Old Challoners v Clapham Old Xaverians

Team: Raithatha, Walsh, Redpath, Rogers, Weisz, Fallon, Powell, Lowes, Gardner (Croucher 60), Baker (Allen 70), Fuzz

Score: 2:0
Scorers:- Gardner, Fuzz

Attendance - 5 Kids

After an emotional 3 weeks of Cup Fever it was back to business in the league for Old Cs with a trip away to Clapham Old Xaverians down in deepest, darkest South London. A hugely important game facing us against a side top of Senior Div 2 and a must win game for the Challoners contingent.

Weisz put out an early team sheet in the week forewarning the squad that it was going to be a pain in the ass to get to so leave plenty of time to get to the ground and let's meet promptly an hour before kick…..true to form with 5 minutes before K.O Old Cs only had 9 players standing on the pitch……however not to be let down and with the kit waiting patiently at the side of the pitch we were all there for the 2.15KO and enjoyed watching the OCs star Left Back (Walsh - another 2 out of 10 performance according to Croucher) getting changed in minus 5 wind chill as the Skipper lost 'the toss', as usual, to get the game under way.

The game started in a scrappy fashion for Challoners and it seemed to set the tone for things to come. Playing into the wind on a reasonable pitch OCs struggled to get the ball down and get their passing game together which usually comes as the norm for the boys.

Challoner's defensive rocks Redpath and Rogers had their hands full with a couple of reasonably large strikers and with Clapham using these strengths with crossing and long throws it was some good defending and goalkeeping from the outstanding, birthday boy, Raithatha which kept Xaverians at bay. It was clear that this was a game that was going to have to be won in a 'dog fight' fashion, however, Cs very own strike force of Crouch…sorry Baker and Fuzz lead from the front with excellent movement and speed to stretch the Xaverians defence (apologies for the word speed and Baker in the same sentence).

So - the game pushing towards half time and not many opportunities being presented to the Cs artillery it was an excellent piece of skill and passing between Fuzz, Fallon and Baker which drew the Xaverians defence and the ball popped through to Gardner who's low drill was excellently fired into the bottom left of the goal - 1 - 0 Challoners on the stroke of half time.

Half time came and went and much of the same ensued for the second half - Challoners defended excellently however just did not get the passing game going.

With 10 minutes to go Powell received the ball in the middle of the park and with a deft through ball Fuzz squeezed that 'gas peddle' which has seen defences left in disarray all season - beating the last defender and then rounding the keeper to put the ball into the empty net….2 - 0 and 3 points in the bag…the only danger being that the Referee might stop the game due to us playing in the dark!

In summary - Challoners played poorly, however, to go to the league title rivals, play badly, and come away with a 2 - 0 win is a good sign. It mustn't go unnoticed that within a game where the team didn't really get going there were still some excellent performances with Redpath winning everything that was served up to him , Fuzz being different class on the ball and after roasting the Xaverians defence on a number of occasions hopped back to his manor in 'Arrow on Saturday night for another form of roasting - and finally to Man of the Match Sunil Raithatha - who often doesn't get much acknowledgement but was immense again on Saturday, nearly killing a Xaverians player in a 50:50 challenge and making a couple of brilliant goal line saves - we won't mention his kicking - but we know he had a bad ankle!

We are top of the league…say we are top of the league!

Man of the Match - Raithatha.