FC Congreve 5-6 Old Boys Clapham

OBC BEGIN LIFE WITH ELEVEN GOAL THRILLER*

Not sure if this was a thriller or a horror show, but if anything it was entertaining for the neutral. Mahf Chowdhury capped off a controlled first half with a neat finish just before the break and then added another when he bundled in a Matt Belk ball across the box. Belky then thumped home a third from twenty-five yards before Dean Barrett was rewarded with a penalty with good solo skills in the area to force a mistimed challenge.
4-0 easy? Not so, Jelle van der Zwet conceded a needless penalty before Tom Simpson restored the four goal cushion with a trademark header. A weak clearance was drilled home by the Congreve forward from twenty yards before Belky got his brace with an excellent back post header from a delightful Alex McGreevy cross. 6-2 job done? Then back came Congreve, three goals in the last ten minutes plus stoppage time made a comfortable afternoon into something of a concern as the last set of changes by Joicey handed the initiative back to the home side. A win and some good football, the OBC are off and running.

The team lined up Tim Greaves in goal making his OBC debut. Marcus Bristow started at right back. In central defence Marc Henderson was joined with Jelle van der Zwet. Skipper Alex McGreevy was at left back. In midfield were Max Pumphrey starting on the right wing with Jesse Jumbo making his OBC comeback in the centre with Joe Kubik. Leroy Donald was out on the left wing. Matt Belk was joined in attack by Ricardo Martins who was making his final appearance before heading off to Amsterdam to live. On the bench were Tom Simpson, Mahf Chowdhury, Dean Barrett, Cian Mcguire, Emmett Shingler and American Blaec who was looking to cap his English journey with an appearance before heading back to New York.

The game kicked off with the OBC in calm control. Matt Belk was given his first opportunity of the day on three minutes when put through by Ricardo Martins. Belk still dusting off the cobwebs hit a firm shot at the keeper that was well saved.

Joe Kubik won the ball in midfield and knocked it out to Max Pumphrey on the right who hit an excellent forty yard ball to the back post where Ricardo was unable to get a trade mark header on goal as the ball was bundled wide of the goal.

FC Congreve got their first sight of goal when a ball was played in from the left but the pull back which was well met from ten yards was shot straight at Tim Greaves in goal.

Belky had the chance to open the scoring on nineteen minutes when a Martins corner was met with a firm free header that was planted wide.

Leroy Donald provided an excellent ball for Ricardo Martins from the left as he jinked his way past the full back to deliver and excellent first time ball where Martins again failed to hit the target despite getting good contact on the ball.

Joicey rang the changes on twenty five minutes as Cian McGuire and Emmett Shingler made their debuts, with Mahf Chowdhury, Dean Barrett and Tom Simpson being introduced as Matt Belk, Max Pumphrey, Jelle van der Zwet, Alex McGreevy and Joe Kubik were called off.

OBC continued to dominate and play good football as Jesse Jumbo and Emmett Shingler linked up well to set up Ricardo but Ricardo got over the ball and skied his shot from the edge of the area.

Dean Barrett was inches from opening his account for the season as a ball in from Marcus Bristow was well collected by Barrett and his turn and shot fizzed inches past the left hand post.
The pressure was mounting and it was Barrett that provided the breakthrough. A quick throw in to Mahf Chowdhury at the edge of the penalty area was excellently controlled as Mahf beat the defender to the ball and he managed to drill the ball low past the keeper who stayed on his line. 1-0 OBC 43 minutes gone, Mahf Chowdhury.

At half time Joicey said he wanted to see more end product as he counted about nine clear chances to the oppositions two chances. The defence were on top. Markus was told to clear the ball quicker when in dangerous positions but other than that he was doing really well along with the rest of the back four. Joicey rang the changes again as Markus continued at right back, Simpson was partnered by Jelle, Alex went back to left back. Mahf Chowdhury continued on the right wing, Max Pumphrey moved to the left wing with Cian Mcguire and Joe Kubik in the middle with Dean Barrett and Matt Belk up front. Back on the bench was Ricardo, Emmett, Marc, Jesse and Leroy.

The game kicked off and within thirty seconds OBC had doubled their lead. Matt Belk raced onto a ball on the left wing and delivered a firm low centre that was bundled home by Mahf Chowdhury (one for the dubious goals committee by all accounts) to make it two nil. Chowdhury’s 2^nd of the game.

Within a minute Matt Belk got in on the act as he collected the ball from midfield (who provided the assist - claims to Joicey) who turned and buried the ball past the keeper from thirty yards to make it 3-0.

Dean Barrett calmly slotted the ball home for 4-0 after duping the full back and the centre back into making a rash tackle just inside the penalty box.

It was looking great but then the trouble started as OBC began to lose concentration. FC Congreve were awarded a penalty when Jelle van der Zwet pulled down the left winger on left hand edge of the box when he was going nowhere. Up stepped a forward to drill the ball home but Tim got a glove to it but could not stop it going in.

Normal service appeared to be resumed at the right end when a Matt Belk long throw was powered in by Tom Simpson to make it 5-1 to OBC on 58 minutes.

A minute later Jelle was unlucky not to get on the score sheet as he powered home header from a similar distance but this time the keeper made an excellent reaction save.

It was a busy day for the Dutchman as he failed to clear a clearance at the back which fell nicely at the edge of the area which was drilled past Tim in goal, a good strike, but the OBC started look a bit vulnerable at the back. 5-2 on 61 minutes.

Not to worry though, Max Pumphrey was brought down on the left and Alex McGreevy swung in a trademark free kick which was headed home convincingly by Matt Belk at the back post to make it 6-2 on 66 minutes.

On seventy minutes Joicey introduced Blaec at rightback for the tidy, and relatively untroubled Markus Bristow. Moments later Alex McGreevy rugby tackled their right winger around the neck and Joicey subbed him to ensure the situation did not get out of hand, for once it was Leroy who was coming on for someone else being naughty.

Blaec was playing his first ever game of competitive football. Joicey then continued the changes as Jelle and Joe were removed. Jesse partnered the hardworking Cian in midfield.

Emmett Shingler nearly got on the score sheet as he powered a free kick from the right wing a foot over the ball, good technique though. Emmet showed some nice touches on the right but was perhaps doing too much to try impress on his debut but showed the kind of skills that will be crucial for unlocking defences this season. Emmett was unlucky not to see his brave header from outside the box drop just wide of the goal. Vladimir blew against Emmett for dangerous play but with the keeper out of his area and a header able be won I can not see how a free kick (or drop ball) could have been awarded. If anything the OBC should have had the freekick for Emmett being clattered.

The changes though took the momentum of the OBC and handed the initiative to Congreve as they started to play nice expansive football themselves. Jesse tracked the midfielder back as far back as left back to leave Leroy to deal with the situation but Leroy was comfortably beaten as he mistimed his tackle. The low centred ball was turned in as Blaec could not react quick enough to the pacy left winger who nipped in as Tim stayed on his line. 6-3 81 minutes gone.

The horror show had begun as Joe Kubik brought down a midfielder running towards the penalty area. A firm free kick was thumped against the wall but the rebound was driven past Tim. 6-4

With four minutes of injury being played there was still time for another FC Congreve goal as a long punt from the keeper was allowed to bounce and Tim reacted slowly from his line allowing the nippy forward to poke the ball tamely to the unguarded goal. 6-5. Vladimir Ninkovic thankfully blew for full time.

I guess this automatically qualifies as a “classic” being that it is our first ever game as an independent club, but it makes uneasy reading, well the last twenty minutes anyway.

Next week, Division 1 Wandgas Sports awaits......

Wandgas finished 3^rd in Division 2 last season and this should be a sterner test that today.

Please make availability known by Wednesday (no reply equals not available)

Previous results
15/12/2007 Norton OBC 1-2 Wangas Sports (Barnes)
22.03/2008 Wandgas Sports 4-3 Norton OBC (Barnes, Jumbo, Donald)

Goals & Assists:
5. (1) Simpson (assist Belk)
7. (2) Chowdhury (assists Barrett, Belk)
9. (2) Belk (not known, McGreevy)
10. (1) Barrett (Barrett - won pen himself)

Bookings: none

Peter Joicey
27.07.2010