Aveley Academicals 3 - 5 Lakeside

What a load of rubbish!  Once again we lose to an awful side by gifting them five goals. Saying that, we were hardly likely to win with only the 12 blokes who could be bothered to turn up.  Foggy couldn’t catch a cold, Harry couldn’t pass wind, Eye-Ball couldn’t tackle a parked car and as for our strikers: how could they miss chance after chance against the long haired streak of piss the opposition had the cheek to call a goal keeper.  The referee didn't help, as he basically cost us the game by not seeing a blatant handball for their third goal which proved the catalyst for Lakeside to score two more in quick succession and take the game away from us.  After conceding we were hardly likely to score given the only way we could find the net was when the opposition more or less put the ball in the goal for us.  We might as well give up now - what's the point...

Or we could look at it another way...

The referee summed it up when he described boot checks and the pre-match handshake as "a waste of time".  He obviously understands that this is Sunday League Football, and remembering that should help us keep a sense of perspective.  We need to accept that every game is going to be tough and potentially result in defeat, as every team is reliant on the team they are able to put out on the day.  Especially with a predominantly young squad, work and family commitments have to come first.  However, we need to approach every game with the right attitude and if we can all walk off and say we did our best and gave 100% for the team then we've got to be happy - regardless of the result.

Subs: Nick

This is our 4th consecutive season in the same league as Lakeside, and we always have tough games against them.  This one was no different, and on the balance of play and chances created, really could have gone either way.  We twice took the lead through Dale, when he first took advantage of a mix up between keeper and defender to walk the ball into an empty net.  He then raced clear after Foggy claimed the ball in his box and quickly threw it out to Ryan, who nodded on to his brother.  Dale only had time for one touch before slotting the ball into the corner of the net to make it 2-1.

It's easy to say that all the goals we conceded were avoidable.  But then aren't they always?  It's all too easy to point the finger of blame at individuals, when what we should be doing is looking at ourselves and thinking "what could I have done differently", or "what can I do now to get us back in this".  We all make countless mistakes during the game, and Foggy dropping the ball may have been the last one before the first goal against us went in, but someone gave away possession, someone else conceded the free kick, and why didn't any of us anticipate the second ball before the opposition player?  James's throw in wasn't the best, but should we have committed so many people in front of the goal, leaving Rob exposed against their quick striker?  Could someone have slowed down the opposition throw in?  The referee may have missed the handball, but should Eye-Ball have really ended up defending the cross and against the two blokes at the back post.  If he’d managed to get more than a shin in the way of the ball back across there wouldn’t have been a decision to make.  Instead of looking for someone to blame for the fourth goal, perhaps we should just take our hats off to the guy who won the ball from Foggy’s clearance and pinged it back over our skipper’s head from about 45 yards.  And as for the fifth, it could have gone anywhere after deflecting off H, but it went in the back of the net, so deal with it!

The game was slipping away from us now, but we should take heart from the way we rallied.  We may have only scored once more after Liam followed up after his initial effort came back off the post, but we created enough chances to even win the game.  However, their keeper may have been clumsy, but you couldn’t knock his courage, as he threw his body in the away of everything.  Perhaps he then deserved a bit of luck as well, when Liam’s well struck effort inside the box connected directly with him in a crowd of players.  We kept going right to the end, with Sharpy creating one of the best chances of the game (I promised I’d mention it) with a delightful medium ball (he doesn’t do long ball) in behind to Dale, who was denied his hat trick by the kamikaze Lakeside number 1. 

Despite not getting to keep the match ball for the second time this season (good job as we’re running out of balls), Dale deservedly collected his second MoTM award for the season.  It is somewhat reluctantly that I have to record the DoTD mark against Foggy’s name. He is doing us a massive favour playing in goal now that Andrew has sadly decided not to carry on (you’ll always be welcome back mate, even if just for a beer), and I’ve already explained how harsh it is to pin the first goal on him.  However, Foggy sets himself high standards, and I know he won’t be looking to make excuses.

We may have lost this battle, but the war is going to be a long and bloody one, so we’d better keep fighting.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 1st November @ Corringham Rec - Away v Stanford Town

Goal scoring chart

Aveley Academicals 0 - 1 FC Deportivo Thurrock

There are many perplexing mysteries in this world:  how did they build the pyramids? What is Stonehenge? Who was Jack the Ripper? And exactly how did H manage to survive without alcohol for over 6 months?

You can now add the result of this game to the list: how on earth did we not come away with three points despite restricting our opponents to one shot on target and having our strongest team out (sorry Jake and Foggy – the Gaffa’s words, not mine)?

Like all good mysteries, there were plenty of theories flying around after the game and in the pub.  The most popular one was that we persisted with a game plan despite it being obvious that it wasn’t working.  There is a time and a place for the ball over the top, but when – time and time again – the opposition sit deep and snuff out the danger we should have realised that it was time to change the record.

Still, there is always next week (and now training as well) to put things right, and there were an awful lot of positives to take from the game.  Firstly, Jimmy made his eagerly awaited competitive debut, and it was clear that he is going to add a huge amount of quality to the side.  Not just with his technical ability, but his determination to be involve in the play, and desire to link up with the rest of the team and direct proceedings from the front is surely going to both improve our team play and bring out the best in the other members of the squad.

It has already been mentioned that the only shot the oppo had on target was when they scored.  This wasn’t because they were wasteful in front of goal, but because the defensive unit – marshalled by Chappers – did a superb job of keeping the Deportivo attackers quiet.  Andrew also played the ball out from the back with confidence and accuracy throughout the game.

Losing Rob in the warm-up was a blow, but he must have admired the way Blakey slotted into his boots.  In fact, assuming Rob has shrunk by a foot and a half in the last twenty years, Blakey’s performance must have reminded Rob of a younger version of himself, as the young apprentice won every header and even found himself on the edge of the opposition penalty area on more than one occasion.

We’ve also mentioned the strength of the squad, and it was great that Sharpy could leave his boots at home with two quality substitutes (even after Rob’s withdrawal) to call on.  Maybe one week soon we’ll have the full squad there, and can actually do a team photo!

Despite the late withdrawal of Rob, Sharpy was still able to assemble a team that looked (in theory) to be well balanced and full of goals.

Subs: Liam, Nick, Rob

The general pattern of play was set early in the first half with an attempted killer pass or ball over the top being either cut out by Deportivo – who to give credit, packed the midfield, and put our first touch under pressure throughout the match.  We would then win the ball back, and it would all start again.  The one real threat Deportivo had was their tricky left winger, but after a few rash challenges (I think Jake might call them “reducers”) Luke and Chappers got to grips with him and generally frustrated him.  It was probably this determined defending and direct running in possession which earned Luke a well-deserved MoTM award.

Our best move of the game saw Jimmy play the ball into Dale, who laid it off neatly to Ryan on the edge of the area.  He then made room for a shot but couldn’t keep the ball under the crossbar.  The end result may not have been what we wanted, but demonstrated the crisp, incisive football we are capable of if we have the confidence to give it a go.

We just didn’t carve out enough clear cut chances, with the sight of James P chasing a lost cause becoming all too familiar.  However, he did give the keeper a few nervy moments, but we are still left waiting to see him replicate his amazing forward roll, throw the ball into the net move demonstrated at training.  Jimmy also managed to get a shot away in the area when he neatly turned two defenders in a crowded box, but there wasn’t enough time or space for him to generate enough power to trouble the keeper.

The second half was a generally frustrating affair.  Sharpy swapped Brian with Ryan, not only because it rhymes, but also to give the young Kenyon the chance to attack on the flanks where it was hoped there would be more room.  This did prove to be the case, and Ryan had one of our best chances when Jimmy played a superb through ball inside the full back.  However, the keeper came out well to make the angle difficult for Ryan, and on his weaker side he could only shoot wide.

Jimmy then came close to scoring himself from a free kick which was goal-bound before the keeper intervened.  The keeper came to the rescue again when Dale was put through by Liam (on for Brian), as he came out quickly to close the angle and make the save.

Sharpy also brought on another new addition, and Nick looked like a handy player to have in the side, not least for the mammoth throw the like of which we haven’t seen since Nathan left (Dale has done a fantastic job but it’s got to be better to have him in the box if possible).  Blakey got on the end of one of these throws, but headed wide.  H also created a headed chance, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net.

Amongst all this one way traffic, Deportivo dealt the killer blow when they won possession on their right and attacked in numbers.  A speculative cross was whipped in low from midway in our half, and the ball found its way to their one unmarked player at the back post: 0-1.

Nothing we tried could get us back into the game, but we know we tried too much of what wasn’t working.  We didn’t deserve to lose, but at least we learned some important lessons which I’m sure will lead to us improving if everyone sticks together and makes every effort to be there every week.

DoTD was a tough one this week, which just goes to show that we know we collectively got it wrong.  Blakey may have been in the running for losing his trainers and having to sit in the pub in his boots.  However, he kept this quiet until after Chappers had volunteered himself (probably best it happens like that) for some overzealous toe punts when a softer touch may have put our front men through on go.  But then we know Chappers don’t do “soft”.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 18^th October @ Home v Lakeside

Goal scoring chart

Rochford Sports and Social 5 – 3 Aveley Academicals – a.e.t. (Essex cup 1st round)

It is becoming a worryingly familiar story, that by the time Aveley arrived in Rochford just before 10am, the available squad had depleted from 15 to 8 relatively fit players, 2 pissheads, a crocked winger and Sharpy.  It seems that having a full squad to choose from is as difficult as telling the difference between an orange and a grapefruit.

This led to the latest cabinet reshuffle, with utility man Brian starting on the left wing (I think keeper and striker are the only two positions he hasn’t played now!) and Ryan partnering Sharpy up front.  Liam got kitted up, but the hope was that the most strenuous thing he would have to do was run the line.

Sub: Liam

Chappers and Jake were placed in their positions and rotated to face the right direction, and the match got underway under the warm Sun.  It soon became apparent that any pre-match concerns about being up against a quality outfit (further reinforce by someone from the oppo being heard to proclaim: “Who the f@*k are these lot”) were misplaced.  They weren’t anything special and didn’t really trouble us with the frequent ball over the top.  Unfortunately we weren’t quite at the races ourselves, which made it a pretty even contest.

Given the fact that we played 120 minutes, you may expect there to be more memorable highlights.  However, what the game lacked in quality, it more than made up for in Accies character.  To come from behind three times is no mean feat, especially when we didn’t have the luxury of taking advantage of the roll-on, roll-off Essex Cup rules.

We went behind midway through the first half when we allowed a low shot from the edge of the area to be aimed goal-wards and nestle inside the far post: 1-0.

I said this game didn’t have many memorable moments, but an Eye-Ball shot on target is a rare and noteworthy event.  On this occasion he followed up as the keeper spilled a free kick from the edge of the box, but he then spread himself to block Eye-Ball’s firmly struck effort from close range, and the half finished 1-0.

Once we had decided that grapefruit wasn’t actually all that bad, we took to the field again for the second half, and quickly restored parity.  Ryan – leading the attack in the absence of Dale – latched onto Foggy’s ball to race clear and showed that clinical finishing runs in the family, as he creamed the ball back across the keeper and into the corner of the goal: 1-1.

The game didn’t improve much following this display of quality, and it was about 20 minutes from the end that we found ourselves behind again, when Rochford’s winger drove the ball across Andrew and into the net from the left side or our box: 2-1.

Again, our response was almost immediate. A whipped in cross by Jake was spilled by the keeper, right onto Robin’s trusty right knee, and he walked the ball into the net: 2-2.

What then followed was a series of over-reactions which put the fly on top of the massive turd that had been the previous 80 minutes.  Foggy found himself on the wrong end of an eye-watering collision, which was definitely a foul but seemed devoid of malice.  Jake saw it differently and reacted when he knows he shouldn’t have.  However, this should never have led to World War III, and in the heat of the moment the ref sent off Jake and left all of the villians on the opposition team to wallow in their smugness.  The gaffa and Luke then had a DoTD nominated handbag duel before some sort of calm was restored and we got on with playing the next 40 minutes with 10 men.

Luke had picked up an injury of his own towards the end of 90 minutes, which left no choice other than to bring on Liam.  This meant moving Brian – who had put in one hell of a shift on the left – to the middle, Sharpy to the left, Liam right and Ryan upfront on his own.  A combination of tiredness, loss of concentration and being vertically inferior saw us concede three times from set pieces in extra time, the first coming with 93 minutes on the clock: 3-2.

Rochford had a habit of playing a high line and committing too many midfielders in attack.  Eye-Ball had already exploited this twice in normal time by catching them in possession and racing forward with the ball.  The first time the through ball to Ryan wasn’t good enough and the second time vertigo set in and Eye-Ball found himself at least 10 yards offside.  When it happened again in extra time, the pass for Ryan was better, but when he superbly turned the last defender he could only shoot wide with tired legs.

Liam played through the discomfort of an injured knee to make a real impact in extra time, and when Sharpy won the ball on the left and played it inside to his FIFA buddy, Liam hit triangle (or whatever through-ball is), and Ryan calmly slotted the ball home: 3-3.

Two goals either side of half time in extra time then killed us off – one was another headed goal and the next a rebound after Andrew saved a free kick at his near post: 5-3.

I say these goals killed us off, but it was fantastic to see that we refused to die quietly.  Chappers had sobered up enough now to instruct us to play three at the back, and (along with Rob, Eye-Ball and James) continued to defend as if his life depended on it.  The defence were backed up by Foggy, who ran himself into the ground, and Ryan continued to harass Rochford’s defence as Sharpy, Liam and Brian looked to help him get the third goal his performance deserved.  However, it wasn’t to be, and although we went out of the Essex Cup in the first round for the first time in 4 years, at least we went out fighting. Now we can concentrate on the league and cup double!

Ryan was deservedly voted MoTM for his two excellently taken goals, and for being pretty much our only attacking outlet for much of the game – a job he did without a word of complaint.  Despite Sharpy trying to deflect thoughts from the main incident (which included his handbag antics) by highlighting a skewed pass from Eye-Ball, the DoTD award had to go to Jake – although there were definitely no hard feelings and the subsequent apology for getting sent off was met with the following words of wisdom: “Jake should have hit him instead of a girly push.” Oh well, you live and learn.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 11^th October – @ home v FC Deportivo Thurrock

Goal scoring chart