Alfold FC 1-4 Old Boys Clapham 07.04.2012

(This match reports are biased, one sided and probably inaccurate)

ALFOLD 1-4 OLD BOYS CLAPHAM

Barrett 36,
Walsh 44,
Belk 47,
Dundas 69

HT 0-2

Alfold Sports Club

3pm kick off

ref: A. Freeman

Man of the match: 10. Dean Barrett

Line Up: Harman, Whelan, Idjiwa, Burke, McGuire (Peters 57), Horner, Kubik (Henderson 54), Walsh, Dundas, Belk, Barrett (Breen 55)

BARRETT BULLETT PUTS OBC IN COUNTY CUP FINAL

Old Boys Clapham booked themselves into the Surrey County Cup Final on Thursday 10th May with an impressive 4-1 win at Alfold FC on the Surrey/Sussex border. An excellent pitch was so inviting and this helped our play as Barrett hit a screamer on the turn and volley on thirty six minutes. Ian Walsh doubled the lead with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area before the break as the home side struggled to close down OBC's attacking play. The game was wrapped up by Matt Belk as he accepted a gift from the Alfold keeper's miss-kick shortly after the re-start. Belk's 35th goal of the season. Andy Dundas made it 4-0 from close range as OBC put the tie beyond Alfold’s reach. Alfold managed a late consolation from a powerful headed goal but it was not enough as OBC defended doggedly throughout and Steve Harman made two point blank saves in either half. Next up is St. Andrews in the Geoff Ellis Premier Shield Final on Wednesday 11th April at Tooting & Mitcham in what should be another cracking game as both teams are good goal scorers. The good OBC news continued today as OBC Reserves secured 2nd place in Division 3 after a 3-0 win at Destiny Academy thanks to goals from Andy Cochrane, Jamie Bradley and James Ponsford.

After two good wins in a week Old Boys Clapham were back in confident mood. Dean Barrett came off the bench to score the winner against Worcester Park so he was rewarded with a starting place with Mike Breen making way. Other than that it was an unchanged line up from the players that won against NPL and Worcester Park with Steve Harman continuing in goal. The back four was Alex Whelan, Grant Burke, Cian McGuire and Idjiwa Adjido. Across midfield was Charlie Horner, Ian Walsh, Joe Kubik and Andy Dundas. Up front were hit men, skipper Matt Belk and Dean Barrett. On the bench today was Mike Breen, Adam Peters and Marc Henderson.

The game kicked off with Alfold, not understandably, looking pretty enthusiastic playing the semi-final at home. Alfold forced an early corner in the first minute but it was comfortably dealt with but good pressure by the homeside forced OBC onto to the back foot in the early exchanges.

A second corner for Alfold in the sixth minute was well worked and the attacking player got a good strike on the ball but fortunately it deflected off a home player and out for goal kick as the ball hit with venom dropped the right side of the post for us.

OBC tried to get a foothold in the game and Alex Whelan tried an effort from twenty five yards but his effort went through a crowed penalty area and looped out with the referee awarding a goal kick.

OBC were starting to break better and Dean Barrett hit a low drive from a narrow angle which forced the Alfold keeper into a smart save at his near post.

Alfold were not having much joy through the middle of the park as Ian Walsh and Joe Kubik in midfield gave the home side little space in which to play. At the back Whelan, Burke, McGuire and Idjiwa were immense. Burke and McGuire were like two colossus’ snuffing out the Alfold strikers’ goal threat. As a result Alfold looked to get the ball out to their left wing to swing in dangerous balls as the home side looked to make good use of their wide pitch. One on such occasion a poor Alex Whelan freekick did not get over the first man and Alfold countered down our right wing with Whelan and Horner out of position. The winger managed to do a trick past Grant Burke and hit a low shot at Harman’s goal but Harman made a fantastic reaction save to block the effort.

The deadlock was nearly broken in the twenty-fifth minute by Andy Dundas as he did an overhead kick from a Grant Burke cross. The keeper managed to get a fist on the ball and it was punched out for a corner kick.

The game was a pretty even affair at this stage and again Steve Harman came to OBC’s rescue as the home side played a good piece of football as they moved the ball from our left hand side and into our penalty area. It looked as if it would be a certain goal but Harman got down low to tip the striker’s effort around the far post.

Then Dean Barrett lit the blue touch paper with a thunderbolt out of the blue when he turned and volleyed home from twenty yards with was one of the sweetest strikes of the season. Barrett’s 23^rd goal of the season.

OBC should have doubled our lead when Grant Burke won a header in the area and in the resulting scramble the ball somehow was fired over the bar from close range.

OBC did double our lead shortly afterwards whilst we were on top. Again high pressing by Matt Belk and Dean Barrett allowed for Ian Walsh to hit a low sweet drive from the edge of the area as the defenders were too slow to react to the OBC midfielder’s goal threat. Walsh’s drive was low and fizzed into the bottom left hand corner of the net giving the young Alfold keeper no chance. Walsh’s 14^th goal of the season and the half time whistle blew shortly afterwards.

At halftime Joicey said that we were playing well but we had to be careful of their left winger as they seemed to be knocking the ball out to him as they could not get through the middle of the park. Everyone expected a rallying effort from the home side. Joicey urged the team to win the first five minutes of the half so that we start on the front foot.

And within two minutes of the restart it was 0-3. Belk chased down a lost cause by chasing a back pass to the keeper. The keeper misjudged his kick and returned it straight to Belky who managed at the second attempt to thump the ball into the net for his 35^th goal of the season.

With the three goal cushion Joicey made planned changes in Marc Henderson coming on for Joe Kubik with Cian McGuire being pushed into his more familiar central midfield place. Dean Barrett had worked his socks off and was replaced by Mike Breen. Unfortunately Cian McGuire picked up a knock to the lower leg and had to be replaced by Adam Peters, so Breen was asked to play centre mid with Peters up front with Belk.

Charlie Horner was denied a penalty when he had his leg stood on him by the big number five as the goal was gaping after a good strike from Belk was parried by the keeper. As Horner was about to bundle the ball in he was felled in the process with the linesman looking on.

Two minutes later OBC were effectively out of sight when Adam Peters put in an outrageous through ball to Belk with the outside of his foot but Belk could not collect the ball but it ran kindly as Charlie Horner got the ball and put the ball across the box for Dundas to tuck home after his initial shot had been saved by the keeper. Dundas’ 3^rd goal of the season on 69 minutes.

OBC were playing quite comfortably and appeared to enjoy stroking the ball around on the lush pitch. Adam Peters had a good well hit drive well held by the keeper as OBC looked to add another goal to the tally.

It was not to be however as the home side threw an extra man forward for the last ten minutes and they got their reward when an Alfold corner was powerfully headed in past Steve Harman in goal. Alfold forced Harman into a point blank reaction save in stoppage time but it was too little too late and Old Boys Clapham are through to the final on Thursday 10^th May 2012, 7.30pm kick off at South Park FC of the Combined Counties League.

<http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/southparkfc/>

Well done to all involved. Other good news is that Old Boys Clapham Reserves secured 2^nd place in Division Three thanks to a 3-0 win at Destiny Academy with goals coming from skipper Andy Cochrane, Jamie Bradley and James Ponsford. The side looks forward to competing in Division Two in 2012/13.

In other Division One news. League leaders Norton were docked 4 points yesterday for fielding ineligible players in a 3-1 win over bottom side Wilf Kroucher before Christmas and deducted a further point for recent poor time keeping. This meant Old Boys Clapham went top of Division 1 for one day but Norton beat fellow title hopefuls Kerria Knights 1-0 to put themselves back on top by a single point but we have four games in hand on Norton FC. Up next for OBC is the Geoff Ellis Premier Shield Final on Wednesday 11^th April 2012 at Tooting & Mitcham FC, 7.30pm kick off.

Peter Joicey
07 April 2012

An alternative match report from Alfold FC

http://www.alfoldfc.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=290

Saturday, April 07, 2012
Alfold 1 - 4 Old Boys Clapham
First Team

Final Dreams Over...As Mistakes Make Us Pay....

Early exchanges and Alfold look the brighter side putting OCB on the back foot. An early corner in the 1st minute was rolled in but dealt with. It wasnt long before another corner came our way in the opening 10 min spell but a well struck shot was deflected out and wide. Instead of rolling out from the back we too often went long and found the ball coming straight back at us, which increasingly put us under pressure. The talk was build from the back, but for some reason partly due to some pressing from the OCB forwards it didnt happen and made our game a little dis-jointed but none the less looking the better side still. A great counter attack move resulted in Bearryman breaking, beating his man and striking a shot but Harman in the away team goal got down well to save his effort. OCB had there first real opening after 30mins when an overhead kick was struck in the box, but Gareth Roberts got fingers to it well and tipped over. We keep pushing and Lee Trussler starts finding some joy down the left hand side - his cross finds Robbie Brininger but again the keeper saves well and tips around the post. The break comes when Barrett from OCB out of the blue turns and volleys into the top corner on 37mins to put the away team into the lead. 0-1 It spurs them on and just before half time they grab another - when we fail to clear our lines, instead of getting it out high and wide, it falls to the centre mid and again an individual error is punished with a very well struck shot into the far corner, giving Roberts no chance. 0-2 Half time - and the talk is the game is still on - in fact the next goal (so long as its ours) will change the tie and we have every chance of doing it. Within 2 mins of the re-start the dream is halted as the OCB captain and no 9 chases down a back pass, which Roberts misjudges badly and kicks directly at Belk, the CF also flunks his first effort only to get it back and on this occasion tuck it away with aplomb. 0-3 heads go down and for most this is the fatal blow. Important thing was never to give up no matter what. Every team gaffer Cooper manages always has character to come back and never stop working - chasing lost causes. Today i have to say the final 35 mins were very long and we never got that energy or fighting spirit to kick us back into the game. Too quiet, too flat, too easy - even if it was 0-3. Not again chaps. It soon became 0-4 as a throughball wasnt dealt with and Dundas scored with 20mins left. A consolation goal was scored from a corner - whipped in by Hass and headed home by Sam Goodway. 10mins left on the clock, but too little too late. Good luck to Old Boys Clapham in the final on May 10th - it wasnt to be for us this year. Although 1st half i felt we had been the better side but punished for our individual errors, 2nd half we stopped on the 3rd goal and lost our shape and discipline too much. Looking back to 1 year ago and the cup final squad - only 3 players started Saturday from that side and on paper it is a much changed side. We must learn from our mistakes that over the last few weeks have creeped in, and realise that all is still to play for in the league. We need to show character, endeavour, and cut out the individual errors and push ourselves on into the final 6 games. Its ours for the taking - so lets sieze the opportunity. Training Weds- get yourselves down