that saw a header cleared off the line. The home side also had a decent shout for a penalty for handball, but Banter don’t seem to get awarded penalties anymore, so that was a non-starter.
 
The two sides came out for the second half having played out a stalemate for the first 45 minutes, but as the game became more open and one went in, more soon followed. Selsdon found an opening within the first minute, the right winger trying to curl the ball round towards the far post, which Tyler got hands to but the ball fell to a Selsdon forward at the back post; mere yards from goal he somehow side footed the ball wide of the open net. A complete let off, but within minutes, Banter found an opening themselves. Ridders’ deep free kick from the right wing was only partly cleared for Cling to turn back in towards goal and Boma to flick in and grab his first goal of the season.

Within minutes, Selsdon hit an equaliser and it was one that left a puzzled look on many faces. A half volley struck in the general direction of Banter’s goal ballooned off Tino’s back and glided up and over a helpless Tyler, as the white shirts tried to work out what had just happened. It was Paul Parker rushing towards Andy Brehme’s free kick at Italia ’90, for the more educated football reader. Looping, awkward, almost impossible to judge or react to. But nevertheless, made the scores 1-1.

Selsdon found themselves ahead when they won themselves a free kick just inside Banter’s half and with quick thinking and Banter caught on their heels, took an early one which dropped deep into the six yard box for the away side’s onrushing winger to get to before Tyler and finish.

With no substitutes and against buoyant title winners, Banter might have rolled over and had the bellies tickled, but instead kept up the fight and continued to get at their opponets and create chances. Doing so got an equalising goal in quick reply when Tino turned in from close range following a penalty area scramble to make it 2-2.

Adkins might have won his side the game when Cling lunged to play a ball through the back line, as Adkins raced on he was beaten to the ball by the goalkeeper, who swung and sliced the ball for the Banter forward to get another go at, but even with all the time he needed to compose himself, he blazed the ball over wildly from distance. Wommy also hit a good chance, having cut in from the left touchline past an opponent but chose to shoot as he was perhaps conscious that his strike partner for most of the season, Brownie, was his only option in the middle.

Selsdon had chances themselves and continued to pile bodies forward in search of a winning goal. Two headers were won from corners and twice within minutes Fintan cleared off the line and away to safety. Tyler was forced into making a fantastic save from a well struck free kick, which was delivered over the wall and towards the top corner, but parried to safety.

Banter were forced to defend deep and clear to safety on several occasions and probably weathered a bit of a storm towards the end, but hung on and took away a deserved point on the last day of the season.

Man of the match: Andy ‘Tino’ Sheridan. A man mountain at the back, assuming leadership, organising his troops and making tackle after tackle where it seemed he was never to be beaten. One in particular stopped a forward with an open net in the second half – the referee actually blew up for a foul as it unfolded for a foul on Tyler, but he wasn’t to know that – as he got his body in behind and blocked the shot with his right leg. Stood next to me, even two of the opposition were applauding it. Never mind the scavenger training, Boma trained so little this season that he didn't even know what it was. Still, he's obviously a natural. That was his third in as many seasons - Cling has had a hand in all of them and Banter haven't lost when he's scored. He's one of a small group, in that sense.Adkins thought that a shout of 'time', when a goalkeeper is 30 yards off his line and no a defender in sight, meant you still had to hurry up. Pity that nobody told him to take his time on making a return last September, then. The last time Banter played without Baird and Hughes was February 2009. We didn't lose that one, either. Santos, 1-0, since you ask.Is it just me, or does Wommy seemed to have limped off at the end of about half the games he's played in this season? What a man.Fintan equalled a record earlier this season for claiming back to back man of the match awards, the last time it happened before that being in late 2008. Tino just joined the club.And so, another season draws to a close. Enjoyable as ever, I hope you have enjoyed it too. Thank you to all those who have pulled on the blue and white of Banter this season. And the maroon, too - even if Bom really didn't want to wear it against Salley.We've scored more, but we've also conceded more (two). The areas for improvement therefore seem obvious. Though as Fintan noted, the losses have been agonisingly close in almost every case. You win some, you lose some... And if you take results from their final outcome, we drew one for the first time on Sunday as well. We did keep saying last season that we drew too many, but this wasn't what we meant, surely?Speaking of draws, a few weird coincidences: in both of the last two final games of the season, the scores have ended 2-2 and Tino got the man of the match award. In each of the last three seasons, Banter have drawn their final league game of the season.We played six competitive games at Trenham Drive all season. Pathetic. The Purley Way got used twice because of too much water, but the league have a lot to answer for on that front too, with their make-it-up-as-you-go-along-cups and ever decreasing divisions. 12 games at Trenham Drive last season, by the way.The player of the season and goal of the season awards are due. Get your votes in asap. If you're struggling to decide, remember that I've bagged a couple and not missed a single game this term. Wow.