Match Reports September 2010

Sunday 19th September 2010

League, Trenham Drive

Woodmansterne Hyde 3 - 5 Banter Central FC
   Wommy (3), Brownie (2)

Banter: Tyler; Vidic, Tino, Boma (Doc, 46); Ridders (Cling, 60), Wilkes, Adkins, Hughes, Baird (Fintan, 80); Wommy, Brownie

A terrific start to Banter's season saw plenty of drama to go with it. Though during the first half it was remarked that the kids’ game being played behind looked more entertaining (did it end 5-4?), it could barely have been true by the end of this contest.

Having been given a close game the year previous at Woodmansterne’s ground, Banter took a 15 strong squad and had plenty of options to call upon.

Banter made a quick start and Wommy was the quickest of them all. He and Brownie gave Woodmansterne’s defence barely any time on the ball and it cost the home side when Wommy shut down a clearance at the back to race on and slot his shot away. It was 0-1 and made for a frustrating start for the home side.

With plenty of possession, Banter were going through the motions and continued to create chances. Ridders was working his socks off down the right, whilst on the other flank Baird was getting the run on his marker every single time. Both created chances from wide positions throughout the game. Banter were a little wasteful in the final third though, particularly given the build-up play was presenting numerical advantages, but several shots or final passes went begging. But Banter did double their lead with half an hour gone, some quick passing in midfield allowed Adkins to look up and pick out a wonderful pass through the defence, which Brownie ran onto and calmly placed past the goalkeeper.

That should have been that for the half, as Banter kept possession and looked far more likely to score. A long ball forward saw Woodmansterne’s #9 break a disjointed offside trap, but fortunately for Banter it was Tyler who reacted the quickest, darting off his line to head the ball away outside the penalty area.

A handball was awarded against Tino after it bounced through his legs and ricocheted off his backside. There was barely anything he could do, but not 2 minutes later, Woodmansterne’s own centre-back did something similar, this time it wasn’t given. Caught napping as a result, Banter allowed the ball to be passed around them in midfield, it was played through the defence and the home side’s number 9 unleashed a rocket of a half volley, which crashed into the net to pull a goal back. It was a careless goal to give away, though it could have been far worse. Another mix-up in defence and midfield saw the ball get played through too easily and the resulting shot crashed down off the crossbar, as Woodmansterne’s forward got to it first and though he did complete the formality of tucking it away, the whistle had gone for an offside decision. It left the scores at 1-2 at the interval.

The second half saw the home side raise their game and slowly but surely grow in confidence. The first 15 minutes saw two penalty decisions, one for either side. The first saw Wommy skin his marker and tripped carelessly but clearly, despite the protests. Tino’s resulting kick was comfortably saved as Banter squandered the chance to open up a two goal lead once more. The second penalty was conceded by none other than Tino himself, he pulled back Woodmansterne’s #9 and the same forward stepped up slotted the ball away confidently to even up the scores.

Cling replaced Ridders with half an hour remaining and within a few minutes a long ball over the top somehow found its way to Woodmansterne’s right midfielder, who had come inside to control and pass a tame shot beyond Tyler which left him wrong-footed as everyone looked on in disbelief. There might have been cause to panic at 2-3, but with a full 25 minutes remaining, Banter had plenty of time to get something from the game. But it looked like it could be ‘one of those days’ as Wommy struck the inside of the post after Woodmansterne’s goalkeeper did really well to get fingertips to the shot; and Brownie fired one shot from close range over the crossbar, seeing another more difficult cross go begging as it evaded his right foot. But Banter’s #44 had looked sharp and full of life all game, he therefore continued to buy the ticket and when Cling and Wommy took a quick corner, the former floated over a cross which fell to Brown, who put his foot through it and equalised.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Tino knocked the ball forward for Brownie to flick on as Wommy and his man-marker engaged in a foot race which only one man was going to win. Banter’s all time leading scorer got there and lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper, who again got fingertips to it, making it’s journey toward goal all the slower, more dramatic, but ultimately still successful. 3-4 and it looked likely to be the winning goal.

Fintan came on for the remaining 10 minutes to replace Baird, who had put a hard shift in, despite going to ground rather easily in the penalty area as always. Minimal though contact was on one occasion, I’m not sure repeatedly demanding a card to be shown by the referee was really the way to go. But Woodmansterne were unfortunate to see their left midfielder – former schoolmate of many from Banter, James Barker – fleet on and off the pitch with an injury and it opened the game up for the final few minutes. Hughes charged forward as he had all game, causing his opponents all kinds of problems with his range of passing as well as forwards runs, this time he got beyond the backline in a wide position and unselfishly squared the ball for Wommy, who set himself and calmly slotted away to complete his hattrick and kill the game off once and for all.

Man of the match: Tommy ‘Wommy’ Warburton. Scorer of three in a tireless and yet clinical performance. A terrific start to the season, he and Brownie continue to provide for one another more and more as the games go by.

The closing points… There is always a great satisfaction in completing a comeback. Woodmansterne must have thought they’d done it themselves, of course. At 2-0 up we should’ve been cruising, but in literally cruising along too easily we were careless. But having the mental fortitude to fight back and score a further three ourselves was fantastic. It means we should always be positive we can get something from a losing position.But...Conceding the obligatory 2-3 goals a game (hi Euro) will not cut the mustard against the best. It was remarked that the goals we can score could possibly contribute to a lapse of concentration at the back, knowing that one conceded will be alright. But against a Maple Tree or Portland, for example, we’ve seen how costly it can be. Problem is, from August until now, the eventual goals conceded in games have been from relatively few chances. See Horley Crickets away last December for when loss of concentration and lost of chances for the opposition results in a landslide.Woodmansterne's first was napping from us, despite the blatant handball. Good movement from them, mind, as when the ball reaches their most advanced midfielder, he is unmarked and makes Tino step out from his post, leaving the lone striker just that - alone. With Boma and Vidic split, he is able to get a run on goal and he finished expertly. It was a team thing rather than any individual mistake and just something we'll have to adjust to in this system as time goes by. Whether that means it's always the holding midfielders job, or someone to sweep anytime a defender steps out, communication and positional sense is key. It'll come with experience, but thought you'd be interested to know how it came about.We started super-quick and it got us off to a great start. The energy and shutting down got us that two goal lead and it was a really good display. Fitness also looked sharp, too. On the ball we looked very clinical in our passing and movement, hence the five goals which we were made to work for.Of the last four penalties Banter has had in the past 12 months, three have been missed. It’s a very good and straightforward way of scoring a goal and it can be costly when you don’t. That’s why we’ll be practicing them in training.To repeat a point made in the changing rooms after, a squad as hungry as the one on Sunday will make things very 'difficult', selection wise. But that’s a good thing. If you train, you keep fit, you try hard and turn it into performances on a Sunday then you play regularly. That’s always been this clubs policy. If eleven others are ahead of you on a few of those, you might encounter a problem. If everyone is at the same level, we will rotate. We did it last season, we’ll do it again if we have this enthusiasm. It can only improve us. This is surely repeating a point everyone knows, but still.That was a really pleasing win and we deserved it. Great way to start the season lads, well done.I told you there’d be more hair.