Banter Central FC

"It's banter init, if you've got banter you're alright." - Rio Ferdinand, 2006

Sunday 22nd February 2009

League, Duppas Hill 1

Banter Central FC 0 - 3 Sanderstead Spitfires

Team: Jewish; Murray, Doc, Boma, Village (Pasty, 80 mins); Fintan, Hughes, Adkins, Cling; Wommy, Shannon

Having not played a game for 3 weeks, the danger was that Banter could enter this a little lethargically and take time to adjust. As it was, that's exactly what happened. Though the first 5 saw a bright enough start with possession being squandered but tackles won, Sanderstead went through a good spell where they had aerial dominance as well as far more energy and purpose for the following 20 minutes. Sanderstead's three in midfield linked up with the lone front man well, the number 9 was sent in goal when he beat Doc for pace but his shot was smashed wide of Deano's far post. Shortly after he had another half chance when he spun in the penalty area but his shot was again sent wide. Banter broke forward at pace but never really troubled the back line; a one-two between Shannon and Cling came to nothing and most of the service to Wommy was in the air and cut out by the towering Spitfires skipper. Cling and Phil Hughes sent in corners that were capable of causing problems, but it was dealt with well and Banter's only real shot on target was an Adkins long-ranger. Spitfires' #9 was sent through again with a long ball over the top, but Jewish reacted fastest, tearing out of his goal to clear the ball to safety. Sanderstead's best chance of the half came when one of numerously well delivered deep free-kicks by the right-winger was flicked on and into the path of the captain, and with just the lanky Jew to beat, he controlled and fired his shot at goal which only Dean can probably explain how he got into and stopped. It was an incredible save. At the other end, Wommy's first opportunity to get in on goal having beaten his marker saw the Spitfires captain clearly handle the ball outside the box, which would not be the first incident that only the referee apparently didn't see. Both sides goalless going in at the break.

After an honest, but barely enthusiastic half time discussion, Banter came out to the second half with everything to play for. Sanderstead dominated for at least the first 15 minutes of the half, driving through midfield with considerable ease and having a few half chances on Dean's goal. With the scores locked at 0-0 and the game there for the taking, Hughes began to really show his class with some tidy flicks as well as showing some real purpose going forward. When Banter won a corner with an hour gone, the plan was to swing the ball towards the near post for Hughes to get something on it. Cling swung his cross into the near post and when the goalkeeper flapped and got no-where near it, it evaded everyone and curled towards the back post, nestling into the bottom corner of the net. Unfortunately for Banter, it was disallowed for pushing - which was a spot that the referee saw all on his own it would appear. They say these things even themselves out and though the situation could have been different had the goal stood, Sanderstead were harshly denied a penalty shortly after, when Boma cut out the ball well from an attacker, but lifted his arm handling quite clearly for all to see. The referee waved play on and Banter broke forward but to no avail. Another deep free-kick was sent into the area by Sanderstead for a second great chance for the skipper, who having beaten Cling to the ball fired well over the bar. With 20 minutes remaining, Sanderstead opened the scoring when a scramble in the area saw Adkins only half clear to a Spitfires midfielder, who lashed the ball into the far corner of the net from 15 yards. Given Sanderstead's chances and determination it was probably deserved, though where the game went from there was still in Banter's hands. But having been beaten earlier in the season by the blues in what could be considered fortunate circumstances, Sanderstead wanted to win far more. They broke through midfield again, sent in a cross from the left which Village seemed to have covered and his opponent marked, but was beaten in the air for Spitfires to double their lead. Further pain came when a Sanderstead substitute was given far too much time and space on the edge of the area, his shot was true and flew past Dean and in to make it 3-0. Arguably a bit flattering in a good 10 minute spell, but worthy winners nevertheless. Pasty came on with 10 minutes remaining for Village, some long throws and hopeful efforts from outside the area were about all that Banter could muster, as Sanderstead inflicted the same scoreline as in the reverse fixture - 0-3 to the away side.

The ratings:

Jewish - 8 - Could do nothing about the goals, even if he was close to the 3rd it was struck with too much conviction. Came dashing off his line to clear a potential one on one away from Sanderstead's forward in the first half which could've been a goal, made a save later that period which stopped an absolute certainty, getting down and spreading himself superbly.

Murray - 7 - Very solid display and distributed the ball well. I was promised that Steve would provide humour and he did so with a couple of fantastic air shots, but overall he had a very good game.

Doc - 7 - Was assured and steady at the back as you would expect, even tried to beat a player for pace when coming out with the ball in the first half, even he had to laugh and realise that this was never going to come off. He was big in the air throughout and put in some excellent blocks when Sanderstead were counter-attacking.

Boma - 7 - Put himself about, covered well for team-mates and one particular challenge in the first half to stop a cross/shot was the epitome of this. He got his head onto the ball on almost every occasion it was in his direction, he got clattered in the head - albeit accidently as they clashed - by Sanderstead's forward near the end as is standard in this fixture. How he didn't give away a penalty though is a question none of the 22 players on the pitch nor the fans watching can answer. Very lucky, even if it didn't make a difference in the end.

Village - 5 - An unfortunate 10-15 minute spell where he was running out of steam saw a couple of costly errors. Unfortunate, since his first half display was very sturdy, as was his play at the beginning of the second. Blame cannot be placed on him of course and he worked very hard throughout.

Fintan - 6 - A pretty quiet game, though he was out of position. He worked up and down the line well, unfortunately to little end product as was Banter's forward play all game.

Hughes - 8 - Man of the match. Ran tirelessly, won plenty of headers and cut out attacks as much as he tried to create Banter's. For a debutant who could almost be forgiven for a lacklustre or heartless performance, he looked like he cared far more than most of his team-mates. Those around him didn't need to be as good, but just be as hard-working.

Adkins - 4 - What he did do was ok. Never afraid to put his foot in and looked to distribute the ball with purpose when he had it. But it was the things he didn't do which are more noteworthy. Little energy or urgency, not a lot of tracking back, poor communication for such an experienced midfielder and often miles away from headers in midfield. Everyone is entitled to a blip, given his performance against Santos, this is his.

Cling - 7 - Distributed the ball reasonably well, won countless headers from throws and goal-kicks and was denied what appeared to be a perfectly good goal direct from a corner.

Wommy - 6 - Was dealt with well by Sanderstead's back line, even if service to him was usually in the one place which he doesn't need it and that's in the air. I think he had one chance all game, it was created by himself and only a long range shot which the goalie handled comfortably.

Shannon - 5 - As with his strike partner, decent service was at a minimum, but it's often the things you go and chase yourself to grab lost causes that gets things going and he didn't go that enough.

Pasty - 5 - Replaced Village with 10 minutes to go.

Everyone must accept responsibility for the defeat, including those who were unavailable I'm afraid. I thank Steve and Phil for coming in and doing a fine job, it was most appreciated. It was a very disappointing defeat, particularly since the last game's victory came all from patience and hard work. I don't think not training together every week helps, the numbers on a Thursday have recently been as reliant on non-Banter players as it was in today's game. There are also individuals who have not trained in 2009 at all, which is very poor. Lets put this defeat behind us, ensure we play better and get something from the final 2 league games to ensure we're not slumming it at the bottom come the end of the campaign. There's a league cup to look forward to still, so it'd be nice if we have a bit of competition for places and committment in the next few weeks.

Sunday 1st February 2009
League, Duppas Hill 2

Banter Central FC 1 - 0 Santos 92
Wommy

Team: Jewish, Boma, Tino (c), Bushy; Shannon, Gillardino, Fintan, Adkins, Village; J.Stewart, Wommy

I’m not sure anyone would have predicted that score after last weeks events. It was a great reaction and an enjoyable game to be involved in. Once again we play on a solid pitch down at Duppas, despite the game next to us getting called off! Our ref told me this is the worst pitch he has seen. To me, it couldn’t get much worse. I’m not sure the pitch worked in either teams favour, as both enjoy playing the ball on the floor in the final third.

Banter switched to a 3-5-2 formation in order to stifle the Santos midfield. With the enforced absence of Cling, Tino took the armband. One bonus for Banter was the famous Santos striker (who has notched 200 goals for the club) was nowhere to be seen. The defence breathed a sigh of relief, because he is a handful!

The first half started slowly, with few opportunities being created by each team. Adkins almost caught the keeper off of his line a couple of times, but neither really troubled him. There were a couple of scares at Banter’s end, but no efforts on target leaving Dean untested. Bizarre moment of the game arrived when the ref gave an indirect free kick to Santos after Shannon was ruled to have obstructed the left winger in the area. If there was contact (which there was), it was a penalty. It wasn’t given, and the danger was averted easily. A let off for Banter. The ref didn’t end the strange decisions there, with every little nudge being gifted a free kick, and ironic cries of penalty for every foul becoming quite tiresome. 20 minutes in, and Banter began to control proceedings. Tino and Boma were imperious at the back, controlling the play along with Jonny Gill. Jonny and Rod had agreed to play side by side and allow Adkins to roam in front of them so they could watch his bottom. As it was, Jonny was winning everything in the air and on the ground, so Rod began to venture forward so he could pat Adkins on the bum. Our first decent opportunity fell to J.dot after Rod had collected a pass from Adkins. Rod edged forward into space, and slipped in J.dot one on one with the keeper. It just ran away from him, but the keeper spilled it and the ball came back to J.dot whose subsequent effort was kept out expertly by the covering centre back. This was the sign of things to come for the rest of the half as Santos could not get close enough to the attacking Banter players to stop them. More than a few Banter corners were forced, and dealt with easily by Santos. By this time Bushy had realised that he could push beyond Hills and get involved in the attack. Banter’s play was so positive we could play with 2 centre backs!! His forays forward often led to crosses, or more corners. It was good attacking pressure but with no end product.

Banter came alive towards the end of the half, with Jonny finding Wommy for what would have been a carbon copy of his goal against Sovereign but for a shocking bobble just as he hit it (apparently…). It finished high and wide. Banter carved out another opening as Adkins found Wommy again through 1 on 1 with the keeper via a good pass, control, and then strength to hold off the defender. Another bobble meant he didn’t really catch it as well as he would have liked and the keeper dealt with it comfortably. I think Wommy might even have had a 3rd 1 on 1. If he did, he missed it, probably due to the pitch. Rod also had a great chance to score, being found by Wommy 10 yards out after a great run down the left wing. A wild swing bounced off the keeper, with a defender in close attendance. The first half came to a close after Banter failed to convert yet another corner.

The second half started much the same as the first. Santos seemed more up for it initially, though Banter were still fighting for every ball. Shannon in particular was stifling anything down the right with committed defensive play. Village was putting in an outstanding performance too, and it was his intervention that eventually led to Banters’ goal. An attack down the right by the opposing full back was cut out expertly by Village. My memory of the goal fades at this point. Somehow the ball reached J.dot who put in a challenge that didn’t go down too well and the ball broke to Wommy. He turned his marker and found the net at the near post via a deflection, or possibly another bobble. Cue wild celebrations, as well as verbal’s towards J.dot for his role in the goal. Either way, Banter were 1-0 up, and on the balance of play I think it was deserved.

The rest of the half became a strange affair, as the game turned from a nice affair, to a bit more petty and unnecessary. Boma, who was the pick of the centre backs up to this point, became embroiled in a personal battle with the opposing striker. Every time Boma made a challenge, the guy seemed to have a little dig at him. Boma reacted the first time, and the five times after that. There may have been a reasonable explanation. He eventually got back to the task at hand to continue his good work. Santos’ #7 got moved into centre mid and proceeded to kick Rod off the ball every time he was near him. He got his comeuppance after a Lemar 50/50 between him and J.dot saw him come off much worse. Not to wish an injury on anyone, I hope he’s ok. Rod does enjoy being kicked for no reason. The comedy moment of the game came when Santos asked for another ball when the match ball went over the famous Duppas fence. The ball had gone over more than any other game, but quite why they couldn’t jump it like anyone else was beyond me. If Village can do it, then so can Stephen Hawking.

Santos’ pressure put Banter on the back foot for the final 10 minutes. Continuing determination from everyone saw any chances limited. Banter kept play up in Santos’ half towards the end, a couple of half chances being created. J.dot almost converted a Wommy cross with his head. Had he had an afro he might have reached it. Bushy was also inches away from a great Wommy cross. The final whistle blew, and it was a great result for Banter against a decent side.

Player Ratings...

Dean – 7 – Did you notice Dean’s name much in the match report? No would be the answer. For our keeper to be considered our ‘worst player’ (Lets face it, we didn’t have one), credit must go to the defence. Saying that, Dean dealt with everything thrown at him, though he was largely anonymous despite Banter defending deeply towards the end.

Boma – 8 – Would have been my MOTM had he not pushed, shoved and generally been a thug every time he went in for a challenge with #14. It may have been warranted, but it was unnecessary. Regained his focus and made some fantastic ‘last-ditch’ challenges at key times.
Tino – 10 – My MOTM would’ve been to this man. Our stand in captain led by example, winning countless headers and not making one memorable mistake. Stepped out of defence superbly when the time was right. Vocal as always, I really enjoy his dulcet Irish tones.

Bushy – 9 - He may not have realised it, but his defensive positioning was vastly improved. Offered much needed width (no offence Village) to the left hand side and ventured forward on countless occasions, with his best chance being squandered due to a tendency towards the spectacular. A return to form after last week’s slight blip.

Shannon – 8 – An excellent hard working performance from the returning Shannon. Struggled to make an impact going forward, but his defensive work allowed the centre backs to control the game from the back. Kept things simple, and very effective.

Rod – 8 – Put in his stint in the midfield alongside Jonny Gill, and created a few decent chances for those around him. A couple more attempts on goal wouldn’t go a miss.

Jonny Gill – 9 – If the ball didn’t reach Tino, it was on Jonny’s head. He controlled the play from deep allowing Rod and Adkins freedom to roam. Always looking for the simple pass, and more often than not finding it. Excellent game and perhaps many peoples MOTM.

Adkins – 9 – His best performance since his return. Found the ball in excellent positions and kept play ticking over nicely. Worked very hard for the team to win the ball back and showed tidy footwork on the edge of the area on several occasions. Once his shooting boots return, it could get interesting.

Village – 8 – Man of the match. Probably his best performance of the season. As Jonny noted, the build up from the goal resulted from a Village intervention wide left, and this was what he was doing all game. A real nuisance to play against and becoming more comfortable on the ball. Had a good combination with Bushy on the left, but can always be more vocal.

J.dot – 8 – Led the line well, with a few decent opportunities to score. Not afraid of a challenge. Went quiet after being tripped by #7 off the ball and reacting, but came back into the game soon afterwards working hard to pressure the Santos defence.

Wommy – 9 – Missed a couple of chances in the first half due to the shocking pitch, but worked extremely hard, helping out in midfield when he was needed. Popped up with the winner, as he tends to do, and set up countless opportunities for others to score… as he tends to do.

Apologies to Dave and Luke who didn’t make it on. With Edd controlling proceedings, he really couldn’t justify taking anyone off due to things being so tight and nobody playing badly.

Overall a great win and it was lovely to take 6 points off of Santos. This should give us some breathing space in mid table now.

[Report by Rob Stewart]