Staines Utd 3 – 2 Aveley Academicals (a.e.t. – Ted Fairchild Cup 3rd round)

Second in Division 1 lost out to second in the Premiership, but to lose by such a narrow margin over 120 gruelling minutes on a heavy pitch shows that we were much closer to our opposition than the 8 league positions would suggest.  Aveley twice took the lead inside 90 minutes and were able to walk off at the end of the match with heads held high, knowing that we had given our all and done ourselves proud.

With players missing – including Dale and Brian - another reshuffle was required, with Ryan leading the line and Blakey partnering Robin at the back.  Harry was back to partner Mo in the middle and Nick slotted in again in front of the back four, in a position he is making his own.

Subs: Luke, Sharpy, Scott

It was important that we came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, and that’s exactly what we did as, within five minutes, Staines were left with no doubts that they had a game on their hands.  Ryan whipped the ball in from the right and Liam found himself unmarked but couldn’t direct his header on target.

If we let Staines off the hook this time, we weren’t about to do it again.  With the ball in the opposition area on the left, Harry played a simple ball across to Liam who spotted the gap at the near post and left the keeper rooted to the spot as the ball was fired into the corner: 0-1.

You tend to find that Premiership sides like Staines are full of seasoned campaigners, who are used to having time to control play in the midfield.  However, H, Mo and Nick were not prepared to play by their rules and harassed their opposite numbers constantly.  When we got the ball, we looked to quickly get the ball up to Ryan, who held the ball up superbly, giving time for Liam, Craig and others to get up in support.  Staines were really caught on the back foot, and looked like their defence could crumble at any moment.  However, we weren’t able to extend our lead during this period of dominance, and Staines pegged us back before half time.

The Aveley back four of Eye-Ball, Robin, Blakey and James had been playing a superb line which kept Scott very busy with his linesman duties.  However, Staines showed that they would take any chance we handed them, and on the one occasion their striker beat the offside trap he lifted the ball over Foggy and into the goal, despite a duel effort from James and Eye-Ball.  Unfortunately the two full backs were both so determined to get to the ball that neither put a name on it, which resulted in Eye-Ball getting more of James than the ball, and James only being able to kick the ball further into our net.  We’ll never know if leaving the clearance to one of the two would have ended in the danger being cleared, but it would have increased the probability of this outcome: 1-1.

We weren’t about to let this setback get us down, and Sharpy was happy enough with how things were going to start the second half with the same eleven.  We started the second half brightly again, and Liam once again looked most likely to score when he timed his run perfectly to the front post to meet a low cross from the right.  On this occasion the keeper read the danger, but paid a price for the save as he had to leave the field with damaged fingers. 

Much like in the first half, Liam followed up on a warning with a great goal as he collected the ball from Ryan in the box, and curled a rising shot into the far corner: 1-2.

It isn’t usually worth mentioning half chances, but when this chance is created by Eye-Ball even the most speculative effort is worth a sentence or two.  Following a corner, the ball came out and Eye-Ball met it high on the bounce.  He actually succeeded in keeping the ball under the bar, but it curled inches (OK, more like feet) wide of the left hand upright.  The opposition probably thought the reaction from our players was a little over the top, but then they haven’t been waiting five years (which is longer than everyone apart from Sharpy and Robin have been at the club) to see Eye-Ball find the back of the net.

There were periods when Staines were on top, but with ten minutes to go it was starting to look like we might hold out for a famous victory.  However, a rare lapse at the back saw the striker break free and was clinical in slotting the ball past Foggy: 2-2.

We didn’t give up hope of finding a winner, and Nick tried time and again to provide the break-through with his huge throws into the wind, but no one could provide the required end product and we had to prepare ourselves to battle on for another 30 minutes.

Throughout the game, it was so pleasing to see how we grew more and more determined, and were willing to stand toe-to-toe with an opposition who, at times, were committing cynical fouls and trying to bully us into submission.  However, we gave as good as we got and right up to the final whistle the game could have gone either way.  As it was, it was Staines who made the break-through as they broke down the left and the cross into the middle found Eye-Ball two on one.  The winger showed his experience in blocking Eye-Ball’s attempt to get to the man with the ball, who had time to settle himself before sidestepping the left back’s eventually advance and smashing a sweet drive into the top corner: 3-2.

Aveley continued to dig deep for the last twenty minutes, but just couldn’t find a way to force the game to penalties.  Nick pointed out how gutting it is to work so hard and come away with nothing, but despite the disappointment of the result, there are so many positives to take away from the performance – especially given how we have been playing lately.  Hopefully we are now in no doubt about what we are capable on, and are ready to push on for many happier results in the league and league cup.

MoTM was a tight affair, but Nick just edged out Liam.  Nick really led by example as he threw himself at everything, and showed an infectious level of hunger and determination which definitely rubbed off on the rest of his team mates.  DoTD was awarded later on in the pub (and without the recipient realising) when Scott showed a degree of passion which Nick would be proud of, in trying to convince the rest of us that Manchester United were still in the title race, and would prove this with a win over Chelsea.  We were vindicated in awarding Scott the DoTD prize when Man United were held to a 1-1 draw.  Oh well Scott, there is always next year.

Eye-Ball

Next game – Sunday 14^th February @ home v Chadwell

Goal scoring chart

Stifford Social 2 - 2 Aveley Academicals

Aveley came from behind to secure a point in a game which was dominated by the frustration of knowing that we could and should have played so much better.  Still, that response in itself is encouraging, as it highlights why we now haven’t lost in 9 games; we believe there isn’t a team in this league who we can’t beat on our day and won’t admit defeat until the final whistle.  The thing is, it can’t be your day every week, and this result just goes to prove that any team in this league can catch you out if you’re not at your best.  I could over-analyse why we couldn’t string more than a few passes together, and generally didn’t seem up for the races, but I’ll leave that for the general discussion in the pub.  It doesn’t surprise me though that the last two below par performances have coincided with Sharpy having to pull his boots on to fill the bench.  That’s not a dig a Sharpy – who we have to thank for sparing our blushes – but just reiterates that we are only as strong as the squad and any missing players makes us weaker.

With so many central midfield players missing, Sharpy felt it best to revert to a more attacking 4-4-2, with Mo partnering Nick in the middle and the two Kenyons leading the line.

Subs: Craig, Sharpy

Despite a lacklustre warm-up, we started quite brightly with James finding space down the right and Ryan and Dale looking a threat when they had the ball.  It was one James’s marauding runs which led to our first goal, when Mo slipped the ball through to the right winger who, despites the screams from Dale in the middle, curled the ball nonchalantly into the far corner.  Well that’s one story anyway.  The other one starts the same, but ends with James attempting to cross the ball to Dale, but slicing it into the net.  Either way, who cares: 0-1

Rather than push on, we were caught napping at the back and let Stifford’s skipper and main threat upfront collect a through ball and finish neatly past Foggy: 1-1.

We continued to look a little shaky to half time, but perhaps should have gone into the lead if (for the second week running – I forgot to mention last week’s incident) we had been awarded a penalty for a blatant trip on Dale.  However, the ref somehow saw something different from the rest of us and awarded a goal kick.

Although we seemed to be more in control in the second half, the frustration grew due to a combination of valiant defending in numbers by our opposition and a lack of quality.  This was especially true of our final ball which all too often was played harmlessly to Stifford’s goalkeeper rather than one of our strikers.  To make matters worse we gifted Stifford the lead when a sliced clearance by Foggy resulted in us being outnumbered, and despite our skipper saving the initial shot, there was a Stifford player closest to tap in the rebound.  Some argued that this player was offside when the shot came in, but to be honest it doesn’t matter.  We should never have got ourselves into a position where we were outnumbered in our own box in the first place, and others would have argued we got what we deserved: 2-1.

Time was running out, and it seemed that whatever we threw at Stifford they somehow repelled.  Both Mo and Ryan hit the post, and countless efforts were either blocked, saved or went wide of the mark.  Fortunately, despite being small (in terms of numbers), our bench had plenty of quality, and it was our two super subs who combined to get us back on level terms.  With Craig’s initial cross cleared back out to the right, we still had lots of players in the box and, at the back post, Sharpy demanded the ball.  Craig duly delivered and, running in to meet the ball on the angle, Sharpy stroked a sublime left foot volley low across the goal and into the net: 2-2.

We tried to clinch all three points at the end, but it wasn’t to be.  Still our run goes on, and sometimes a wake-up call like this is needed to remind us that we are not immortal and can’t afford to give any less than 100% in any game.  There has been talk of a pattern where Eye-Ball always gets MoTM when we lose.  Looking at the results would say that this is not quite accurate, but I think that there is definitely an argument that the awards coincide with the Accies not playing well.  I think this is because when we play well Eye-Ball is a pretty peripheral figure, but when we don’t play well collectively, there are a lot more occasions for last ditch covering tackles from the industrious left-back.  Whilst I’m honoured again to receive this accolade, I’d much rather we play well and not be noticed.

Next week is going to be tough as we face premiership opposition in the cup.  Still it’s a good opportunity for us to rediscover some of the grit and determination that we are going to need to get back to our best.

Eye-Ball

Next match: Sunday 7 February Away v Staines @ Pegasus Club

Aveley Academicals 2 - 1 FC Deportivo Thurrock (League cup first round)

Going seven games unbeaten and sitting second in the table gives you the belief that you are capable of a good run in the league cup, and this was definitely something that everyone in the Accies camp was keen to turn into a reality.  However, the fact that over three games we have only beaten Deportivo (on aggregate) by two goals suggests that we tend to let them drag us down to their level.  That was definitely the case in this 1^st round match, and there was a general sense of relief rather than jubilation following the full-time whistle, which signalled our progression into the quarter finals.

The squad was not at its strongest, and such was the unavailability that Sharpy had to pull on his boots to fill the subs bench.  Harry – originally thought to be injured and unavailable – did manage to drag himself off his sick bed to be available in the second half, which did help to ease the pressure on an unfamiliar (although still very capable) central midfield which had very little backup.

Subs: Blakey, Luke, Sharpy, Harry

You could blame the boggy pitch for making it really difficult to play any decent football, but with these reports I try to capture the general mood in the camp, which was that – to put it politely – we looked nothing like the team which had scored 34 goals in 7 unbeaten games.  In fact we looked more like the team who had lost 1-0 to Deportivo earlier in the season, as we aimlessly pumped long balls forward with the hope that Dale would work miracles, when the reality was that Deportivo’s tall defenders could sit deep and head way the ball time and time again.  The failure to keep possession then meant that we were constantly on the back foot and, in the first half especially, it felt like we were spending a disproportionate amount of time trying to win back the ball.  Still, this does make my job easier this week (after two weeks and 15 goals I could do with a bit of a break) as there a relatively few highlights for me to cover, and I can simply concentrate on the occasions when the ball found its way into the back of a net.

There doesn’t seem to be a week without a Kenyon putting the ball into the net three time, however Ryan’s hat-trick was a little unconventional, although he can say that of the 22 players on the pitch he was the only one who scored (look back to the score line if you need help with solving this riddle).

Ryan is usually the one providing the awesome deliveries from corners, but for once he was the beneficiary (a nicer way of saying “receiver”) of a superb ball to the back post from Craig.  Ryan found himself unmarked and perfectly placed to head the ball into the net: 1-0.

This knack of being in the right place at the right time was less welcome when Ryan attempted to clear the danger posed by an in-swinging corner in front of our goal.  Unfortunately his out stretched boot could only deflect the ball past Foggy and into our goal: 1-1.

The conversation at half time was frank and honest, but everyone seemed to be willing to take the criticism and get stuck in for half two.  We did look a little better, tried to play it around a bit more, and even created some opportunities for Dale to test Deportivo’s keeper, who rode his luck but managed to keep everything out.  Deportivo also created chances, but these were restricted to a few snatched efforts as we defended valiantly.  Blakely made a welcome return (one of three changes during the second half as he replaced Rob), and his aerial dominance was particularly welcome as Deportivo looked to test us by throwing long balls towards their big front men. 

The other two changes were Harry in place of Scott, and Luke for Craig.  So often these second half changes seem to make a difference, not just because of fresh legs but because it changes the dynamic, and if the opposition don’t adapt to this you can catch them out.  This definitely seemed to be the case here, and a short spell on the front foot led to us taking the led with 10 minutes to go: another set piece resulted in a scramble in the box, and through a crowd of bodies Liam managed to lift the ball towards the far post, where Ryan was once again on hand to nod the ball home: 2-1.

The last ten minutes were pretty nerve-racking, and the game would surely have gone to extra time if Foggy hadn’t rounded off an accomplished performance by diving full length to his right to tip a goal bound effort around the post.  It was at this point that we knew we were going to get away with it today, and achieve the only thing that really mattered*; getting to the next round.

Eye-Ball tends to only get MoTM awards when the team loses, which I suppose isn’t surprising given you tend to defend most in this situations.  It was therefore nice that his interventions (including a diving near post header), along with Foggy’s dominance in goal, helped see us over the line.  Either of these two could have walked way without paying their subs, but on this occasion it was Eye-Ball who left with the heavier wallet.  DoTD was a unanimous decision, with Craig causing some pre-match confusion as it appeared he had turned up for a game of tag rugby.  It turned out that he actually just had his shorts on inside out – oh dear.

*There was actually something else that mattered a great deal: Eye-Ball getting to his Nan’s birthday lunch on time, which wouldn’t have been possible without Liam and Ryan combining for our second goal – thank you guys!

Goal scoring chart

Aveley Academicals 7 - 2 Mossops

Whenever we win by such a large margin I’m inevitably asked by my dad, “What, didn’t the other team turn up?”  However dear reader, you shouldn’t let the score line fool you into thinking this game was a walk in the park.  We had to battle hard through the bitter cold, on a pitch which was better suited to mud wrestling than football (although we were fortunate to be one of the few games not called off), and against a good side who we have struggled against in the past.  The game developed in a very similar vein to our last match against West Thurrock: we scored early and never lost the lead despite being pegged back twice, and pulled away to make the three points safe in the second half.  Dale’s finishing continues to be quite extraordinary (apparently he is “hot” at the moment) as he made it back to back hat-tricks, and others in the team chipped in to take the majority of the opportunities we either created or were handed.  We could, and perhaps should have conceded a couple of late goals, but our opposition demonstrated the consequences of being wasteful in front of goal.  I’m sure Sharpy would agree that we still haven’t “hit the levels” that he is sure we can, but with Dale leading the line, and the way we are working for and with each other there is a real sense of belief running through the team that we can out-score anyone in this league.

After having to leave Craig out last time, Sharpy was facing another headache as 18 were expected to turn up for this game. In the end the pain was eased by two late drop outs, a hangover and a car that needed to be picked up from the garage.  This meant that despite naming 5 subs, Sharpy knew that he could give everyone who was willing and able to play a run out.  With the change to 3 in the middle of midfield, with Nick holding, having such a positive impact in the last match Sharpy decided to continue where we had left off.  This meant a start for Nick, with Craig replacing Liam on the right and Mo partnering Harry in the middle.

Subs: Jake, James, Liam, Scott, Blakey

With the pitch being so heavy, and the grass so long, both teams were always going to struggle to play a neat passing game.  Therefore, I think on this occasion the odd up and under could be tolerated, especially when it results in us taking the lead.  Nick intercepted the ball in our half and hoofed it high into the air.  Dale sensed an opportunity, got in behind the defender, and as the ball bounced and dropped he jumped, swivelled and lifted the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net all in one movement, for his first (but not last) outstanding goal of the game: 1-0.

We are getting quite used to Dale making goals out of nothing, but the opposition were stunned into a state of shock which only got worse when the other Kenyon showed that incredible volleys run in the family.  On this occasion Luke’s ball in was headed back across to the goal by the defender to where Ryan was waiting to volley the ball in off the post with the inside of his right boot: 2-0.

Mossops did also pose a threat in attack, and their striker caught us out with his pace to rush clean through the middle and slide the ball past Foggy: 2-1.

Every season Eye-Ball is languishing somewhere near the bottom of the goals and assists chart, as based on these metrics he contributes very little.  In fact you have to go back to the 15^th April 2012 for the last time he made a mark on the chart with an assist.  Ironically this was for winning a penalty, which was converted by the former self-proclaimed “top dog” Mr Iain Pitney.  This match therefore contained a momentous occasion, as Eye-Ball came away with the ball from a 50-50 challenge, advanced into the opposition half and, thankfully before the vertigo had set in, spotted Dale arcing a run off the last defender.  For once the feet were in the right configuration and facing in the necessary direction for Eye-Ball to be able to slide the ball through the gap which Dale had created.  Our current “top dog” still had a lot to do, but did more than enough as he shifted the ball left before blasting it left footed inside the keeper, off the far post and into the net.  It was yet another fantastic finish, which made for one very happy left back! 3-1.

Frustratingly we allowed some gloss to be taken off our superb goals again as we conceded a sloppy second, as we completely lost our shape at the back and left Foggy to be beaten one-on-one for the second time: 3-2.

Having given Mossops a sniff of wiping out our lead for the second time, we soon moved out of smelling distance again when Dale’s long throw into the box was met by Harry and about three defenders, the final touch which took the ball into the far corner of the net probably came off the defender, but Harry did get a touch and therefore had a big enough influence to claim the goal: 4-2.

The first half was definitely not our best of the season, but we still had a two goal margin, and as it turned out – just like against West Thurrock – this was just a warm up for the main act in half 2. 

It’s hard to say what was the biggest contributing factor to us being so dominant in the second half, but one thing which I think we really capitalised on was Mossops decision to go to three at the back, with five across the midfield.  This left big holes in the channels which Ryan and Liam (on for Craig) were exploiting to get forward and link up with Dale in attack.  I also think the superb cover that Nick was providing in front of the defence was key to our success (and made him a worthy MoTM), as he prowled from one touch line to the other, putting in tackles, cutting out through balls and giving simple balls to Harry and Mo, who were finding more and more space. 

Also, Mo came to life after a frustrating first half as he drove us forward and, along with H (and then his replacement Jake), went in search of the ball to make sure there was always an easy option for a pass.  We also looked a lot better defensively, with Foggy marshalling the back four from between the sticks and Rob and Brian cutting out any sniff of danger.  James then slotted in seamlessly for Luke, and just like his predecessor combined defensive duties with some incisive forward runs.  It’s therefore not really a surprise that we won second half convincingly 3-0 to continue our superb run which now stretches to 7 unbeaten.

So I suppose you want to hear about the goals?  Go on then!

The fifth was an Accies classic, and was beautiful in its simplicity.  Ryan swung in a corner from the left, and Rob stooped to head the ball into the net from 8 yards:  5-2.

Next up came a comical scene which almost ended up being the worst punchline to a joke ever: 

Q: “How many Kenyons does it take to put the ball in from 6 yards?”   

A: “Two.  One to reject the chance of an easy goal so he can pass it to the other for his hat-trick, who then decides to inspect the gift horse’s tonsils, leaving the first to scramble the ball over the line.” 6-2.

Whereas Dale had decided not to accept his brother’s charity, he was more than happy to take it from Mossop’s defenders, as one attempted to pass the ball to another but only put it into Dale’s path. He then finished calmly given all the time in the world to decide how to beat the keeper, and in doing so collect back-to-back hat-tricks (we’re quickly running out of match balls!): 7-2.

Scoring all these goals, and knowing the game was safe, was obviously a lot of fun.  But I think we were all glad when the referee blew the final whistle and we could retreat, with heads held high, to the relative warmth of the changing rooms and showers.  Nick was deservedly awarded MoTM, and DoTD took a week off (although Sharpy seems to think he had to take it).  This game really underlined what we can achieve as a squad, and let’s make sure we continue to show the same hunger and desire as we embark on what will hopefully be a long league cup run next week.

Eye-Ball

Goal scoring chart

West Thurrock 2 - 8 Aveley Academicals

2016 started with a bang, as Aveley extended their unbeaten run to 6 games with a comprehensive victory over a team we knew very little about.  Having said that, by the time we got to kick-off Sharpy knew their life story, thanks to the opposition manager chewing his ear off for half an hour about how many cup games they were winning, and how little chance they’d had to show everyone what they were made of since switching from the Essex Corinthian Premier Division.  Which goes to prove a number of things: with a kind draw you can easily win a few Essex Cup games; we could hold our own in the Essex Corinthian Premier Division; and regardless of all the talking and hype, football is eleven against eleven, and with Dale banging in goals for fun we should be able to outscore most teams if their defence is not top drawer.

Sharpy is a man who never seems to be happy.  He moans when he has to pull on his boots because we have so few players, and he moans when he has nearly a full squad to pick from.  OK, so that’s a little unfair, as the truth is that with 15 players he knows someone is going to be left out, which no one – especially Sharpy – likes to see.  On this occasion Craig was the unfortunate man to not get a run out, but the impact he has made since joining the club should be evidence enough that he won’t be in this position again anytime soon. 

The gaffa has obviously been tinkering with his formations over the Christmas break, and went for a starting eleven which most of us wouldn’t have picked, as Jake and Ryan traded places and Alex was rewarded for a good performance in the previous match with a start at left back.  Foggy is still trying desperately to find someone else to fill his big boots in goal, and even resorted to swapping shirts with club friend and former legend Connor.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t to be fooled and took his position in front of Ockendon’s back four rather than Aveley’s.

Subs: Eye-Ball, Mo, Nick, Craig

We may not have known much about West Thurrock, but within the opening minute (about 30 seconds actually) we learnt that their defence was fallible.  Dale raced down the right-hand side and put in what appeared to be a wasteful cross, given that there were three defenders in the box and no player in red.  However, Liam never gives up, and pounced on the loose touch of the defender before drilling an unstoppable shot past the keeper from 12 yards, for what is definitely one of the quickest goals in the club’s history: 0-1.

Thurrock started to find their feet, and it soon became apparent that their strength was pace in attack which they looked to exploit by feeding the ball through to their strikers at the earliest moment.  However, Brian soon showed them that this wouldn’t be a fool proof plan, as his speed and strength saw him snuff out the danger when he looked second best on more than one occasion.  When Brian wasn’t on hand, Foggy pulled of a great save with his legs to deny the striker.

The low overall quality from both sides was pretty much what you would expect given the long Christmas break and the fact that the pitch was a lumpy bog.  This didn’t mean Sharpy expected any less from his team, and even though we went two nil up when Ryan’s corner was cleared off the line by Rob (yes, really) and Jake leapt unchallenged to head home from 6 yards, the gaffa was still not happy with what he was seeing: 0-2.

The game changed for a shell shocked Thurrock when their midfielder hobbled off and their stocky striker moved back into midfield.  He started to pull the strings, and when he shrugged off Harry before putting his winger through on goal – who calmly slotted past Foggy – we knew we had a game on our hands: 1-2.

For the next 15 minutes we seemed to completely lose our heads, and were incapable of keeping the ball or keeping with the opposition.  Foggy was called into action again to save one-on-one from Thurrock’s right winger, before everyone was beaten to the ball from one of the numerous corners we conceded, and our lead had evaporated: 2-2.

Fortunately, Thurrock’s defence continued to leak.  Dale got goal-side of the defender whilst latching onto Jake’s ball, and although the push in the back may have been minimal it was still a blatant foul which knocked Dale off balance and onto the deck.  Our talisman picked himself up, and scored with ease from 12 yards:  2-3.

We created more good chances in the first half, including a tight offside decision against Liam after he blasted the ball into the net, and a ricochet off the underside of the bar.  However, Sharpy made it clear at half time that, despite leading, we were in danger of throwing away three points if we didn’t get our heads on the game, start opening our mouths, and begin to work hard to play like the team we know we are.  Two changes were made at half time, with Eye-Ball coming on in a straight swap for Alex, and Nick replacing Liam on the left wing.  Eye-Ball in particular made quite an impact as, within 10 seconds of the restart his first two touches saw the ball being lifted into the air and then over his own head and off for a throw-in, for what is definitely one of the quickest DoTD winning moments in the club’s history…

The first 10 minutes of the second half saw the Accies on the back foot, as Thurrock threw the kitchen sink at us.  Still, there was no way through, and one of the defining moments was when Foggy saved brilliantly from their striker, who then had the goal at this mercy but was denied as Rob threw his head in the way of the speeding bullet and flicked the ball over the bar.  The striker threw his hands up in the air and looked in astonishment at Rob, not because he thought there were hands involved, but because he couldn’t quite believe how the ball had not ended up in the net.  Which I suppose is an understandable reaction when you haven’t played against Robin Lawrence before.

With the defence under siege, Sharpy knew he had to put up a barrier, and that barrier came in the shape of Nick.  We changed to a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Ryan moving to the left and Mo replacing Jake.  The change in formation meant that we had a chance of winning back possession before the ball got through to the attackers, and could then exploit Thurrock’s exposed and shaky defence.   The effect was almost instantaneous, as Ryan – now much more of an attacking threat – broke into the box and played the ball over to the far post.  Dale didn’t seem favourite to score but, running away from goal he twisted and fired the ball low back across the keeper and into the net: 2-4.

This goal triggered an incredible 15 minutes in which everything Aveley – and in particular Dale – touched turned to goals.  Nick’s two assists may have been a little route one, but if it gets the job done then who cares!  Firstly, his high clearance caught the defence napping, and Dale completed an incredible third hat-trick of the season with a simply brilliant volley which took the ball over the stranded keeper’s head and into the back of the net: 2-5.

Nick and Dale weren’t finished yet, and this time Nick’s through ball was more deliberate but still relied on Dale anticipating that the defender would missed the ball.  Dale raced clear, and rounded the keeper to score into the empty net.  He later claimed that he had planned to play the ball back for his brother to score, but that the keeper more or less stepped aside, leaving him no choice but to score himself. I’m not quite sure Ryan was convinced: 2-6.

With the front players getting their fill of goals, it was time for our very own version of the chuckle brothers to get in on the act.  “To me”: Ryan’s free kick is parried by the keeper and Luke reacts quickest to head the ball in on the rebound.  “To you”:  this time Ryan drags his free kick to the left, where James is waiting on the post to redirect the ball into the net.  It really wasn’t Ryan’s day when it came to finding the back of the net, but I’m sure he is happy with the three assists: 2-8.

Overall the display may not have been vintage, but it’s hard to complain when you score eight goals against a side who definitely aren’t that bad.  Dale’s day got better as he collected his 4^th MoTM for the season to go with his four goals, and then to cap it off the turn out in the showers was superb, and Ryan asked me to put it in writing that he finally stretched his wings and flew from the soap dodging nest into the arms of his newly acquainted lathered lieutenants.

Next week we have a tough test against premiership side Staines, but if we work hard and make it hard to break us down, we know we have the fire power to maybe cause a shock.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 10^th January – Away @ Pegasus club v Staines United

Goal scoring chart