Weekend Preview

Sunday 20 November 2011

Banter Central FC vs. Sanderstead Spitfires
12.30 kick off, CMSFL division two, Trenham Drive

Team news

Banter come into the clash ready to hand out two debuts, to Chris Latham and James Sinclair.

Sinclair is 34 years old and would become Banter’s oldest all time player by taking to the field. Latham, 21, would become the youngest existing squad member.

David Baird is still unavailable due to injury but has resumed full training.
 

Head to head

Banter and Sanderstead have faced off on no less than nine occasions. They are therefore Banter’s most faced opponents.

Six of these matches have been competitive games, with the results level pegging at three wins apiece. The aggregate score in those games is 14-9 in Spitfires’ favour.

The last three meetings have all been friendlies, Banter winning two in the summer of 2010, but most recently, Sanderstead taking a 4-3 victory over their opponents in pre-season 2011.

Stats, facts and the season so far

The victory in early October was Banter’s first ever away from home against Portland.

In the overall records and for the first time ever competitively, Banter have scored more goals than conceded. Beginning with a 7-2 loss in September 2007, the club have been in deficit ever since. Having been in credit for individual season’s 2009/10 and 2010/11, the club are now at +6, scoring 268, conceding 262.

The win of seven runs to open the 2011/12 season is the best in the club’s history.

The three clean sheets kept in the opening seven matches of the season overtook the 2008/09’s record for most kept in a season. The 185 minutes between Hyderi’s penalty and Wheelwrights’ opener - following the Donnington Wanderers victory - was the longest stretch, in minutes, the club have gone without conceding a goal.

From the opening eight games of the season, Banter have averaged 1.75 goals against and 4.13 goals for – lower and higher respectively than in any other season. Despite having three games in hand over some teams in the division, Banter are the top goal scorers so far.

Banter have not lost when winning at half time since November 2009 (18 games).

Banter have already recorded more victories in this season than in the whole of 2008/09.

Wilkes’ opener against Souls was Banter’s 250th competitive goal of all time. His appearance against Wheelwrights was his 50th for the club – he’s missed one competitive match since joining in September 2009.

The match with Donnington Wanderers was the fifth time Banter have played extra time in a cup match. No game has ever gone the distance to a penalty shoot-out. The 0-2 win was Banter’s second victory in 120 minutes.

The last team to miss a penalty against Banter was Maple Tree, in February 2010. The last nine have all been converted.

Banter were the last team in division two to be beaten. In Croydon Municipal’s four divisions, only Portland A and C have yet to taste defeat.

Ridley’s hat-trick against Souls was Banter’s first of the season, his second in a year and the 17th Banter hat-trick ever recorded. He has as many goals this season as he did in the whole of last.

Cling, Adkins, Euro, Gill and Wilkes have played in every game so far this season.

Euro has scored in every league game so far and is averaging a goal every 76 minutes.

Wommy’s five goals in pre-season is a club record going into a season start.

Cling’s goal haul of five this season has already bettered his 2007/08 tally of three. He has played in each of the club’s last 34 matches, which is a level record with Ridley for consecutive appearances. Sunday's game would set the outright record.

Hughes’ double against Wheelwrights made up his third and fourth goals of the season. He has played 46 competitive matches for Banter Central FC. In his first 23 games, he scored seven goals. In his next 23 games, he has scored 19 goals. Blistering.

The loss to Wheelwrights was Adkins’ first competitive loss since April 2010. He has lost just four of his last 23 games for the club, winning 15 - a stretch of games which dates back to the beginning of the decade.

Ridders’ booking for handball was Banter’s first yellow card of the season and his first ever, for anyone.

Both Sanderstead and Banter have three games in hand over league leaders Surrey Valley, the first one of which is this match.

Elsewhere in division two this weekend

AFC Hyderi v Addiscombe Corinthians Seniors
Wheelwrights v Portland (B)