Westside Reserves 4-6 Old Boys Clapham 07.05.2011

Match Report by Peter Joicey

MATCH ABANDONED: Norton FC Misconduct, technical assault of the referee (74 mins)

Larkhall Park

2pm kick off

ref: BORKO MAJSTOROVIC

Line up: Custance, Whelan, Idjiwa, Burke (Uff 53), Henderson, Horner (Chun 62), Walsh, McGuire, Dundas, Belk, Barrett

Half time 3-0

This game will go down in history for all of the wrong reasons as Norton failed to control their players when they were on the end of a footballing pasting. OBC were 3-0 up at half time thanks to Burke’s header and good goals from Matt Belk and Charlie Horner. OBC were completely dominant with fifteen shots at goal in the first forty-five minutes compared to no single effort by the visitors on Matt Custance’s goal. The second half started in the same manner but Burke had to be substituted as his injured leg from the first half was too painful to carry on as he was stamped on after scoring the goal. Nevertheless, Dean Barrett continued the scoring shortly into the second half as he tucked away a Belk effort rebound. Norton got a goal back from a free kick that evaded Custance in goal. Ed Uff looked to have had added a 5^th but was controversially ruled offside when Barrett squared a ball into the path of Uff for a tap in only for the referee to deem it offside. Then all the Norton nonsense started as the red mist descended on the big number 19, who incidentally was Norton captain, after he tried to strangle skipper Matt Belk. Belk rightly called for assistance from the referee; and as the referee went to book Norton’s number 19 for the second time in the game, with a red card to follow, the number 19 then ripped up the referee’s yellow card before the referee could brandish the red card. Norton and the Referee have named the individual and now it is a matter for the League and FA to resolve as it is a technical assault on the referee.

The line up against former club Norton was this. Matt Custance returned in goal. Alex Whelan and Idjiwa continued as full backs. Marc Henderson returned to central defence to partner big Grant Burke. Charlie Horner was rewarded for his goalkeeping display with a starting place on the wide right. In central midfield Cian McGuire was partnered by Ian Walsh as Mike Breen had family duties to attend to. Andy Dundas came in to play left wing. Matt Belk and Dean Barrett continued up front with Joe Chun, Ed Uff and Mahf Chowdhury on the bench.

OBC were quickly out of the traps and Andy Dundas had a glorious chance to open the scoring within ninety seconds but when he time and space to control the ball with only the keeper to beat he blazed a left footed effort high and wide over the bar. Andy then had the chance to redeem himself a minute later but a good piece of defending saw him muscled fairly off the ball.

Dean Barrett was perhaps more eager than anyone else to score against our former club and he was denied in the sixth minute when he rounded the keeper only for his goal bound effort to be cleared off the line by a covering defender. From the resulting corner Andy Dundas whipped in a ball that was met powerfully by Cian McGuire and again the effort beat the keeper but not the defender on the line.

Matt Belk suffered the same fate in the thirteenth minute when another Dundas corner was met powerfully by the big striker only for the effort to be headed off the line as the Norton goal lived a charmed life.

The breakthrough came in the twenty first minute when Dean Barrett forced a corner which was taken by Dundas who whipped the ball to the back post where big Grant Burke made no mistake with a diving header from three yards. Burke’s 2^nd goal of the season. Burke got injured in the process as the big number 19 stamped on him whilst lying on the floor. The incident was brought to the attention of the referee by the players and management who treated the felled defender in the goal.

Barrett then came close to doubling the lead as he took the ball past the Norton centre back and thumped a pile-driver off the underside of the crossbar.

Charlie Horner was brought down on the right and the number 19 decided to get involved which resulted in a booking for the Norton captain.

OBC continued to created chances as Matt Belk had a goal-bound effort blocked on the line and Cian McGuire had a flying scissor kicked volley scream narrowly wide of the post.

The lead was doubled on 28 minutes when Andy Dundas put a great ball to the back post from the left where Belk expertly finished past the Norton keeper. Belk’s 7^th goal of the season.

Cian McGuire should have got on the score-sheet when Alex Whelan whipped in an excellent cross for McGuire to power over the bar with a free header.

The pressure on the Norton goal was relentless whereas at the other end the back four of Whelan, Henderson, Burke and Idjiwa did not give their strikers a sniff of a chance. Ian Walsh and Cian McGuire controlled the centre of the park which meant the ball was often pushed out to the Norton wingers who were woefully ineffective.

Then on 38 minutes Charlie Horner all but finished the game as a contest when drilled in an effort on the half volley as Cian rolled the ball across the box for Horner to thump home his first goal of the season.

Belk then had arguably the miss of the season as he did all the hard work as he rounded the keeper but took a heavy touch and could not bundle the ball over the line with no Norton defender in sight.

Then it was Charlie Horner’s turn to rattle the Norton crossbar. The ball bounced down and was cleared for a corner. The corner came in and was met by Ian Walsh but the Norton keeper pulled off a smart save to deny the OBC midfielder.

Dean Barrett had the last chance off the half as he was one on one with the keeper but he blazed his effort over the bar.

At half time Joicey said that everyone was playing really well. Joicey warned everyone not to get involved with Norton’s complaining because they had come with nothing else. Paul Lewis said that the was the best thirty five minutes of football he had seen the OBC play. (why just 35 minutes is something of a mystery, what happened to the other ten).

The second half kicked off and Norton managed their first effort on goal thanks to a freekick that was hit straight at Matt Custance in goal.

Then normal service resumed as Cian McGuire had a shot from twelve yards hit of the big 19 and over the bar for another OBC corner. Matt Belk met the in-swinging corner but his header did not have enough power to trouble the Norton keeper.

The pressure continued when Matt Belk raced clear of the Norton back line but his shot was smartly saved by the Norton keeper but Dean Barrett was on hand to tuck in the rebound for his 6^th goal of the season.

Norton got a consolation goal back on sixty minutes when Charlie Horner was late in the tackle on the Norton winger. Charlie was booked for the tackle. The free kick was well hit but Custance appeared to be standing behind his wall and the ball flew into the space that was left uncovered.

Ed Uff then looked to have added a 5^th goal as Dean Barrett ran through and squared the ball past the advancing keeper for Uff to tap in from eight yards. Uff came from behind Barrett when the ball was played but the referee decided somehow it was offside.

The game continued with OBC on top and clearly the Norton captain was getting more and more frustrated for one Norton corner had to be delayed as the guy remonstrated with the referee for no apparent reason.

Then the number 19 decided to pull Belk back when Belk was running past him. The number 19 had Belk by the throat at Belk asked the referee for assistance. The referee came over to book the Norton captain for a second time. On showing the player the yellow card the number 19 ripped the card from the referee’s hand tearing the card in two. The referee decided to abandon the game on 74 minutes.

The rules state:

“10(V) The Management Committee shall review all abandoned matches and in cases where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to the clubs, shall be empowered to order the score at the time of abandonment to be recorded as the result. In all cases where the Management Committee are satisfied that game has been abandoned owing to the conduct of one team or its club member or members they shall be empowered to make a decision in respect of the game, in addition, if points are at stake, award or deduct them as deemed applicable.”

Old Boys Clapham have asked for the result at 74 minutes of 4-1 to stand as we had no part in ripping up the referee’s yellow card.

Peter Joicey
25 September 2011

More info on FA rules: Technical Assault

(i) Technical Assault (where there is no element of contact between the offender and match official)

A Technical Assault will occur where a match official is intimidated and/or threatened with violence and/or is in fear of violence, whether or not there is an intention to carry through the threat. This category will also include careless actions,which will include, but is not limited to, the throwing or kicking of objects or substances or spitting towards a match official but where no contact is made with the said official.

		1. Custance

37. Whelan	45. Burke		6. Henderson	33. Idjiwa

	20. McGuire		55. Walsh
12. Horner				31. Dundas
	9. Belk		10. Barrett