April 2010 Match Reports

Sunday 25th April 2010

League, Trenham Drive

Banter Central FC 1 - 3 Portland
Wommy

Team: Wuker; Boma (L.Dancer, 85), Tino, Vidic, Fintan (Hughes, 60); Ridders, Adkins, Wilkes, Cling; Baird, Wommy

Third place hopes dashed, the home league record diminished. All in all, not a great day for Banter, but it wasn’t an entirely bad display – just not a very good one.

Banter were unlucky to go in a goal down at the break, having taken the lead when Cling persevered with a long ball down the left, his cross was blocked which found its way to Baird, he beat his marker well and cut back for Wommy to score his 20th goal of the season. It was a good start and Banter’s position looked only like it would strengthen with the type of football being played. One particular move was up to 30 passes rotating between attack, midfield and defence as the build-up was patient, the movement and communication excellent and wonderfully executed by all. There was a real sense of control on the game that Banter just did not have the week previous. But inevitably, Portland still scored.

A corner was not properly cleared and when it came into the area, the marking had gone to pot, with Wuker glued to his line he was easily beaten to give the away side the equaliser. Banter’s initial defending has improved immeasurably over the years, particularly from set-pieces, but there’s still a hint of communication breakdown when it comes to the second ball being delivered back in.

Banter created half chances, Ridders and Baird at the back post of deep free kicks, along with Wommy and Baird linking well but having shots blocked. There was a big scare when Portland’s skipper roasted Boma for pace down the left, his cut back was met by the #10 in acres of space in the middle, but he spooned his chance wide, which would go down as a let off.

But Portland nevertheless followed up with a second, right on the stroke of half time. Another set piece, again involving forwards being allowed too much space and a volley low down was swung at goal as it went in cheaply to give Portland the lead. A decent finish, but Banter were flat footed.

Portland made one change at the break, removing their #2, otherwise known as The Boot Inspector, from his angry central midfield duties as he had already been booked and looked likely to get another one having repeatedly sworn at the ref, his team mates and the opposition, whilst also finding time to blame the Trenham Drive pitch having fallen over his own, dare I say it, boots. The suspicion was that his laces were untied and I would imagine that came about from one of the loops breaking, but who knows?

The second half became a bit of a scrap, with Portland seizing the initiative and creating the better chances for the opening period. There were a number of set-pieces well cleared from corners and throws, whilst Portland’s best opportunity came about when Wuker saved a shot but couldn’t hold it, the rebound falling to the #10 and from barely 10 yards out he ballooned the ball over the crossbar. It could have been the turning point of the game, but Banter did not use it as incentive enough to get another goal.

Hughes came on to replace Fintan with half an hour to go, he went into his familiar centre-midfield role with Cling dropping into left-back and Wilkes pulled to left-midfield. It didn’t take particularly long for that to change around either, the rotation brought Wilkes back inside, Adkins up front and Baird out to the left.

With Banter pushed high up the pitch for a free kick, Portland broke away at pace with Boma and Adkins in pursuit. Portland’s #10 carried the ball from the half way line with Boma forcing him wider and wider and Adkins inside not allowing him to cut across, it seemed like he'd been slowed up and pushed beyond his boundaries but the forward put the ball in the only place it could go as Wuker was beaten easily at his far post to give Portland a 3-1 lead.

Banter pushed up the pitch and further chances were created; Ridders firing a shot wide from the angle, Vidic having one saved off the line, Adkins forcing the keeper into a fantastic save at close quarters and Wommy seeing a half volley pushed over the bar well by the goalkeeper. But the best chance fell to Baird, who has apparently entered into some sort of miss of the season competition with himself, he fired a shot high and wide with the whole goal to aim at after some superb feet and running from Wommy down the left.

Portland should probably have embarrassed Banter by scoring further and thus giving their own title hopes a better chance with greater goal difference, but a couple of late efforts were well blocked or seen out when Banter player’s were given the chance to get back in time. 3-1 was how it finished.

Man of the match: Chris ‘manja Vidic Rhino’ Mann. He and Tino organised well at the back and were excellent aerially from long balls in particular.