March 2010 Match Reports

Sunday 28th March 2010

Leonard Vase, Warlingham

Banter Central FC 3 - 1 Portland
Wommy (2), Wilkes

Team: Wuker; Boma, Vidic, Tino, Cling; Ridders, Hughes, Wilkes, Baird; Adkins (Brownie, 75), Wommy

Group D of the Leonard Vase was tightly poised, Surrey Valley already booking their passage to the quarter-finals with 6 points, meaning the winner of Banter and Portland would join them. In fact, a draw for Portland would be enough to see them advance. Having lost at every attempt in the previous four, Banter were by no means the favourites. The home side were only able to name one substitute, which was by no means ideal but hardly a dilemma given the twelve involved.

It was a nervy start by both teams, the long ball was the smartest of the tactics employed and both sides were caught offside on more than one occasion, too. Wommy got a couple of early runs in on Portland’s centre back, who seemed to be struggling and at one point went down with an injury. Adkins (that’s not his name, that’s not his name) had a decent effort on goal having cut in from the right, but saw his shot comfortably saved. Wilkes also had an effort from the edge after a neat interchange with Wommy down the right, his left footed strike was also dealt with. Hughes did well down the left when released by Wommy, he went past his marker to the byline, but chose to fire in a shot from the angle which hit the post and went out for a goal kick.

Portland won a freekick on the very edge of the area after Vidic had been adjudged to handle the ball. The five man wall jumped as it sailed over and back down as it just about flew past Wuker’s near post.

The away side took the lead mid-way through the half when Banter were caught on the break. Portland had been trying to clear the lines deep into their half following a goal kick when eventually, Portland’s skipper thrashed a long ball downfield, it bounced down the left wing and released Portland’s winger who raced past Boma and hooked a cross into the box which was met by the centre forward to volley in at the far post. It all felt very familiar from a Banter point of view, a fairly poor start and goal to concede. Arguably the move was so quick that there absolutely nothing that could’ve been done, so full credit for the sweeping play which took the home side apart.

Banter picked the pace up a little before the half was out, Hughes was sent into the area on the left and tried to round the goalkeeper, who got down and looked like he was going to take Banter’s #21 clean out but timed it well and managed to get the ball away for what should’ve been a corner. Bizarrely, a goal kick was awarded as a result. Hughes started getting hold of things in midfield a lot more, he pushed the ball out to Cling at left back, who released Baird down the left wing to deliver a very dangerous cross to the back post which Ridders could only meet as it was almost out, he struck the ball into the side netting as many thought it’d crept in as the net rustled. It was impossible for the Portland defence to deal with and almost perfectly timed but it just wouldn’t go in on this occasion.

Portland continued to hit the ball long into Banter’s penalty area and Wuker did well to swipe one bouncing ball clear as he’d appeared to have missed his chance with the initial cross when under pressure from the attacker. They took a 0-1 lead in at the break as Banter could be satisfied enough with being in the game having known that improvements were necessary and not impossible to execute. As a team, the blues called for more quality, more composure, to step up the work rate and have plenty of belief that the quarter finals was a huge possibility. Cling Bak is always a big advocate that hard work wins matches and that was exactly the deciding factor in this game, too. Banter came out for the second half responding straight away and there were more committed challenges, tighter marking on an opponents first touch and far better football on the deck being played as well.

It wasn’t long into the half when Banter’s top scorer made his presence felt. About two minutes, actually. Hughes made a surging run towards the left as he was picked out and with Portland at sixes and sevens he looked inside and slipped a wonderful pass forward for Wommy to chase, beat two defenders to the ball and rifle it beyond the goalkeeper to level the scores. It was a clinical finish and it was put away at a really good time for the home side.

Everything thrown forward aerially by Portland was bounced away by Tino and Vidic, they were as reliable and solid as ever throughout the second half and Boma had tightened up things down his right, looking far more comfortable. He made a challenge coming across the area that any sweeper would’ve been proud of to see the ball out for a throw. He was regrettably booked later on though for a late tackle on Portland’s full-back, but remained disciplined for the remainder of the game.

Banter struck again when a ball forward was headed back to Ridders, who controlled, looked up and swung an inviting ball forward for Wommy, who had come across the Portland backline to meet it and push it forward towards the right of the area, he continued his run and as he got the yard of space he required, he struck the ball with real venom as it flew in at the near post, giving Banter a 2-1 lead. It was a goal of real quality in the finish and assist.

It began to boil over slightly with a few isolated incidents after this, which was a shame but perhaps inevitable. Some called it unnecessary, certain members of the away side described it as embarrassing. A late tackle by Adkins saw his adversary get rather wound up to the point of a very nasty slanging match breaking out, where lots nasty words would be exchanged - some of them even swear words - accompanied by very viscous shoves to the chest that nearly made people stumble backwards. To borrow a line from Fintan in last week’s report, the referee diffused the situation by booking both players. Portland’s offender was noticeably shaken by the situation and very displeased at his £100 boots being torn, but I’m afraid an apology is the most anyone can expect after such an incident. At best a cheeky kiss could be on the cards but it didn’t seem like that was ever going to happen.

The other incident of note was Portland’s substitute not liking the physical side whilst the game was ongoing so decided to make it physical whilst play stopped. He jumped on Adkins’ back and proceeded to use what the WWF of the early 1990’s would call a sleeper hold with combined eye rake. It earnt him a red card as Banter’s forward was clearly becoming a target.

Portland had a few swipes on goal in the Banter penalty area after some long throw-ins went sailing in at pace, the best chance came when a partly cleared cross was hit back towards goal and cannoned off the far post. It was like time stood still until it was eventually cleared to safety. Cling was wiped clean out following a very late tackle from Portland’s right winger – a tackle as bad as any other but went unpunished since the advantage was, apparently, being played. Baird dropped into full-back as the skipper saw out the game from left midfield as a precaution.

Banter remained confident and whilst comfortable enough for a lot of the half, there were certainly scares. A long ball forward saw Portland’s forward get to the ball before Banter’s goalkeeper, lob the ball over and toward goal, only for Vidic to come across and get it cleared to safety before it either dropped in or was met with a follow-up by the onrushing striker.

Adkins was replaced shortly after, Brownie coming on up front to see things out and put some pressure on the backline. He chased and hustled, dropping into the hole to receive the ball and link with Wommy well.

The all important third goal came when Cling’s corner was hit to the far post and met wonderfully well by Vidic, who headed back across goal to see the ball bounce off the upright, only to fall to Wilkes who smashed home left footed to seal the tie and get his first ever Banter Central goal.

A forth should have been added for good measure, but when Wommy rounded the goalkeeper on the break he chose not to pick out his strike partner and saw his effort on goal cleared off the line. Selfish play from a very selfish man, probably. The game finished 3-1, a determined second half performance by the home side leaves them top of Group D.

Man of the match: Tommy ‘Wommy’ Warburton. It could have gone to a few, but Wommy’s work rate having completed a 10k run the day previous, coupled with two fine finishes made for a good performance from the #11.

A fantastic win and it could go a long way to a terrific cup run. But first things first, a quarter final against who knows, at some sort of venue on a date in the future. Of course, the remainder of the league campaign even before that, too. Beginning with an awkward double header at Trenham Drive, hosting Crown FC. These games are never easy mentally or physically, so it will be very testing if we want to come away with 6 points – particularly with Portland just a point behind, with a game in hand and playing a double-header with Woodmansterne at the same time. We’re on a good run, so let’s keep it going by not showing any complacency and continuing to put the work in. Well done, lads. Woo yeah.

Sunday 21st March 2010
League, Woodmansterne

Woodmansterne Hyde 2 - 3 Banter Central FC
  Wommy (2), Hughes  

Team: Wuker; Boma, Vidic, Doc, Fintan (Wilkes, 60); Ridders, Hughes, Adkins, Baird; J-Dot, Wommy

It was an uncharacteristic performance from Banter this week. A quick start, followed by a lull before half time, and then grinding out a second half 0-0 to win the game. Banter's absent captain would have been proud of an excellent team performance. Here’s how it went down, brought to you by Fintan of Fintanshere.

A squad of thirteen took the trip to the small village of Woodmansterne to play on a pitch that the home side had not graced since October. A 4-4-2 formation saw Wuker as the last line of defence as always. Fintan stood in for the absent Cling at left back, whilst Boma moved to right back with Doc and Vidic in the centre. Edd and Hughes positioned themselves in the centre of midfield, with Baird on the left and Ridders on the right. Jon Stewart and Wommy were up front. This left Brownie to vomit and defecate on the bench, and Wilkes mincing the line.

A rare fast start for Banter and the away side were right in Woodmansterne's faces, fighting for every ball from the first whistle. The defence’s job was made easy as everyone was defending from the front. Neat interchanges between the midfield had Woodmansterne on the back foot and everyone in white seemed up for it. A couple of early corners resulted in Banters’ first goal. Banter's big men piled forward, only for Baird to find the near post with his first effort. The ball came bouncing back to him and he looped a high cross to the far post, with Wommy there to nod it expertly in to the top corner to give Banter the lead.

More was to follow as the precise passing continued and the defence stood firm to a couple of counter attacks. Hughes, being his usual marauding self, was running the game with Adkins from the middle of the park. An attack down the right found Phil isolated and seemingly without options. Ridders overlapped to create some space for a cross, which Hughes duly delivered, only it cannoned off the far post and into the net. Wild celebrations ensued and Banter were brimming with confidence. 2-0 and probably the best start to a game of the season. It was at this point though that things seemed to go pear shaped. Woodmansterne came back fighting and began winning the individual battles all over the park. The tricky centre forward looked lively and had a couple of unchallenged digs on goal as Banter were all of a sudden second to every ball.

A couple of near misses later and eventually a goal came in familiar circumstances. A lack of challenge down Banter's left eventually saw what looked like a miss hit cross head towards Wuker’s goal. The big man was backtracking fast with a good eye on the ball. He jumped and reached up, only to tip it onto the crossbar almost in slow motion as it seemed he was all ready to catch it. With the defence on their heels, and the tricky forward on his toes there was only one outcome as Wuker scrambled desperately to keep the ball out from behind the line. 2-1 and Woodmansterne were on the up.

This pattern continued and the game was quickly level. Some slack marking from Banter and Woodmansterne had chances from a couple of corners before a second came. A strike from distance which Wuker palmed away wide fell to the left winger. He controlled and put the ball in instantly. With Wuker back in position and covering defenders in place, it looked like Banter would deal with the situation. The cross-come-shot came in and looked like it was heading wide until Wuker tried to save it but could only manage to palm it into his own net. It was a reaction save that went wrong unfortunately and he had to get something on it. Banter were left frustrated, but slack defending all round was entirely to blame.

Banter came into the game towards the end of the half, looking more assured and calm on the ball. The fight was back and the feeling was that a goal was needed to give us the confidence to kick on. Wommy and Jon Stewart were working well together up top, both harrying defenders into mistakes and really leading the line well. It was this fight that led to the 3rd Banter goal. A poor kick from the keeper and the Woodmansterne defence found themselves in trouble. Wommy was snapping at their heels and forced the last man into a mistake to race through one on one with the keeper. A trademark finish followed as he slipped the ball past the keeper and defender as it trickled over the line. 3-2 at half time it was, and overall some really excellent performances in their too.

A formation change at half time and the dreaded 3-5-2 was introduced. Fintan moved into the middle to shield the defence and free up Adkins and Hughes. #7 was identified as a player who seemed constantly free between the defence and midfield, so whilst he wasn’t the greatest player, he seemed to be creating space for others and floating in strange positions. Fintan was to man mark him, with Rids and Baird employed as Wing Backs. Doc highlighted that Cling hates 3-5-2 (the biggest load of nonsense ever, I might add! - Cling Bak). We decided that if it went wrong we would erase any half time video of the team talk and the report would indicate that we stayed at 4-4-2. The smarter of you will realise that this formation change was a success, just about.

Banter began the second half well. The fight had returned and the ball was being moved around nicely going forward. The defence looked rock solid, with Boma leading by example on the right of the three. Vidic was playing a game he invented called ‘Head Ball’, and Doc always seemed to be in the right position at the right time to thwart anything that was thrown at us. At the other end, Baird was roasting his marker, and Ridders was getting in on the act too as he attempted to take on the whole team.

Soon into the half Wilkes replaced Fintan in the anchor role after the #4 went down unchallenged appearing to twist his knee. He brought himself off as a precaution. He also left the pitch. Lets hope his injury plagued season doesn’t end in injury. It shouldn’t. He feels ok, just a bit stiff apparently. The second half turned into more of a slugfest than anything else, which is ironic because our very own slug produced most of the magic moments of the half. Adkins' first effort was a sublime strike following a fine passing move with the whole front line involved along the way. The ball eventually fell to Baird out wide who turned it back to Adkins only for him to screw it agonisingly wide of the far post with the keeper given no chance. It was promising, and more was to come as Woodmansterne pushed on for the equaliser. Banter caught them on the break and the ball fell to Adkins with the keeper miles off his line. He thumped it up field from well in his own half, only to again screw it wide. He wasn’t finished there either. Another flowing move fell to him as he muscled through. He had a clear sight of goal and decided to go for a cheeky chip only to see it fall comfortably into the keepers’ hands. It was an excellent second half performance from the snail, and he fully deserved a goal.

As the two teams continued to trade blows, Baird found himself in the book for some petulance off the ball. A collision with the full back that he had been battling with all second half resulted in Baird pushing the guy head first into the mud. By the letter of the law he should have gone, according to those on the sideline. The ref diffused the situation by booking both players, which was nice of him.

Banter continued to look dangerous on the break, but found themselves penned in for much of the last 10 minutes. A few unnecessary fouls around the box gave Woodmansterne countless chances. One of them was a savage tackle from our very own meathead Parin Patel. He still claims it was necessary. It actually verged on assault. The chances that were created were either cleared via a slice of luck during goal mouth scrambles, or they were over hit.

There was still room for controversy though. As Woodmansterne piled on the pressure, a free kick was played into the Banter box and fell to the Woodmansterne centre forward. He controlled expertly, spun his marker and rifled a strike into the top left hand corner giving Wuker no chance. What the players failed to notice was Brownie standing innocently with his flag up having called an offside. The referee looked over, and duly gave Banter a reprieve and took away a goal that Woodmansterne arguably deserved. Brownie later confirmed that the guy who scored was not offside, but he had already raised for someone who was offside from the original cross. Fair play to the ref for trusting Brownie’s judgement on this, and fair play to Woodmansterne for not making a huge deal over it. They rightly weren’t happy though, as we wouldn’t have been had it happened to us. One final chance right at the death fell to Warlingham Schools very own James Barker with Banter at sixes and sevens at the back, but Wuker stood firm and that was that.

Man Of The Match: Parin 'Boma Fantastic' Patel. A dominant, combative performance from the whole back line throughout, but Boma stood out through his commitment and willingness to throw himself in front of absolutely everything. It was a no nonsense performance, and a fully deserved man of the match vote.

There were some really promising performances out there, but our inability to kick on at 2-0 was a real shame. Woodmansterne are a lot better than their league position indicates though, so this is another good victory that puts us in a comfortable position in the league. It’s a must win on Sunday if we're to advance and have a chance of a trophy. Well played boys, and lets practice our ‘Arrowbal’ defending at training.