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

Thameside 0 - 7 Aveley Academicals

In 1991, the discovery of a pair of glasses by the cliff edge led to the conclusion that Harold Bishop had been washed out to sea, and most likely drowned.  However, this was never proved, which left the door nicely ajar for the portly, tuba playing Neighbours legend to return to our screens in 1996.  Perhaps he returned because he realised that appearing on Noels House Party really is a huge step down from turning out regularly on one of the country’s best loved soaps, but then sometimes getting into a gunge tank with Mr Blobby is what it takes to realise that you actually had it pretty good in the first place.  When Ryan Kenyon left Clements Athletic after four seasons with the club he also knew that the door would always be left open for him to return, and after one game for South Shell in division three he was handing over photos to Sharpy and returning to his rightful home.

Despite the massive boost of Ryan returning to the squad, the midweek availability check still raised concerns that what should have been a straightforward 3 points could easily turn into a slippery banana skin; especially as we were playing on the pitch where we had been humiliated by the league whipping boys the previous season.  Our entire central midfield from last week had evaporated, with H and Jake unavailable and Foggy having to play in goal because of the Andrew’s absence.  Al – who would have been first pick to take up a central midfield position – was also not available, and the option of moving utility man Brian into midfield appeared to be a no go because of Mark having far more important family matters to attend to.  Scott was available, but admitted openly that there was no way you’d get 90 minutes of him.  However, things were looking a lot rosier as we assembled at the Billet;  Ryan and Dale turned up with something far better than a tuba (another Kenyon), and Chappers pulled out the stops to make himself available for kick-off.  Rumours that Sharpy trumped TACA’s offer of £5 a week for Chappers to play (seriously!) by offering £5, a packet of Werther’s Originals and DoTD immunity are yet to be confirmed.

The one concern was James P’s sleep deprivation, but all was fine as Sharpy showed his managerial expertise for dealing with such a situation by smashing the ball at the unexpecting winger from 10 yards.  I don’t know if James was more shocked by the impact or the fact that Sharpy hit the target, but either way it seemed to do the trick.

The team therefore had a pretty familiar look, apart from a very odd looking central midfield which saw Liam partnering Brian with Ryan handed the roaming number 10 role.  Despite having a centre back and winger/striker in the middle there was something reassuring about knowing that these three would give 100% from start to end, and would also relish the opportunity to get stuck in to every tackle.

Subs: Scott, Rhys

If we thought we had problems, our opposition just about managed to scrap a side together, and they were noticeably weaker from the team we played the week before.  It was quickly apparent that Liam and Brian were going to boss the midfield, and maybe playing together on Mondays has helped them gain an understanding which meant there always seemed to be one of them available to make a tackle whilst the other was an option to move the ball forward or out wide, where the James duo could look to get us on the attack and bring Dale and Ryan into play.

Despite our attempts to play short, passing football, sometimes there is no substitute for the big hoof up field, and when Chappers leathered the ball away from danger, Ryan caught Thameside’s fragile defence napping and took a sublime touch before scoring off the far post with the outside of his right boot – welcome back! 0-1.

We had struggled against set plays with this opposition last week, but an early corner which Eye-Ball headed wide, after finding himself unmarked 15 yards out, suggested this was an area we might find some success this time.  So it proved, as from the next corner James P delivered a perfect low outswinger which Brian met on the run and powered into the net: 0-2.

There was no way Dale was going to be kept out of the goals for long, and when Luke lifted the ball over the back four, our enigmatic striker bravely capitalised on the goalkeeper’s hesitation to prod the ball into the goal: 0-3.

By now it was a case of not if we would win, but by how many.  However, the Accies defence were determined to get their first clean sheet of the season, with Chappers leading by example as he got back to make a block on the edge of the box when we appeared to be temporarily outnumbered.  On the one time that their lone striker did break free of Rob’s strangle hold, he ended up as the meat in an Eye-Ball Foggy sandwich, and Luke tracked the run of the opposition attacker to clear a dangerous cross into the middle.  With Foggy dominating his penalty area to claim and punch clear the ball every time it threatened our goal, it looked increasingly likely that we would feast on the clean sheet we craved.

Thameside’s response to leaking three goals in the first half was to put an even worse keeper between the sticks for the second, and the flood gates well and truly opened.

The fourth saw Liam feed the ball through to Dale, who was basically left free to walk the ball into the net after James K had dragged away the only defender in the vicinity: 0-4.

Next it was Liam’s turn to deservedly get on the score sheet, as James P crossed from the left and Ryan obeyed Liam’s call and left him to slot the ball into the net.  James graciously handed the assist to Ryan, seeing as the ball had brushed off his chest on the way to Liam: 0-5.

With the game won, and a clean sheet practically guaranteed, Chappers took his Werther’s Originals and returned to family matters, giving Scott a run out in midfield and Brian the opportunity to take a well-deserved breather at the back.

The goals continued to flow, and James P popped up in the box to stroke the rebound from Ryan’s initial effort into the far corner.  Some said they thought he nearly missed, but considering the fact he was still probably seeing double, it’s a miracle he made contact with the ball at all! 0-6.

Dale asked during the post-match debrief in The Ship if he had now scored more hat-tricks for the club than any other player, after volleying home from Ryan’s pass to score at least three in a match for what I believe to be the fifth time since joining in 2012. He is definitely the most prolific striker in my 10 years at the club, and there is no doubt we wouldn’t have held our own in this league for the last three seasons without his goals.  Having said that, the gaffa may still be able to lay claim to having the most hat-tricks, having achieved some pretty remarkable goal scoring feats; including a 10 minute hat-trick after coming on as a sub in an 11-0 demolition of Beauchamps, and a double hat-trick in a 10-3 victory against F.C. Deportivo Thurrock.  At last count I had made it 4 for Sharpy since I’ve been keeping track, and he would have had at least three seasons before that: 7-0.

Sharpy brought on Rhys for Eye-Ball for the last half hour, to make his first competitive appearance for Aveley.  He put in an assured performance on the left, working hard up and down the flank and putting in a couple of vital challenges when there was a risk of getting overrun.   His help in defence was definitely needed at this point, as Rob was venturing further and further up field, and even popped up on the right wing at one point.

It was inevitable that Thameside would great some chances, but Foggy saved well on at least two occasions from one-on-one situations, and Brian’s last ditch slide was enough to clear the ball off the line after he came closest to scoring for the opposition following a deflection.

Despite our margin of victory, Stanford beat Stifford 9-2 to match our goal difference and stay top on goals scored.

If MoTM was going to be a hard decision, DoTD nominations were pretty much non-existent until the last 10 minutes when a flurry of comical and ridiculous incidents came into the running:

1.      Foggy attempts a simple boot upfield, but scuffs it with his left across the box and out for a throw in.

2.       Foggy throws the ball with a bit too much zip to Luke, who valiantly sprints after it before being upended by the bags on the sideline.

3.       Dale rubs salt into the opposition’s gapping wounds by pulling off a Robinho(?) flick

4.       James Kenyon subs himself (even though we had no more subs) after looking a gift horse in the mouth for at least the second time.

It was no surprise that James K won the award on his first appearance; walking off the pitch and leaving your team with 10 men because you can’t finish from 3 yards is a pretty amazing reaction.  Although apart from his finishing, he showed what a great addition he is to the squad with his pace, technical ability and vision shining through on an impressive debut.  Much like the Kenyan long distance runners, our own three Kenyons are a fearsome attacking unit, and when they aren’t arguing (we know to expect plenty of that) they are sure to terrorise many a defence in this league.  It’s just a shame that on this occasion – much like the pace-setter – James felt he had to bail out before the end of the race!

MoTM was a much more tightly contested affair, and although all the attacking players (for scoring all those goals) and the entire defensive unit (you can’t beat a clean sheet) could have argued their case, the award really had to go to one of the two guys who played out of position – and out of their skins – in the centre of the park.  Both scored, but Liam probably just edged out Brian thanks to also contributing an assist (it should have been 2 but we’ve already talked about James K’s finishing), and for being a constant source of direction and encouragement – well done Liam.

We know we aren’t going to have many games as easy as this.  Savour the victory, but be ready for a fight next week against what we expect to be a strong side in the Essex Cup.  We don’t get to travel outside of Thurrock much, so let’s enjoy our trip to Rochford and make sure they remember the Accies of Aveley.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 4^th October – Away v Rochford Sports and Social

Goal scoring chart

Aveley Academicals 4 - 2 Thameside

After a long and emotional pre-season, the new campaign finally got underway on a warm, sunny September morning at our new home – Aveley Fireman’s Club.  The move away from Blackshots has, in theory, a lot of positives: The Ship Inn and Kev and Drew’s warm welcome is only a stone’s throw way; we don’t have to put up the goals and nets (I know, like me you feel it’s just not the same); we have somewhere we can train (albeit in the dark) and there is no way Eye-Ball can head the ball into Thurrock Harriers from there.  They have tried to spoil it a little bit by charging people to park under the disguise of offering you £2 off a delight of your choice in their club house – Foggy says don’t touch the pies – and they want to fine Sharpy for shedding the slightest flake of dandruff, but then I suppose nowhere is perfect.

The ground is not the only thing that has changed; we also have a new name: Aveley Academicals.  Unfortunately the league saw through our ploy to get round the sponsor embargo by name ourselves TSI Aveley – they’re not quite as stupid as they look.  Although not a popular choice, I think it will grow on us, and I can hear the cries of “COME ON YOU ACCIES” ringing around Tilbury Football Club as we add the League Cup to our League and Essex Cup triumphs – a man’s got to dream.  Also, by a strange twist of fate we are not the only Academicals in the amateur leagues.  I stumbled across Farlington Academicals, who are based in Portsmouth – a part of the world very close to the Gaffer’s heart.  OK, so you’re still not convinced, but it’s the best I've got.

Sharpy and others have also been trying really hard to recruit some new players to strengthen the squad.  By the end of last season we were really struggling to get a side out, but apart from injuries that are keeping Webby and Alex out, and the sad departure of player’s player of the season Ryan Kenyon (or so we thought – watch this space), the core of the squad has stayed together.  I wasn't sure about Sharpy's scouting approach, but it turns out you can find some decent footballers in the local boozer.  Of those who have come over James is the one who has shown the most promise and greatest level of commitment, and his pace and determination have made him a great addition to the squad.

Also making their competitive debuts in the starting eleven were Andrew: a young, likeable keeper who has fitted in like a glove (or two) and Mark Chapman, who it is arguably our biggest catch of the close season.  In fact TACA are still flapping around in the shallows, trying to reel in the broken line that allowed Chappers to wash up on our shores.  Mark is probably one of the only centre backs in the Thurrock Sunday League who is feared and respected as much as our own Robin Lawrence, and now they are both in our team!  There are going to be a few strikers begging to play at left back after their first encounter with this pair.

Subs: Scott, Alex B

We knew the importance of getting out of the blocks quickly, and we did just that, as it was Thameside displaying most of the first game nerves.  They looked shaky at the back and nervous in possession, which encouraged us to put them under pressure and force the mistakes.  There is no doubt that many in a red shirt would have been feeling some nerves as well, but these were eased when we took an early lead when a free kick was awarded by our old friend Glenn Webb about 35 yards out.  Jake lifted the ball invitingly into the box where it was attacked by Rob.  The Thameside defence managed to clear the ball, but only in the air and as far as the edge of the eighteen yard box where Dale had time to set himself and hit the ball low on the volley into the bottom corner of the net.  This lifted our spirits no end, as not only had we taken the lead, but we now knew that our main source of goals had his shooting boots freshly sharpened and ready for the kill: 1-0.

The Accies weren’t about to sit back on a one goal lead, and we continued to pile on the pressure, with our two turbo charged whippets – Luke and James – motoring down the right (sometimes both at the same time, which gave Sharpy heart palpitations)  and drawing defenders to give Dale the opportunity to exploit the space down the channels.  The chances started to come thick and fast, but Dale couldn’t add to his early season opener and Foggy could only look on in disbelief when his bullet header produced a remarkable save from Thameside’s keeper.

Our perseverance did finally pay off when the very same goalkeeper and his defence made a mess of clearing the ball in the six yard box, and Luke reacted quickest to poke the ball into the net: 2-0.

Aveley lost their way towards the end of the first half with the passing and general concentration leaving Sharpy scratching his head and wondering what had happened to the team that had been so dominant in the opening 20 minutes.  Despite this, Andrew’s goal was very rarely challenged as Chappers displayed his qualities both in leading the defence and reading the game to snuff out any slim chance there was of Thameside breaking through our lines.

The one area in which Thameside had an obvious advantage was height, and we were far too sloppy in giving away free kicks which would enable them to exploit this.  One such free kick resulted in a strong header finding the corner of our net, and meaning we only went into half time with a slender 2-1 lead.

The half time discussion was as passionate as the oranges were sweet.  But comments were generally constructive, and we went out in the second half with the aim of playing the ball on the floor more, and getting Jake and Foggy on the ball more so that they could feed H and Dale.

Despite showing immediate improvements, we once again committed the cardinal sin of giving away a free kick on the edge of our box, and Thameside again overpowered us in the air to squeeze the ball in at the back post: 2-2.

Things could have got worse if Andrew hadn’t come out to bravely bring an end their striker’s progress, and our new number 1 was then instrumental in giving us the lead.  One of Andrew’s biggest strengths is his kicking from the ground, and he picked up the first assist of the season with a ball forward from a goal kick which caught Thameside’s defence napping.  Dale raced clear, and smashed the ball into the net off the far post from a difficult angle: 3-2.

Not long after, the feat was almost repeated, but this time Dale’s effort from Andrew’s kick came back of the post, where the ball was given a warm welcome by Liam, who calmly nodded the ball past the despairing keeping and into the roof of the net: 4-2.

With our two goal lead restored we could relax a little and start to enjoy ourselves.  Sharpy also gave two more players their debuts.  For Al Blake it was actually his second, as he had been a popular and promising member of the 2011/12 double winning squad. Back then he caused havoc on the wing and through the middle with his youthful energy and enthusiasm, and I actually remember writing that the holding midfielder role wasn’t one that came naturally to him.  How time, a growth spurt that still doesn’t seem to have ended, and no small amount of alcohol can change things.  He’s now more Big Bird and less ostrich, but boy can he defend and win a header.  A calm head on young shoulders who will give us a great option both in midfield and defence.

"And Betty when you call me, you can call me Al"

We know a lot less about Scott – or was it Rhys? No, it was Ryan.  Whoever he is, he definitely looks at home on a football pitch, and much like Blakely looks like someone who isn’t going to panic on the ball and will help us develop into the footballing side we know we can be.

We were completely on top by this point, with our midfield three of Foggy, Jake and H now bossing things.  The joke is that a heat map of Jake’s movement would be a red dot on the centre circle, but the weekly training session seems to be paying off, and the ground was scorched from left to right and box to box.  The opposition’s frustration was starting to show, and some of our players were on the receiving end of some nasty challenges, including James and Chappers.  The latter was scythed down whilst on one of his trademark marauding runs and was left with an ankle that looked like it had been caught in a bait trap (possible set by TACA’s manager).  There was talk of returning the favours next week when we meet Thameside again, but perhaps just make sure it isn’t within range of our box boys.

We might not have managed any more goals, but we came close to doing so with Luke smashing the ball against the post from 25 yards with a sweet right foot shot.  Dale and H also both had chances which ended up being the two front-runners for DoTD (what does that tell you!).  I’m not quite sure what Dale was attempting with his free kick, but the one strip of freshly mowed grass 10 metres from the goal tells you he didn’t quite get the desired lift or curl.  At least Dale was 20 yards from the goal; H was only 5 yards out when the ball came across to him in the middle.  The keeper was rooted to the spot, and H didn’t seem to want to risk hurting him, as he caressed the bouncing ball gently into his grateful grasp and in doing so gaining an early lead in the defence of his DoTS title.

Despite his 17 goals and 13 assists last season, Dale only managed one MoTM award (which I think just shows how highly we rate him, that banging in a goal a game is nothing extraordinary), however he deserved his award this week for being involved in all our goals, chasing everything and leading the team from the front even when it wasn’t going our way.

It was refreshing that, despite winning, we still felt we could have done better. It shows we are ambitious, and although we want to win, we want to win playing as well as we know we can.  Last season was hard – this is actually our first league win since 28^th February 2015 – but we got through it, and hopefully we have enough committed players who want to give their all for the team to make this an even more successful year. 

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 27th September - Away v Thameside @ The Billet

Goal scoring chart