The Memorial Cup is a new competition that has been
introduced to try and fill those weeks that, on most years, would have been
needed to catch up on games postponed due to the weather. An unusually mild winter has meant a lot of
teams getting through the majority of their games without much disruption, and therefore
having time to play some extra matches.
The format is four groups of 6 to 7 teams from across the divisions – which
gives the opportunity to play some different teams – with each team being
played once before the winners of the groups meeting in knock-out semi-finals. The
competition represents a good opportunity to try something different, but also
means I have to write 6 more match reports than usual, so you’ll have to
forgive me if I don’t dedicate quite so much time to describing these games in
detail.
Our opening game was against the one team across the
divisions who we were excited to play, but also simply could not lose to. Former players Chris Batt and Joe Flower –
plus a number of friends/acquaintances of Aveley squad members – play for division
3 side Shell, and on top of this they are the side that Ryan briefly joined,
and who also turned down the opportunity to sign Mo, telling him he would not
get in the team. Their loss is definitely
our gain!
Foggy was rewarded for spending the season between the
sticks, by being given his first start out on pitch. With Liam volunteering to play in goal, this
left a hole on the left which was filled by Brian. Sharpy had a couple of subs available,
although one them (Harry) was driving (at a sensible speed I’m sure) back from
Cornwall, where he had left at 0400 in order to get back in time for the game –
now that’s dedication!
Subs: James, Harry
The big Springhouse pitch was in fantastic condition given
the time of year, and Aveley made full use of it as they looked to play a
patient passing game. This didn’t always
work to plan, as the more passes you play, the greater the risk of something
going wrong. As a result, we probably
didn’t create as many chances as we might have done by adopting the direct style
that has seen us net 85 times this season, and sometimes we got caught out when
losing possession. However, Sharpy was
really pleased with the performance, and especially how we built play from the
back, and kept possession for extended periods.
These games are a bonus, and it seems right that we should see them as
an opportunity to practise trying something different now that the pressure is
off.
Dale opened the scoring mid-way through the first half with
a superb volley from Nick’s corner. The corner
was headed high into the air by the defender, and Dale – who was lurking on the
edge of the box – watched it all the way onto his right foot as he struck it
perfectly back through the crowd and into the top corner: 0-1.
Nick was involved again in Dale’s second as he won the
header from Shell’s goal kick and set Dale through on the left. There was still a fair bit to do but, with
his confidence still high, Dale calmly bent the ball around the keeper and into
the far corner: 0-2.
There had been talk of this game turning into a cricket
score, but having failed to break down a stubborn Shell defence in the first 25
minutes, it was actually quite a relief to finally have a two goal lead to
banish any fears of an upset. Liam’s
goal was rarely under threat, so the only way we were ever going to lose this
game was if we gifted goals or wasted chances.
Sharpy made one change at half time with James replacing
Brian on the left, who in turn reverted to a more familiar role at centre
back. This meant Robin taking a breather
and the linesman’s flag, which I think he was more than happy with as it
finally gave him something to do.
Despite playing well in the second half, we only found the
net once more. Luke picked the ball up
on the right, and played a low cross into the six yard box which coincided
perfectly with James’s diagonal run. He
beat both the defender and goalkeeper to the ball, and prodded home from close
range: 0-3.
At times in the second half we possibly relaxed a bit too
much, but the job was done and we could just enjoy seeing out the 90 minute in
the glorious April sunshine. I hope we
can continue to treat this competition in the same vain. We’ve worked really hard this season, and
taken the task of finishing as high as we can very seriously, so let’s continue
to use this cup as an opportunity to enjoy ourselves.
Group B:
MoTM was a close call, but in the end Mo pipped Craig to the
award. Mo seemed particularly up for
this game, which is no surprised as they had turned him away earlier in the
season. They would have definitely seen
what they were missing as he ran his socks off from box to box, was always an
option when we were in possession and broke up play countless times with strong
challenges. The game plan suited Craig,
who enjoys having the ball into his feet, and he was a constant outlet and
vital link between defence and attack.
Foggy also seemed to enjoy stretching his legs, and if rust and fitness
hadn’t held him back he surely would have dominated the midfield for 90 minutes
rather than just the first 10. DoTD was
unanimously awarded to H, who shocked everyone with a sudden angry reaction to
a nothing situation, which could have led to a red card if the ref had seen it,
or a flare up if the opposition player had reacted. Perhaps it was lack of sleep or the long
drive, or maybe he had realised he needs to do some work to retain the award he
is so attached to.
Eye-Ball
Goal scoring chart
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