Kingston Albion 0-2 Old Boys Clapham (CUP)

BELK PUTS OBC INTO 4^th ROUND OF FA COUNTY CUP

Belk booked OBC a place in the 4th Round of the Surrey County Cup on 5th February with a good finish whilst one on one with keeper after Emmett Shingler weighted the perfect through ball for Belk to race onto and finish. The second goal killed the game and OBC looked the more likely to increase the lead. Charlie Horner gave the OBC a 7th minute lead when his powerful cross come shot was deflected in by the unlucky Albion defender. Albion had three decent chances in the first half but were denied by the crossbar and Matt Custance in goal. Steve Allison should have extended the lead in the first half shooting at the keeper from close range and Matt Belk had a header ruled off for offside. In the second half OBC created all of the decent chances and Cian McGuire was denied a penalty when bundled down in the area. Not vintage, in all honesty, OBC were a bit rusty, but a solid performance nevertheless and a good game to dust off the winter cobwebs against higher league opposition.

With the terrible arctic weather strangling the country over the last six weeks meant that the OBC had not kicked a ball in anger since thrashing Ashtead 9-0 in the League back in November 2010. The game looked to be in some doubt with heavy rain the previous two days but thankfully Kingston Albion’s pitch was one of the better ones in the county and had good drainage so the game was never in doubt. Joicey had an abundance of talent to call upon for the first game of 2011. Matt Custance continued in goal. Charlie Horner continued at right back. Tom Simpson came in at centre back to provide a goal threat, Andy Cochrane unlucky in dropping down to the bench. Marc Henderson came in for Johan Bakker at centre back and skipper Alex McGreevy continued at left back. Max Pumphrey, Cian McGuire, Steve Allison and Emmett Shingler continued across midfield and Dean Barrett was partnered by Matt Belk who was in for hatrick hero Joe Kubik who had work in the morning. On the bench were Andy Cochrane, Jelle van der Zwet, Johan Bakker, Joe Chun and Peter Joicey.

Kingston Albion sit bottom of the Kingston & District Premier League which is the equivalent to our Division 1 but it is hard to compare the standard just yet. One thing that was sure was that OBC were going to be in for a difficult afternoon.

From the kick off OBC got the better of the early exchanges. A long throw by Matt Belk was launched to the back post where Marc Henderson could not get enough on the header and the effort went high and wide.

Dean Barrett was scythed down on the left hand edge of the area but the referee did not award a free kick. A photo of the tackle on the website shows that the full back took out Barrett’s standing leg. A couple of the early decisions went the home side’s way but decisions were more balanced once the OBC took an early lead. Cian McGuire played an excellent cross field ball to Max Pumphrey who played in the overlapping Charlie Horner on the right wing where Horner did extremely well to stop the pass going out for a throw in and then a goal kick because of his momentum. Horner put a super ball across the box which was deflected in for a seventh minute lead. Horner is claiming it after the dubious goals committee ruled that Emmett Shingler did not get a touch. Horner’s 5^th goal of the season.

Albion did their best to muscle their way back into the game in the first half. Their number 9 was quick and dangerous but when he had sight of goal he found Matt Custance in a good position and Custance made a comfortable low save. Midway through the first half Custance could only watch as header from the big Albion midfielder looped onto the crossbar from ten yards after good pressure from Tom Simpson. The ball bounced kindly for the OBC and Marc Henderson was able to bundle the ball away.

Marc Henderson and Tom Simpson were colossal this afternoon especially being under the Albion cosh from their long high balls. Charlie Horner was at times playing too risky as he kept on trying to beat the winger but the winger had good skills and it would be only a matter of time before Horner would be dispossessed and the winger would be in on goal so Horner was told to focus on defending and clearing his lines.

At the other end Matt Belk had a header ruled out for offside as Emmett Shingler floated a cross to the back post but the delayed cross meant that the tight decision was always going to go the way of the home side.

Steve Allison should have doubled the lead when Max Pumphrey fired a low right wing corner into the box. Allison met the ball well and arched his curling shot goalward but the Albion was well placed on the line next to his post to make a comfortable save. Allison has yet to break his duck for the season. Allison’s last goal coming in the Cup Final of last season.

At halftime Joicey said that the team was doing really well but hoped that a second goal would kill the game. Dean Barrett was told to go down the left more rather than cut in as the centre back was beating Barrett every time he turned inside. Joicey told the lads to keep doing what they were doing but be careful of the number 9 on the left hand side of the pitch as he was their most dangerous player and the OBC had to work harder on the left to stop crosses coming in which meant that Emmett Shingler would have to protect Alex McGreevy a bit more.

The second half got underway with OBC on top as Albion struggled to break through the wall of white shirts in front of them. Whenever Albion got a sniff of a half chance they would be crowded out by the defence and the midfield who were working overtime to get back and defend. Marc Henderson took a couple of knocks for the team and in a clash with the number 9 the forward came off worse and had to be substituted on sixty minutes.

Cian McGuire should have doubled the lead when a Belk throw in was met by the big Irishman at the back post but McGuire’s firm header was planted a couple of inches above the crossbar. The team had no luck on the throw ins or corners today as Albion did well to get bodies in the way.

A further Albion sub was introduced before Joicey introduced Joe Chun on the right wing for Dean Barrett. Max Pumphrey went to the left wing and Emmett Shingler partnered Matt Belk up front.

With Albion restricted with the loss of the number 9 there was more space for OBC to counter Albion. Emmett Shingler had a goal ruled out for offside after Cian McGuire delayed the perfectly weighted pass where Shingler rounded the keeper but Shingler was four or five yards offside.

The warning signs were there though and it was Emmett Shingler who turned provider as he put a beautiful ball for Matt Belk to race onto. Belky held off the centre back and struck a firm shot into the corner of the net passed the advancing keeper. A top quality finish from the big striker. 0-2 Old Boys Clapham 67 mins gone, Belk’s 15^th goal of the season.

Jelle van der Zwet and Johan Bakker were introduced for Shingler and Allison as Joicey looked to go five across midfield. But with Bakker and Chun both keen to impress OBC went in search of more goals making it even more of an open game.

Cian McGuire was denied an obvious penalty when the centre back climbed over the top of him on the edge of the penalty area. Had it been anywhere else on the pitch it would have been a foul.

Matt Belk laid on an excellent ball to the onrushing Joe Chun who met the ball with a firm shot which was excellently saved by the keeper who showed good agility to get across Chun.

After ten minutes of stoppage time the game ended 2-0 without Matt Custance being seriously tested in the second half. A tough tie lies ahead in the 4^th Round away to Wrecclesham (based in Aldershot) or Kaphill Athletic (Farnham) on 5^th February 2011, both of whom are top of their respective leagues.

The game represented a club record of seven wins in row.

16/10/2010 5-1 Old Plymouthians (A) League
23/10/2010 8-1 Park Boys (H) League
30/10/2010 2-1 Hersham Elm Grove (A) Cup
06/11/2010 7-0 Old Town (A) Cup
20/11/2010 9-0 Ashtead (H) League
11/12/2010 A-A Westcott (A) Cup
08/01/2011 2-0 Kingston Albion (A) Cup

Matt Custance also broke a club record in keeping 3 clean sheets in a row. The last time the club had two cleans sheets was back in March 2006. Next week we are back in action in the Geoff Ellis Premier Shield Round 1 against Division 1 Supercala. Expect a tough physical game and hopefully we can continued to progress in all three cup competitions. Please make your availability known by Thursday evening. Training at Lilian Bayliss is on this Thursday from 7pm, let me know if you will be participating good numbers expected.

Peter Joicey
09.01.2011