FC Dosr 2-3 Old Boys Clapham

BELK SEALS INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY WIN

Matt Belk grabbed another late winner to seal OBC’s first overseas win. Belk fired in from close range after a moment of sheer brilliance from Max Pumphrey. Pumphrey weaved in and out down the right wing beating several DOSR players before laying the ball off in Belk’s path who tucked the ball away. DOSR twice came from behind as their excellent continental technique saw OBC’s defence breached with some crisp passing. Belk gave the OBC a third minute lead when he deftly chipped the goalkeeper from the edge of the area. DOSR equalised soon after with a powerful close range header. Leroy Donald capped his 100^th appearance with a goal as he followed up a Belk rebound. DOSR looked to have got themselves in the driving seat when Mel Kenny could not stop a rebound being placed into the net from a tight angle. Kenny was hand to deny DOSR the win with a world class save as the game reached a crescendo of a finale as he tipped a brilliantly worked close range effort around the post. With three minutes to go the ball found its way out to Max Pumphrey on the half way line and the rest is now history.

The international party set off missing two players as Dean Barrett and Leroy Donald missed their flight from Gatwick. Luckily both were able to get on the following flight an hour and a half later and were picked up by Jelle’s mum from Amsterdam airport. With that hurdle overcome and nobody lost on the previous night’s trip to Amsterdam Joicey had a full team to select. Joicey opted for a 4-4-2 to see how it faired against the Dutch 4-3-3. Mel Kenny started in goal with Alex McGreevy playing at right back. Marc Henderson and Andy Cochrane were the centre backs with Simon Burbage at left back. Max Pumphrey played right wing with skipper Jelle van der Zwet partnered by his cousin and former DOSR player Chris van der Zwet in the middle of the park with Leroy Donald starting on the left wing. Up front Matt Belk was partnered by Dean Barrett. The bench looked pretty sparse with Paul Lewis and Peter Joicey making up the subs.

The game kicked off with OBC getting the better of the early exchanges. Simon Burbage intercepted a DOSR ball who played it to Leroy Donald whose inside pass found Belk who managed to chip the ball from the edge of area and over the advancing keeper, what a start, what a goal. 0-1 OBC, 3 minutes gone, Belk’s 5^th goal of the season.

DOSR were keen to get back into the game and forced Kenny into a full length save to tip the ball to safety where Burbage cleared.

DOSR pressure mounted as they had a sustained period of possession as they used their good skills and technical ability to retain the ball. Burbage was unlucky to have been adjudged to have handballed a clearance on the left hand edge of the penalty area. The ball was expertly swung into the back post where it was headed back across goal and the big centre back was on hand to power home DOSR’s equaliser. 1-1 11 minutes gone.

OBC kept going and Dean Barrett was able to dispossess the DOSR full back and got a long range shot away that was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper. DOSR appeared prone to mistakes at the back as the Dutch side stuck to their footballing principles to retain the ball at all times even if it meant playing risky balls across the back four.

Chris van der Zwet found Belk on the right hand edge of the DOSR area and Belk tried an audacious shot from a tight angle which surprised the DOSR keeper and the ball went high up in the air. Dean Barrett was slow to react to the spilled ball and could not get close enough to turn the ball into an unguarded net.

DOSR retained possession in front of the back four well but Marc Henderson and Andy Cochrane played really well to keep the Dutch lads at bay. Joicey felt that DOSR were having too much possession and reverted to a five man midfield with Dean Barrett being moved out to the left wing, where Chris and Jelle would sit in front of the back four with Leroy Donald in more of a free role. The Dutch lads loved Leroy on the park, especially the comments coming from him such as “ref six seconds, six seconds ref” when the keeper had the ball.

The change had an immediate effect in that OBC appeared to get a stranglehold of the game. Matt Belk was able to latch onto a Jelle van der Zwet through ball. Belk’s firm shot was parried across the goal and Leroy Donald used his pace to beat the DOSR defence and calmly slot the ball home with his left foot. 1-2 OBC, 30 minutes gone, Donald’s first goal of the season.

Again DOSR tried to rally. Andy Cochrane brought down the DOSR number ten twenty five yards from goal. The free kick dipped over wall and onto the crossbar for a goal kick.

OBC had the chance to extend the lead when a Belk flick on was knocked down into the path of Donald who again raced away and had a clear shot at goal but he pulled his shot wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat. Donald might have done better there.

Jelle van der Zwet nearly got one against his old club when he was able to turn and shoot from the edge of the DOSR penalty area. The firmly struck effort sailed just wide of the left hand post.

DOSR had an excellent opportunity to equalise when the nippy number 14 got away from Marc Henderson and it looked a certain goal with only Kenny to beat but the 14 could not compose himself and fired over the bar from just eight yards. If that had been on target it was a certain goal, a let off for the OBC and good play by DOSR.

OBC were denied a third goal when Chris van der Zwet tried to take a throw in, but with Joicey and the team shouting “no, no” to him to the amusement of the Dutch crowd. Matt Belk came over to launch one of his trade mark throw ins. Belk launched the ball to the near post where Marc Henderson headed home only for the effort to be ruled out for a push..... The half ended with OBC 2-1 up at the break.

Joicey said to the lads at half time that they were playing really well and everyone was making a telling contribution. Joicey said that DOSR would continue to give us chances as they were taking unnecessary risks at the back where perhaps two out of every ten passes could be seized upon if Dean, Matt and Leroy could press the back four into making a mistake. Everyone agreed the five in the middle was working and was more effective at containing DOSR.

The second half started in the same manner of the first. Belk flicked the ball into Max Pumphrey’s path but Pumphrey uncharacteristically could not get the ball under control when through on goal.

Alex McGreevy then turned provider on the right side when he released Matt Belk who held his man, turned and shot in one movement but the firmly struck effort went just wide from twenty five yards.

Pumphrey again was unlucky not to get on the score sheet when an excellent free kick from Marc Henderson at the back spotted Pumphrey free on the right wing. The ball was cut out by an excellent piece of goalkeeping as the DOSR keeper rushed off his line and headed the ball away from outside the area.

Leroy Donald then tried to add to his first half goal when he cut in from the right and had a fizzing low shot well saved by the DOSR keeper.

With OBC seemingly in control a blow was struck when Chris van der Zwet pulled up with a thigh strain with thirty five minutes still to go. Veteran Paul Lewis was brought on and was asked to play on the left wing. Dean Barrett and Leroy Donald were asked to sit with Jelle van der Zwet in central midfield and protect the lead. But due to the attacking instincts of both Barrett and Donald neither could hold their position and a solid 4-5-1 became a shaky 4-3-3 as both sides now played with the same formation.

The change handed the advantage back to the Dutch lads as they began to up their game, especially having been told that we were out till 5am the previous night by the DOSR manager at half time. DOSR were able to break free of the defence and the striker had a one on one with Mel Kenny but Kenny stood his ground and a made a superb reaction save to deny DOSR an equaliser. From the kick out Belk flicked the ball down for Donald whose shot was weak and failed to trouble the DOSR keeper as the game became more stretched.

Moments later Jelle van der Zwet fired an excellent ball into Belk who was denied by a superbly timed tackle by the centre back that forced Belk wide. Belk won the ball back but his flicked chip to the back post dipped just over the bar.

At the other end DOSR broke free of Alex McGreevy and a fantastic drive from the edge of the area was palmed around the post by the flying Kenny in goal.

DOSR were not to be denied though. A good piece of delicate interplay on the left wing allowed DOSR to breakthrough the OBC defence as the ball was forced out wide where Burbage was beaten by two men, the low cross into the box was met with a low shot which was excellently parried by Kenny but there were two, maybe even three, DOSR players on hand for the rebound and the ball was fired home for 2-2 on 75 minutes by the young DOSR striker.

Would this be the catalyst for a DOSR victory as OBC appeared to be struggling with the pace of the game? From the restart OBC continued to create chances, the ball was played out to Lewis on the left who cut inside and hit a dipping shot that went just wide of the post from twenty five yards.

Lewis turned provider as Belk was put through one on one with the DOSR keeper but Belk shot straight at the keeper who made a comfortable save.

OBC were denied a penalty when Dean Barrett was brought down just inside the box but the referee ruled that it was just a free kick. Belk stepped up to take it and the effort was parried to the right hand edge of the area where it was picked up by Max Pumphrey who played a delightful ball to the back post where Lewis was fouled with the goal at his mercy as Lewis was pushed upwards by the DOSR defender and the chance was gone.

Then with five minutes to go the game turned OBC’s way occurred. DOSR managed to break through the defence with another one on one with Kenny but cometh the hour, cometh the man, and King Kenny saved the day once more with a reflex save to deny DOSR the winner.

The subsequent corner was cleared by Andy Cochrane and the ball found its way to Max Pumphrey on the right wing. Starting on the half way line Pumphrey beat one DOSR player, then another, Pumphrey dribbled into the box but having been crowded out by the DOSR defence he dribbled back out of the box and tried again. This time Pumphrey went around the edge of the penalty area and used his close control to good effect to dibble into the heart of the penalty area. Pumphrey then had his trailing leg taken away from him but no penalty was given but he still managed to knock the ball into the path of Belk who took the ball on and smashed home the winner... what a goal, what a time to get it. The OBE’s from the Queen are in the post boys!!!

DOSR tried to rally but a late free kick was fired into the wall and the referee blew for full time in an historic win. An excellent game of contrasting styles, won on this occasion by the kick and rush English. We look forward to seeing the Dutch lads in London next year for the rematch.

A brilliant day was capped off with the Dutch players voting Matt Belk as man of the match and both teams partied the night away in a village on a foreign field. Happy days and the best of memories. Thank you to all the Dutch people who showed excellent hospitality, humility and friendship, especially the van der Zwet family who looked after the OBC lads above and beyond the call of duty. All the OBC lads were very touched and honoured to have travelled to such an amazing place with amazing people.

Peter Joicey
17^th August 2010