March 2010 Match Reports

Sunday 14th March 2010

Leonard Vase, Trenham Drive

Banter Central 4 – 2 Oakfield Manor

Ridders, Wommy, Hughes, Adkins

Team: Wuker; Fintan, Tino, Doc, Wilkes; Ridders, Hughes, Adkins, Baird; J-Dot, Wommy

A win that could yet shape the season, watch this space. With no Vidic, Boma or Brownie from the week previous and then Cling coming down with the super bug, it left Banter unusually short on numbers. The back four saw three changes in personnel with Fintan making his first start in a year almost to the day and Wilkes dropping into left back, whilst Doc moved inside to central defence as Tino captained the team alongside him.

The pace of the game was dictated right from the heart of Banter’s midfield from the off, the ball was passed around nicely from the whites and Wommy was picked out early on with a one on one which was well saved by the onrushing goalkeeper. Ridders was getting the best of his marker everytime he went forward and was supported wonderfully well throughout by Fintan. It was Ridders who got the opening goal when Hughes slipped him in down the right wing, he hit what frankly must have been a cross toward the back post, but it didn’t get a touch and so crept in at the back stick for the winger to claim his 4th goal of the season. Cross, shot, no matter, the delivery was right on the money and in those sorts of areas anything can happen. Banter were good for the lead, despite the inevitable complaints from the opposition.

No sooner had Banter looked comfortable, in control and likely to double their lead, Oakfield won a corner and after it was initially cleared they managed to make two passes to unmarked players going into the area again before a tame shot ended up rolling into the far corner for the away side to equalise. 1-1.

Banter stayed positive, got J-Dot and Wommy on the ball plenty and kept the ball moving well in order to find an opening. Adkins’ pass through the centre found Wommy who took – what appeared to be – a heavy touch beyond his marker, but he raced on, beat the keeper to the ball and steered his shot beyond him and into the net. Well, at least it would’ve hit the net but J-Dot made sure by smashing it in and causing some confusion. But it was another goal and move that Banter would have some luck with on the day – sliding the ball between the defence to split them and getting through on goal to finish. Wommy did wonderfully well and preserved where others might not have. 2-1 to the home side.

Fintan and Oakfield’s #3 both went in for a challenge which sparked off the debate for the rest of the half. Fintan came in and nicked the ball away but had obviously clipped his opponent too. The incident itself looked innocuous enough but in fairness there was a mark left on the Oakfield player’s knee, no matter how slight. The difference in attitude was proven when Banter’s #4 apologised and seemed genuinely confused, whilst Oakfield’s #3 went on a crusade to threaten everybody and anybody. It was calmed down by half time, but not before Hughesdog had spoken his words of magic to reignite the whole thing.

The second half became a mix of frustration and then genuine delight, but in that order of course, as is typical Banter fashion, whilst Cling Bak had now been defeated and was showing everyone the sick he’d promised all morning. Oakfield were getting on the ball a lot more, in particular the winger wearing #11 was making some clever runs forward and also finding space inside to operate which was causing some problems. Despite that, Banter continued to press forward and continued to create chances, the best falling to Hughes who had a header clip the top of the crossbar from close range and a rifling shot cannon off the post. A 3rd Banter goal seemed inevitable, but against the run of play Oakfield broke and slid the ball through the defence for the forward to convert first time into the bottom corner. He got up and repeatedly told everyone to “Have it!”. I’m not sure what he wanted everyone to have, but he looked like he was having a ruddy good time himself. 2-2.

Oakfield could have taken the lead and they themselves believed they should have when a corner was headed on to the far post and cleared off the line by Fintan. Fortunately for Banter it was cleared infront of the line and not from 2 yards behind it as was being claimed. Still, a let off nevertheless.

Banter pressed and pressed and as it looked like it was going to be one of those days again, as the FAGs asked if a draw would be enough, the tie went in favour of the home side. Hughes drove forward with the ball from central midfield and played a one-two with Ridley, whose return pass sent Hughes into the penalty area to thunder a strike high into the net to make it 3-2. A lovely move and finish to match.

Just as soon as Brownie was on the phone from Las Vegas to enquire about how the game was going and clearly still pissed from the night before, it took him by surprise to learn that the game was still going on, Wommy slipped Adkins into the area wide left, he hammered his shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner to settle it there and then. 4-2 and that was how it ended.

Man of the match: Ben ‘Ben Doc!’ Doherty. Like many, his game appears to have been really lifted in 2010 and this was another dominant display at the heart of the defence, winning all his aerial challenges as well as commanding and organising the defence wonderfully.

As far as this competition goes, it’s Portland at home next. We must win to advance to the quarter-finals and we must want to win for that reason, or if not for that then at least because we haven’t beaten them despite some good tussles at John Ruskin this season.

Yes, the game had its edgy moments, but overall it was a very pleasing win. A few conclusions I’ve made that I’d rather bullet than form sentences about:

•We have enough depth in the squad that when four players who have made 50 appearances between them this season are unavailable, we are still in a position to field a very, very strong lineup.

•We are also able to confidently change the central defenders over at will with a rotation of four players and still look unharmed and comfortable. Doc, Tino, Boma and Vidic have all played there and not just that but been given the man of the match award for their efforts.

•The midfield four of Adkins, Baird, Hughes, Ridley have scored 16 goals between them so far this season. Nothing like the statistics of last term and refreshing that this team doesn’t just rely on one or two outlets to get goals.

•Hughes appears to have had more chances in the last 3 games than in the 3 months previous. But the gamble he takes in darting into the box from deep so often is creating space, openings and applying pressure to the opposition, even if it doesn’t go in direct from him. Rather he miss them than have none at all.

•We scored four goals doing something which I don’t think we’ve done often enough this season and it was terrific to see. The first, as mentioned previously, straight into the danger area, which is impossible for a defender to deal with and not easy for a keeper either. It can take a deflection and fly in, it can be tapped in by a teammate and it can go in direct, as we saw if that is the path of the ball, but very rarely will it be cleared to safety – even a corner would do. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th goals went through the middle of the defence, on the deck, for Banter players to chase and finish. Again, difficult to deal with for defenders when executed well and easier to pull off than chipping the ball over the back line from deeper, which requires back spin, perfect timing and a host of other variables. All excellent finishes on the day, too.

•J-Dot can play anywhere, though he’ll try and steal a goal just like David Nugent if you let him. A terrific display up top and in the second half particularly, held the ball up expertly.

•Getting carried away is a favourite past-time at this club, but with a few more solid performances we can end the season really well. Woodmansterne away in the league next week and after their 0-3 drubbing of Real Madras they’ll be confident and no doubt offer us a difficult contest just like last time.

•You all made me really proud. Sorry I was sick, it had nothing to do with the performance. More excitement, if anything.

Sunday 7th March 2010

League, Trenham Drive

Banter Central FC 1 - 1 Santos 92

Wommy

Team: Wuker; Doc (Ridders, 75), Boma, Vidic, Cling (Tino, 90); Baird, Hughes, Adkins, Wilkes; Wommy, Brownie (Euro, 70)

Tino entered the fray with just seconds remaining. Desperate to find the winning goal, Banter had been deploying a 2-4-4 formation for the last 15 minutes of the half and had thrown on their big central defender to cause a problem in the penalty area for the last kick of the game – a corner. Could he rise above all and get a goal in the dying seconds? Ridders’ shaped up to take the kick as the fans looked on with optimism. His kick was swung in, swerved out and into the side netting at the front post as a goal kick was awarded. It summed the day up perfectly. Not for any particular individual, certainly not Ridders just for the kick, in this case. Though you can’t help but feel that on another day he’d deliver an impossible to deal with beauty of a pass, right between penalty spot and six yard box, it was a day where the finishing touch and the final ball was needed and nobody was prepared to deliver it. Anyone could've taken it and the outcome would probably have been the same.

It really was “one of those days”. One where everyone is accountable somewhere along the line and Banter have to accept that this was not a bad result, just a slightly disappointing one given the sheer dominance from start to finish. The positives outweigh the negatives by some margin, of course. In fact, it's exactly the kind of result that last season or before, Banter would actually have found a way of losing.

Hughes and Adkins looked extremely comfortable playing together back in midfield and right from the off they controlled the game, stringing the passes together wonderfully well. The opening period was slightly frustrating, not least due to a slow 10 minute start for Banter or when the referee blew the whistle to start the game with both goalkeepers still on the halfway line, having changed ends after the coin toss. Utterly bizarre.

Boma and Vidic bullied their opponents at the back, whilst Doc and Cling were encouraged to get on the ball from deep areas throughout. Birthday boy and captain for a day, Wilkes, swung in some excellent crosses and nearly scored when a pass through the back from Adkins was met and sent across goal with his left foot, only to cannon back off the crossbar, despite it really being a cross in the first place. Baird had given his marker nightmares with some fantastic runs down the outside to deliver a cross, but there was never a Banter head to go and meet it.

Santos’ best opportunities arose through long throw ins and deep free kicks, but it has to be said that the delivery was either lacking or the backline were able to clear every time without too much fuss. There were a few half chances for Banter and a few struck well from outside the area but the deadlock was broken shortly before half time when a quick free kick was taken in the middle of the park, it was hooked over and into Brownie, who shot and saw his effort saved but was quick to follow up and get stuck in again as the ball eventually bundled its way to Wommy on the right of the goal who calmly slid it home to make it 1-0.

The second half was notable for a couple of reasons, firstly that Santos actually won it 0-1 and secondly that if anyone could be bothered to analyse the video in such detail, that they’d be able to work out that Banter probably had 75% possession and god knows how many shots on goal. It was a quick start by the all whites, the one touch passing and movement created an opportunity inside the first minute but Baird’s cross went begging as Santos were let off.

Banter had Santos pinned back into their own third for long, long spells as they searched for a second goal. Hughes had multiple efforts on goal that flew wide, Brownie hit more than one effort which fizzed across goal and back into the penalty area, Wommy had a one on one well saved, whilst Wilkes will be remembered for dummying a cut-back instead of shooting which saw the ball roll straight into the goalkeepers hands. But a bouncing ball somehow came through the middle and seemed straightforward enough for Cling to hook away facing his own goal, but it caught him flat footed as he could only slice it down the line as a Santos forward ran on, held it up and whipped in a cross which was met unmarked in the penalty area to equalise at Wuker’s near post. Santos were delighted, Banter distraught, but not prepared to give in without a fight.

The home side continued to press and were rewarded for their penetration when Wommy skinned his marker in the area and was brought down for a penalty. Adkins stepped up for what would prove to be the best chance of the match. He confidently spotted the ball (twice, after much whining) but saw his kick saved as the rebound fell right back at him; but on the bounce he side footed his second effort high over the crossbar. Santos had complained about encroaching in the area as he took it in a bid to get any kind of decision, so it was only right that Cling and Wilkes shouted those same accusations once the rebound failed to find the net. Different story the other way around, apparently. Adkins was visibly disappointed, but continued to work hard in midfield and didn’t let his performance level drop.

Euro came on to replace Brownie up front, who’d put in a decent shift up front as Banter looked to try something new. Euro was involved only sporadically, he put in a couple of low crosses, whilst his most memorable involvement was the previously mentioned Wilkes step-over where he’d called for the ball, thus making the birthday boy act the way he did, apparently. That's one hell of a rascal haircut.

Banter continued to create chances; Ridders came on for the final 15 minutes to replace Doc as the home side went all out attack. Vidic saw a cross loop over his head from just a few yards out as he couldn't quite get the vital touch, Wilkes had a one on one saved, but Banter continued to become more and more frustrated as Santos nearly got a goal of their own on the break; a one on one was fired straight at Wuker, whilst a scramble in the area saw Wilkes make a fantastic last ditch block before the ball was cleared. Wuker dealt with a couple of cagey moments very well to ensure there was no robbery. Tino replaced Cling with only seconds remaining as the game somehow only finished with a couple of goals at 1-1.

Man of the match: Parin ‘Boma Fantastic’ Patel. No nonsense, no mistakes and an assured figure at the back from start to finish. That’s all there was to it, really. Very solid.

We’ve conceded very few goals at home in 2010. In fact, we’ve conceded very few at home all season. It’s five since the turn of the year, three of which came against Carlton when the back four was being changed more often than QPR’s manager. So we now need to work on killing games off and getting the goals we need. We could optimistically say that Sunday’s match could’ve been 4 or 5-1, whilst the Kurdish game could’ve been a comfortable 3-0, perhaps. Pessimistically, Kurdish could’ve equalised and Santos could have got a late winner (memories of Brownie doing just that for Oakfield 18 months ago still haunt me). So let’s not leave anything to chance, let’s make our dominance count and keep peppering shots at goal – I can’t believe we’ll experience another game like that again this season! We can score goals, we know we can.

It’s the Leonard Vase Cup this coming Sunday, at home to Oakfield. We must win it. We face Portland on 28th March in our final group game of this competition so we can still advance and still be in the hunt for a little something come May.