Old Challoners v Clapham Old Grammarians

Team: Williams, Weisz, Cawley, Rogers, Mrs Rogers, Croucher, Allen, Lowes, Fallon, Baker, Brown, Subs - Redpath and Gardner

Score: 4:1

Location - Hervines Park, Amersham, Bucks

Attendance: The Everpresents

As Paul & his Mrs skipped through the short Hervines grass singing "summer is here again", Challoners were under no illusions that the business end of the season had arrived. With Mourinho masterminding another Premiership campaign victory, El Weiszo was finding the pressure cooker environment of the AFC Senior 2 as daunting as ever. Viewing RC's adaptability to Captaincy on Tuesday the concerned Weisz realised that only victory could salvage his job.

With the Challoners warm up in full flow (the Croucher/ Rogers/ Walshy Toe-Punt practise, Fallon's 3 hour stretching, Redders' Rocky impression) it slowly dawned on the team that Clapham had only arrived with 10 players. Although Rob didn't use the "textbook" complacency script it wasn't far off and Challoners took the field with a taste for victory.

Little to anyone's notice, in a small pub just outside Torquay, a drunk old man said something that only those closest to him heard ...."it'll take a wonder strike"!!! And in a puff of smoke he vanished, as though he was a messenger from an unknown force.

The game began with Challoners dominating possession against the ten-man opposition. Allen and Lowes found a lot of time and space in the centre of the park and made the most of it by bringing the rampaging fullbacks into the game. As each wave of attack drove forward, with Baker and Brown dominating the forward line, goals appeared to be inevitable. After fifteen minutes Challoners felt the floodgates had opened. A Fallon corner from the left sailed to the far post and was met with a bullet header from Darren Anderton.....sorry Richard Cawley for 1-0. Floodgates? Barely a trickle!

What followed our opening goal was a credit to Clapham. As a little complacency crept into the Challoners game, Clapham took advantage by hassling and hurrying us across the field, which is some job being a man down from the off. To this end they were rewarded with an equaliser after 35 minutes. A textbook 'hoof' from Clapham was not dealt with by the back four or midfield and after a couple of lucky breaks the ball found its way to the Clapham forward to knocked it over "4hours+" Williams and into the net.

Half time arrives and the Boss put his gum shield in to come out fighting. "We're not doing enough" was the comment that rang true throughout the team. Knowing legs would tire as the game continued the rule was "make 'em run and keep the tempo high". More worrying for the Chief was his dad, Ricardo - Head of our International Marketing Campaign, came wandering towards the team like a zombie & foaming at the mouth. Rob's terrified question of "Dad...What's wrong?!!??" was answered with a quiet "wonderstrike"! A bit bemused, the team left the deluded, half-conscious man and got on with the action.

The second half began as the first with Challoners dominating the ball but not calving out clear-cut opportunities. A defensive Clapham performed well to protect their keeper from any clear-cut chances and the team took every opportunity to run minutes down on the clock. Things looked a little bleak. But with this the team heard an almighty roar from the cricket team playing beside them. The cry...."WONDERSTRIKE"! The action from the team....."Give the ball to Fuz, he'll sort it out"!
With twenty minutes to play fate swung its mighty three wood and changed the game. Fuz toyed with the defence on the corner of the penalty box then played a clever ball into Fallon who, with only the use of his shins, played the ball to the edge of the box. Fallon's ball was met by Lowes whose "Wonderstrike"TM flew into the top right corner, off the underside of the bar. Although Jimbo's shout to the ref of "crossbar and in wins the game" the man in black thought best to continue the contest, leaving Challoners ahead 2-1 and gunning for victory.

A third goal quickly followed with Matt Allen refusing to be outdone by his free scoring midfield partner. Some great work from Croucher on the right provided Allen with a glorious chance to close the game. The keeper blocked his side foot, lady-boy finish and the chance appeared to have gone when the Clapham defender reached the rebound. "Not so fast" said the centre back as he rifled the ball into his own net. 3-1.

The icing on the cake was squeezed in by another Clapham defender. Croucher, with some great work again (there's something in the pheromones he's using for the balding spot....you may not have noticed) chipped the ball over the keeper and unfortunately rebounded off the bar. However, all is not lost in the Clapham box as their other centre back decided to handball it into his own goal for good measure. 4-1 Challoners, RC & Lowesy goal kings!!!

The OCFC train rolls on and promotion lies in the hand of the Gods. A trip to Acton on Tuesday followed by home and away against Old Suttonians rounds off the season.

Fallon MOM
Even with a dodgy neck and the inability to use his feet, Ben's shins win him his MOM MOM - We'll never hear the end of it but.......Rob Weisz. Cafu at his best can't touch him