Tues 4th March.........Whey-eh another cup final
All good stories start with, "It was a cold and windy night" and this one is not much different except it starts; "It was a bloody cold and windy night, and the traffic was a nightmare". Despite the conditions the good people of the Ranch once again turned up in good numbers to support their team for what was always going to be a tough match.
For a change Tony Buss had almost a full compliment to choose from, the only exception was the suspended Chris Byron. Tony also sprung a surprise by naming young Jessie Atiase among the substitutes. Only 5 games ago Jessie made his debut in our 3rd team, impressive displays for them and for the 2nd's had obviously not gone unnoticed by the Boss.
Unusually for us we started the game with our tails up and the game was only a couple of minutes old when Benny Boy's volley from the edge of the box flashed narrowly over field's bar. For the first 30 mins of the game we enjoyed the lion's share of the possession, Stevie Loveridge and Charlie Hare were having particular success down the wings and Ben and Reddings were causing a lot of problems for the host's defence. Despite all our early possession it was Westfield who almost opened the scoring, only a fantastic goal line clearance by Andy Vettese prevented us going into half-time a goal down. As it turned out our hosts didn't have to wait much longer before they did take the lead.
The second half was only a 3 mins old, when a mix up in our defence led to Joe Woodard accidentally handling the ball. Westfield's Phil Parsons scored from the spot giving Tel-boy no chance. The only plus point was that there was still plenty of time for us to get back into the match, unfortunately Westfield decided that they weren't going to make it easy for us. From the restart we continued to enjoy a lot of the ball but a mixture of good defending and tenacious midfield play meant that scoring chances were few and far between. Fortunately for us Reddings doesn't usually need too many invitations to score, and when a half clearance fell to him just inside the box he promptly smashed it back into the corner of the net to equalise. The rest of the half was pretty even and it was no surprise that the game went into extra time.
Extra time started much like the previous 90 minutes, we continued to do most of the pressing and just before the break we put together a sweeping move down the right hand side which cut through the Westfield defence and ended up with Reddings slotting the ball over the advancing keeper. A great time to score, just before the turn around.
Into the second period of extra time and Westfield started to push for the equaliser and Blason, in particular, started to look dangerous. Players were tiring now and with the game stretching out gaps started to appear in what had been a very solid Westfield defence. In the final minutes Mark Buss almost topped off a fantastic personal performance, but an excellent save by Gallent deprived him of the goal his tireless running deserved. Never mind mustn't be greedy, we'll just have to settle for the opportunity to defend the trophy we won last season.......BACK
Sat 1st March.........Boys Blow Ben's Brace
It all looked good at half
time. For 45 minutes we had easily controlled the game against our visitors,
Farleigh Rovers, but a spirited fight back from Farleigh earned them a draw.
Benny Sidwell, recently re-signed from Egham Town, marked his returned with a couple of good goals. His first was a solo effort. Having received the ball 10 yards outside of the box, Ben held of one challenge, step across two other defenders and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Ben's second was more of a team effort. Charlie Hare controlled a long clearance from the Farleigh defence and hit a long cross field ball to Loveridge. Good control, a turn and Steve slipped Ben in for a clinical finish past as flailing keeper. Just before the half Ben should have had his hat trick when he was put through one on one with the keeper. This time the keeper came out on top with what was to prove a vital save.
In the second half we still looked comfortable but we had stopped creating chances and Farleigh just needed a bit of luck, or some terrible refereeing, to get back in the game, and what do you know they got it. During one attack as Titch turned and lumped the ball away, a clumsy forward managed to run into the back of him, a deed that somehow the ref deemed to be Titch's fault. Penalty 2-1. Farleigh now had their tails up and went in search of an equaliser and once again the officials decided to help. 25 yards out Joe Woodard jumped to head a ball away, a Farleigh player decided not to bother and simply pushed Joe under the ball and let the ball drop to his feet. Incredibly the officials decided to ignore this fact, although they both admitted after that they had seen it, even more incredibly the Farleigh player lashed an unstoppable shot past Gaylord to make it 2-2.
Now I know that we need officials, and I acknowledge that without them the game would be virtually unplayable, I also know that I really shouldn't criticise them but I am only human. We play in a good league, who usually provide us with extremely competent officials, so how we managed to get these three all at the same game is unbelievable. I have never been in the situation when two officials stand in the clubhouse after a game and both admit to have seeing a foul and both admit that they were waiting for the other to give it. Never mind it could only cost us the league title.......BACK
Sun 10th Feb.........Cup misery
No 1st team match this week
but both the 2nd's and Vets were involved in Cup semi finals, and both
failed to make the final.
The 2nd (Youth) team travelled to Stanmore to take on FSL for a place in the Middx County Final. It was a tough game, on a very poor pitch (we take Bill the Dirt for granted don't we) between two equally matched teams. After 90 mins the score was 1 apiece and the tie went to extra time. Unfortunately our lads conceded two and come home with their tails between their legs to concentrate on winning the league, and the other cup they are still in.
The Vets blew it. Despite all their experience and the fact that they had, on paper, the easier of the remaining teams, they were never in this match. Brownie made changes prior to the start but the side never got going. RBS started the game much the better team and never deserved to go behind to a Tommy Keene header. Their equaliser, a hopeful cross that sailed over Nicky's head, was undoubtedly lucky but deserved, and when a headed second took them into half time in front, our boys couldn't complain. A Brucie Peake deflection gave our visitors a third, and a place in the final, early in the second half. Good luck to RBS in the final. Our Vets need to sort themselves out quickly or they may lose the league as well.......BACK
Sat 9th Feb.........The Good, the Good & the Ugly
Our Saturday sides
all had big games today, and 2 of the 3 came out on top.
The 1st team travelled to Hartley Wintney in a 1st v 2nd clash, with the
hosts desperate for a win to close the gap on our table toppers. For the
first 20 mins of the match we were under a bit of pressure but once "Coolhand"
Buss sorted out the mid-field we started to take a grip on proceedings and
Bussy himself scored our first goal after 30 mins. German added a second,
following great work by Gordon and Daryl, right on the stroke of halftime
and despite a spirited 2nd half effort by Hartley we get a tight grip on the
game to increase our lead at the top of the table. This was an excellent all
round performance, with the defence playing particularly well, but I think
that the best individual showing was from Stevie Loveridge who worked
tirelessly up front.
The 2nd team were in the County Cup away to HFC, a team from Hayes. By all accounts we were dreadful and lucky to only lose 7-2. The least said the better.
"Woodards Maniacs", the 3rd team were home to Willesden Constantine who, in their time honoured tradition, turned up 30 mins late. A bit of Argy Bargy between the teams earlier in the season meant that this was a game that Tony really wanted to win, and his side never let him down. A good all round effort, and a goal from Davis, meant Tony spent most of Sat evening doing an impression of the Chesire Cat. Well done boys.......BACK
Sat 2nd Feb........."Loverman" special saves a point
The 1st team, looking for
their 6th straight win, played host to Warlingham in the league. Charlie
Hare put us in the league following some good work from Noadie but two goals
from the visitors late in the half meant we went in 2-1 down at half time.
During the 2nd half, despite a lot of huffing and puffing, neither team
looked as though they were going to add to the score, but we didn't allow
for Super Stevie Loveridge. When we won a free kick about 10 yards outside
the box it looked like a tall order to beat a goalie that had been in good
form all afternoon, not for Loverman it wasn't. A great strike into the top
left corner saved us a point, all the more special seeing Hartley Wintney
lost away to Westfield. Next week we travel to Hartley Wintney in a top of
the table clash......BACK
Tuesday
12th Nov.........B.A. = Blown Away
The expected
fireworks, against the much vaunted BA Midweek team, turned into a bit of a
damp squid as our boys turned in their best performance of the season to
date to run out 6-1 winners.
The table topping visitors fielded a very strong side, including ex-villain Micky Palmer, but they never looked as though they were going to be able to hold on to top spot, despite taking the lead, very much against the run of play. Ben Sidwell equalised with a very good finish from a tight angle and then Charlie McCarthy completed a great move ,that involved half the team (not Cliff though), to send us into half time 2-1 up.
The first goal of the second half was going to be important to both sides, and when Jamie Marriott smashed the ball home you could see the BA heads drop and the game was as good as over. We took complete control of the game and Daws, in goal, may as well have gone to the bar (1st time and all that) as Jon Henry (finally) tapped home a Lee Bardini flick on, before both Charlie Mc and big Jamie each scored their second to complete the rout and a great performance to go top of the league......BACK
Sunday
11th Nov.........clean sweep
Not all of our
teams had games this weekend but those that did won. The 2nd team beat
Heston Celtic, 2 goals to Nil in the 2nd round of the Middx County Cup.
Don't know yet who scored the goals for us, but I do know that Bumble, the
traitor, was playing for them. I also heard that he was in the club Saturday
saying that he was looking forward to an easy game.
The Vets strengthened their
position at the top of their league with a 4-2 win away to second place
Hanworth Park res. Bobby Keene (eventually) headed home the first goal only
for Park to equalize with a rocket of a free kick We regained the lead with
another header, this one from the immaculately manicured head of Alan Reid.
Another Bobby Keene header made it 3-1 at half time.
A really bad hangover prevented me from watching the 2nd half but evidently
it wasn't very good. A bit of slack marking let the oppo in for a second,
and for a fleeting moment I think they thought they were going to get
something out of the game. They underestimated the boss however. Brownie
unleashed the wrath of the Keenes. Once the three of them had got their
bookings out of the way Tommy made the game safe with a 30 yard header over
the stranded keeper. It may not be football but it is entertaining. Man of
the Match, Spencer Willmott. Easily the drunkest linesman I have ever seen.
Both the Under 15,s and 13's scored 5 goals to win their matches. The big boys beat Kew Association Colts in the league and the little boys beat at side called Links in the Invitational Cup. They did spoil it a bit by letting a goal in........BACK
Saturday
10th Nov.........a mixed bag
The 1st team got
back on track on Saturday, but boy did they make hard work of it. Away to
lowly Tongham and once again they were a goal down after a minute. They soon
pulled themselves together though and it wasn't long before Mitchell raced
away to get on the end of a long through ball, and levelled the score with a
tidy finish. The rest of the half was pretty even, Tongham were playing much
better than their league position suggested, and our boys were pretty
relieved when half time came.
The relief didn't last long into the 2nd half as we soon went behind again,
and when the now traditional bickering and arguing broke out I feared the
worst. Our hosts started to increase the pressure but our defenders,
particularly Noadie and Chris Byron, held firm and with 10 mins to go the
rest of the lads woke up and at last started to play as we know they can.
Benny boy equalised with a typical Benny strike from just outside the box, a
goal he deserved for the effort he had put in all the game. With the clock
ticking down we started to apply almost constant pressure and with a couple
of minutes to go Tongham didn't clear a long through ball and Daryl North
was through one on one. All of us watching feared the worst and closed our
eyes, luckily so did Daryl and the ball beat the keeper to give us a win we
didn't really deserve. We'll take it though.
The reserves took a depleted squad to Harrow to play the Harrow clubs in the 2nd round of the Middx County Cup. I wasn't there but by all reports the game was niggerley from the outset, with our opponents in particular, pressurising the ref with constant complaints and moaning. Despite the problems we took the lead with a goal by who I don't know and looked to have the game won right up to the last kick of the match when Harrow equalised. Extra time beckoned, or did it? For some reason all hell broke loose, Kaney got punched in the mouth and the game was abandoned. Watch this space for the decision........BACK
Weekend 6th/7th Oct.........not a bad weekend
On Saturday the 1st's went goal crazy with a 2 - 12 win away to second place
Sheerwater. Top gun was Benny Sidwell whose season finally burst into life
with a hat-trick. Mark Buss, Andy Vettese and Daryl North all notched a
brace apiece and Stevie Loveridge, Mitchell Murphy and new boy Craig
Prendercast scored the remainder. No doubt about the goal of the game,
Daryl's volley from 30 yards. Even Terry wouldn't have stopped it.
The Sat 2's were due to have a County Cup game against Sudbury Court.
Unfortunately the oppo couldn't raise a team so we get a walkover.
On Sunday there was mixed fortunes for our teams in the County Cups. The 1st team went out of the Premier Cup, losing 4-2 away to St Georges, and the 2nd team went through by default after their opponents, Christchurch Roxeth, failed to show up.
The Sunday Vets continued
their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 win over the wonderfully
named Real Madras. Before the game Real were sitting proudly at the top of
Chiswick & District Div 3, but goals from Gary Brunning (Yes! Gary Brunning)
and Bobby the Wat capped a very good team performance to see the old
boys replace the visitors as the early league leaders.......BACK