Old Challoners V AFC Spartans
B & B Cup
Team: Cook, Weisz, Redpath, Gardener, Walsh, Croucher, Powell, Allen, Fuzz, Baker, Fallon, Subs: Lowes (75)
Score: 6:0
Allen (2) Fallon (2) Fuzz (2)
Attendance - 10, Largest home attendance of the season made up of 1 Richard Weisz and 9 of the oppo's Stella drinking entourage.
After gaining a maximum 3 points last week to move into pole position in the league over the Christmas period OC's minds turned back to the holy grail of trophies. A call was made for the "specialist" and the OC's were feeling confident. However they were up against a team unbeaten this year and with one of their players warming up in sun glasses respect was due.
A locked changing room was not the best preparation however and the home team made a poor start. Spartans came out strong and created a number of early half chances and Peter Cook standing in for the man of the match last week had a big shirt to fill…….. He was equal to the task and made some important saves to stop the oppo taking a lead.
After about 20 minutes OC's pulled their fingers out of their arses (Redders his girlfriend's out of his) and Powellie started to dominate in the air in the middle and the "specialist" won everything at the front. With the OC's starting to win the physical battle it also allowed them to start playing their more accustomed passing game on what was fast becoming a difficult surface. After what seemed like 10 ludicrous offside decisions, not helped by the fact that the ref (impersonating Stevie Wonder in both looks and decision making informed the opposition's linesman that he would give any offside decisions at that end, as with the muddy surface defenders are prone to slipping…..?) Powellie and Allen contrived a one-two for Allen to slot from 12 yards.
This boosted OC's further and Spartans dropped off more and more allowing space to create. Consistent pressure by the home side lead to Fuzz getting his obligatory two goal haul. The first after a getting hold of a bobbling ball and accurately placing it into the bottom left hand corner. The second arose in a similar situation, however the Spartans defence had gotten wise to this and Fallon's copy cat attempt was cleared off the line only to fall to Fuzz to nod home from 3 yards.
Spartans had not been in such a situation this season, being out muscled, out played and ultimately out gunned. They began to argue amongst themselves and with the referee who wasn't helping the game with his lack of whistle use. Communication to either team on which way the decision was given was also at a premium. I didn't realise Stevie Wonder was also a mute? The travelling away support buoyed by a couple of stellas and passion fruit breezers were starting to get vocal, Gardener's Little Britain comment did little in the way of successfully placating them.
El Weisz's half time talk was the detailed "more of the same" variety. Enough said.
The second half continued in the same vein with OC's exerting consistent pressure and the away side failing to hold the ball for any length of time. Fallon made it four nil with a delicate chip of the keeper from the right edge of the 18 yard box. Enter the specialist to make it 5-0 but the Spartans keeper hadn't read the script and some how managed to deflect the ball over. The fifth wasn't long in coming with Powellie timing a perfect "Scholes-esque" ball over the top which Allen ran onto to lob the keeper in a similar fashion to 5 mins before.
Fallon made it six after another fine ball through and shrugging off a defender's challenge to slot home past the advancing keeper into the bottom right hand corner. Further chances occurred and Allen broke down the right and on bearing down on the keeper could have sworn he heard a shout to get his hat-trick, caught in two minds to cross to the Specialist or to fill his own boots the resultant outcome was a weak effort that the keeper easily parried away. Baker continued to try and shape a chance and some "bambi-like" footwork on the edge of the area had the opposition at sixes & sevens, but the Specialist tag was beginning to look like a monkey every bit as big as that formerly on Peter Crouch's back a week earlier and no further clear chances were available.
After the poorest 20 mins of the season so far Old Challoners had a comfortable victory. Redders and Gardener marshalled the strikers well allowing Walshy and El Weisz to start moves from the back. Powellie dominated in the middle and Fallon and Croucher were a consistent thorn in the opposition's side. Their defenders couldn't compete against the Specialist's strength and positioning and Fuzz's pace and a comfortable victory was the end result. We are now into the last 256 and have no one to fear.
Fallon MOM Award - Fallon
OC's MOM - Allen (not voted by me!)
