March 2011 Match Reports

Sunday 27th March 2011

Leonard Vase, Warbank Sports

Croydon Independiente B 2 - 5 Banter Central FC
  Cling, Brownie (4)

Banter: Tyler; Tino, Doc, Dancer; Baird, Cling, Wilkes, Ridders, Goody; Wommy, Brownie

An emphatic win with four goals from Brownie put Banter into the Leonard Vase semi-finals for the second year running.

Playing with a bare XI, it was going to be important for Banter to get off to a quick start and so they did. With not a minute played, Wommy’s throw-in was flicked on by Tino for Cling to meet at the back post and give his side the lead.

But the home side battled back and soon equalised from a free header at the back post from a corner. It was a cheap goal to concede from Banter, but without resting on their laurels, hit back immediately. A half clearance at the back saw the ball drop to Brownie to the left hand side of the penalty area, which he struck first time and into the far corner with some purpose.

Brownie’s hat trick came after some glorious work from his strike partner, Wommy, down the right saw him sweep over a cross to the back post for the number 44 to nod in beyond the goalkeeper.

With 27 minutes gone, Brownie scored his fourth of the game when the goalkeeper’s clearance was mis-hit and fell to the forward 40 yards from goal; he controlled and taking inspiration from Wommy the week previous he shot from distance and saw the ball roll beyond the goalkeeper and just inside the post to make the scores 5-1.

Defending several corners and long throw-ins, Banter dug deep and cleared their lines superbly. In particular, the centre of defence dealt with the long balls to great effect, meeting it first time and beating their opponents to the ball. Tino looked to have scored one himself when he went in to meet a Ridders cross, getting his body behind the ball and then steering in with a shot to the top corner. It was disallowed and video replays don’t make it any clearer as to why this was. Banter held a four goal lead at the break.

The second half became as much a frustration for the home side as to the score line as number 19’s off ball petulance became to Banter. Being called punks and told that no blue shirt was a match for anyone in yellow shortly before the break was a general highlight, but number 19’s dramatics, moaning and indecision as to what he wanted just became tiresome. At one point he changed his mind on which decision he wanted to be awarded, having initially asked for a corner and then questioned why he hadn’t been awarded a penalty. A blatant cheat, the lad used his hand or arm on six or seven occasions as well as kicking out off the ball on several occasions. Shame. But though his handballs were memorable, the home side could have had a penalty from handling in the area themselves when Cling’s clearance ricocheted up off his arm. Not deliberate, couldn't get his arm out of the way, probably should've cleared it better in the first place so it doesn't hit your own arm, though.

Brownie looked to have scored his fifth goal when another Wommy throw was flicked in by Tino for Brownie to nod into an empty net. It was ruled out for offside, despite appearing to be very much level with the chaos at the front post.

With nine minutes remaining, Independiente pulled a goal back from a corner but Banter saw the game out to go through to the next round.

Man of the match: Chris Brown. A performance that will undoubtedly be remembered for exceptional finishing and should be, too. But it was largely about tireless work rate and shutting down his opponents from start to finish that got him his rewards. Along with his team mates perseverance, each and every one of his goals was down to a forced error followed by poachers instincts. One of many hitting form at the right time, that's 23 for the season now. Yikes.

• A second splendid result in a row. Good performances as individuals and as a team and thoroughly deserved. In context, Surrey Valley also scored ten
  goals against Kurdish this past weekend and Croydon Independiente B are some way off semi-final opponents Ashburton Wanderers in Division
  Three. But you can only beat what’s in front of you and we have done so very well and it’ll hopefully give us great momentum going into the next game.
• We’ve not always been equal to the big games this season, but with effort like we’ve seen in the past couple of weeks, doing so again would give us a
  great chance against anybody. It counts now.
• Wommy should’ve owned up to his secret talent some time ago.
• Chris Goody only plays in New Addington. He’s better than good, too.

Sunday 20th March 2011
League, Shelton Sports

Kurdish Euro 2 - 10 Banter Central FC
  Brownie (2), O.G., Euro, Wommy (3), Gillardino, Cling

For the second time in the club’s history – and this season – Banter hit double figures to round off a dominant display.

Following a poor run of results which found the loss column higher than the win column for the season, Banter hit back with a morale boosting win going into Sunday’s Leonard Vase match away to Croydon Independiente B.

Practicing on three different pitches, having no referee and watching the home side stroll out onto the pitch at 10:50 (not 8:55 as the Hill Valley clock suggested) were the opening highlights, before an aggressive and confident start by Banter. 100% effort was asked for prior to the delayed kick off and that was what everyone gave to shut down Kurdish and pass the ball in simple triangles and show great movement and team work.

Fintan anchored from deeper in midfield and played several early passes out wide to open up space and into his striker’s feet, who as a pairing provided non-stop movement and defensive cover too – Brownie tackling on the edge of his own box and Wommy covering at right-back following a counter attack.

It was Brownie who opened the scoring after some excellent wing play from Euro saw him exchange passes with Hughes and deliver a cross to the back post, which eventually fell to Brownie who fired in with precision and power to the top corner and hand his side a deserved lead.

Holding the ball for long spells and winning it back so quickly, it seemed likely that Banter should go on and grab a second goal, which they did when Hughes’ cross from the left was deflected in off a home defender to take Owen Goal’s tally for the season to three and give Banter a 0-2 lead.

Despite having a goal disallowed for offside – and playing on for up to thirty seconds after the whistle to see the end result doesn’t make you hard done by – Kurdish did pull a goal back. Tyler parried a free kick over the wall, Doc moved out onto the rebound to stop a cross coming back in and when the ball travelled was cut across, only the skipper appeared to have moved as four Kurdish players had the chance to have a go at the near post as everyone else in white and blue stood watching from five yards away, one Kurd took a swung and the ball found the far corner.

It gave the home team some confidence and despite the disappointment of conceding, it was important that Banter blocked it out and continued where they’d left off a few minutes earlier. Which they did. Fintan found Vidic in the right back spot, his cross was superbly delivered to the back post to Baird to head goal wards for the keeper to save, but Euro was on hand to sweep in the rebound and score his first goal of the season.

Wommy added the fourth and fifth goals before half time in contrasting fashion. The first saw a well delivered free kick from Hughes into the box headed back across by Baird, which Wommy reacted to first by diverting the ball off his chest and into the far corner. Further quick thinking soon after got him his second when the goalkeeper’s kick fell to the forward 35 yards from goal; he took a touch to control it and a second to blast the ball into the far corner in spectacular fashion. Both wonderful pieces of improvisation and well executed.

Banter made two half time changes, Gill replacing the injured Fintan and Tino coming on for Vidic, who became linesman and made a very good and fair call when Loader’s cousin was played onside and ran through to slot away and make the scores 2-5. He'd already had one disallowed by Vidic and that too was correct, according to video replays. Amazing how different it all looks in real time.

Banter remained solid and assured, despite the further threat that Kurdish Euro offered and the home side's determination made more of a game for the following ten minutes. Wilkes was replaced by Cling shortly thereafter and Banter’s continued pressure paid off as the floodgates opened once again.

Banter’s sixth goal was remarkably similar to the first scored against Kurdish in the reverse fixture back in January – this time, Cling collected the ball from Tyler’s feet and carried forward, exchanging passes with Wommy and finding Euro down the left wing, he delivered for Brownie to finish and make absolutely certain of the three points.

Wommy took a throw in down the left into Gill's feet on the edge of the area; the substitute spun and struck the ball in left footed to the far corner with superb composure and accuracy. Not known for his goal scoring exploits, Gillardino lived up to the name and added a second when he chased down the goalkeeper and persevering, he took it beyond him, came back inside and passed the ball into the bottom corner once more.

Hughes set Baird free down the left and crossing in, Brownie had a shot saved and once again, a Banter player reacted to the rebound first with Wommy belting the ball up into the top corner to be sure it wouldn’t be saved. That completed his hat trick.

Cling rounded off the scoring when he met a low Euro cross at the front post to tuck the ball away.

Kurdish continued to press forward and a shot from the edge of the area was lashed towards the top corner which Tyler tipped away for a corner. The game finished 2-10.

Man of the match: Tommy ‘Wommy’ Warburton. The provider, the poacher, the audacious. In truth, a number of players’ deserved the plaudits for their displays, but Wommy’s was backed up by the best of the statistics. His work rate was hard graft and he is an example to all on desperately chasing down lost causes and finding a result. His throw-ins were troublesome, but his assists as well as the style and variation of his goals was most magnificent. The precision of his long range effort will, I fear, never quite be appreciated because of the blunder and positioning of the hapless goalkeeper; and as Euro remarked about the shot in the immediate aftermath: “It didn’t even need to be that good”. No, it didn’t. But even if he’d been better placed, the goalkeeper would surely have gotten nowhere near it due to its power, accuracy and early release. Portland or Carlton’s number ones could tell you that.
 
Some more stuff... Taking nothing from anyone else, but I have to say what superb individual displays we saw from Euro, Baird, Hughes and Brownie too, by the way. But there were so many examples of great team play and doing the right and (Doc's favourite but all important word) the simple thing. Brownie, Euro
  and Wommy all poaching; whilst Gilly's second goal demonstrated as much perserverance and determination as anything else too. Hughes ran
  Kurdish's midfield a merry dance, but not without the foundations of Wilkes and Fintan in behind during the first half - the shape in there was
  superb and made the transition following substitutions seamless as the hard work was well done.From one showboating Phil to another. If Tyler had caught that long range effort he decided to instead tip around the post, we might have been able to counter attack and score another goal. We’ll let it slide, this time. Though there was a reflex save at 0-0 which could've altered the game, had it not been dealt with and pushed to safety so well. Good keeping. There was a collective ‘switch off’ throughout the team for Kurdish’s first goal, which was more about ball watching during the second phase than an individual error. But other than that, as a team we defended well and looked disciplined and assured. Seeming to have plenty of possession of the ball at the back too, it was distributed long and short very well and Kurdish weren’t given much opportunity to get in behind and trouble Tyler. Without a clean sheet it’s not possible to say that was a truly great team performance, though it was excellent. Though I suppose only the next game will tell us if we've properly turned the corner. Ah yes, next week… The team that knocked us out in extra time of the league cup, Croydon Independiente B. That game was closely fought and in difficult conditions we certainly fought as hard as we could as a team. The Leonard Vase is their only hope of silverware too. Time for the rematch. Has anyone, whilst playing for Banter, ever seen someone play in another team’s shirt? At least two players were wearing AC Milan tops, including the club’s secretary – poor Luigi who got an unnecessary amount of abuse from his team mates for the crime of being a half decent player, it seemed. I doubt they’d answer back to him if he was called Bowser, though. He refereed the last time these two sides met, so the back of his shirt would have gone unseen then, but did any opposing player pick up on Euro’s name? I'd love to play against someone called Central Boy. How ghetto does that sound?The clocks go forward one hour on Sunday morning. But just so you’re aware, as a protest against the rules of society, Wilkes’ watch will remain on Greenwich Mean Time. I'm sure his team mates will protest to him ever taking corners again, though. At least with his left foot anyway. Two footed...