The day didn't get off to the best start. Everyone (including Connor) turned up at Orsett Rec before 10, but there was no sign of the key for the padlock to the box that controlled the roller shutters for the changing rooms. This meant us waiting outside until 10 past, when the two Orsett players who had turned up in Keyways vans finally decided to put their training to good use. In the meantime a ball had been lost on the roof, and H went arse over tit on the wet ground.
With Lakeside and Springhouse still to play, finishing fourth is still a possibility
H's theatricals didn't prevent him being rewarded for his good performance last week with another start:
Subs: Parker, Scott, Nick, Browne
The first half saw the Oaks kicking up hill, against the wind on a boggy and uneven pitch. It really wasn't the right conditions for smooth passing, and our best efforts came from quick breaks. Dale had the best of our early chances following some neat interchanges with H, but seemed determined to continue practising blasted the ball over from six yards.
The Oaks had to absorb a lot of early pressure, and must have defended at least 6 corners in the opening 20 minutes. Our defending was solid, and included a fantastic headed clearance from under the bar from Niki, with the ball certain to enter the goal.
Our hard work defending our own goal was finally rewarded when we won a corner of our own. Ryan swung the ball in, and when Tapsell's effort fell loose in the box, the oldest man on the pitch (that's Rob in case you were wondering if the oppo had someone even older) reacted the quickest to prod the ball into the net: 0-1.
We needed to make Orsett pay for not taking any of their early chances, and Tapsell and Dale duly obliged. Tapsell broke through the middle and unselfishly set Dale clear on the right. His initial effort was blocked as the keeper rushed out, but it squirmed under him to allow Dale to hurdle him and side foot into an empty net: 0-2.
Our performance in this first half was far below what we had achieved in our defeat to Brema last week, but in true Oaks fashion we were just doing enough to stay on top against a team who maybe had one eye on their upcoming cup final. However, we were to get a wake up call before half time when an unstoppable free kick from just outside the area was dispatched into the roof of our net: 1-2.
The Oaks didn't need much reminding of what had happened in the reverse fixture, and went out for the second half with renewed determination to put the game out of Orsett's reach. We almost got off to the best possible start when Dale broke into the box and lifted the ball over the keeper. Unfortunately there was just too much on it, and the ball bounced off the top of the cross bar and behind.
The third goal for the Oaks was to be scored by Dale. I don't actually remember Connor having to make a save in the second half, but this was mainly because he was so good at coming off his line to claim the ball before the oppositions strikers could get on the end of anything. On one such occasion, Connor collected the ball and threw it out quickly to Ryan on the half way line. Kenyon-The-Younger then played in Dale on the left, who sped away from Orsett's tiring defence to score: 1-3.
The two goal cushion seemed to give the Oaks extra confidence, and the chances started to come thick and fast. A couple fell to Nathan, who was finding a lot of space on the right when the ball was on the left side of the pitch. He was picked out at least twice with good diagonal balls, but each time he unleashed a shot he was denied by superb saves from the Orsett keeper. Tapsell also had a good chance when he found space at the back post from a corner swung in by Scott (who had come on along with Nick and Parker in place of H, Ryan and Deano). Tapsell is usually deadly from here, but got his angles wrong on this occasion and headed wide.
It was left to Bunny to add the icing to the cake, when Rob turned from goal poacher to provider. Against George and Dragon a couple of weeks ago, I remember us berating how none of the rebounds in the area fell to our players. This game proved that what goes around comes around, as Rob's effort from a corner was blocked and Bunny was closest to curl the ball into the bottom corner, off the man who had drifted away from post guarding duties. Now Bunny doesn't say a lot, so I felt somewhat privileged to be close enough to hear a little shout of "Yes!" to accompany the fist pump that passed for Bunny's goal celebration: 1-4.
Eye-Ball
Next game: Sunday 24 March 2013 @ Home v Greyhound
Goal Scoring Chart:
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