Old Boys Clapham 6-2 Westside FC

CIAN YOU BELIEVE IT

After the shock of the 6-1 opening day defeat at Pilgrims came the OBC response as a Cian McGuire inspired 6-2 win over Westside got Old Boys Clapham off to their first win in Division Two. Dean Barrett scored a brace in the first half with two well worked goals from the left wing. Matt Belk scored a powerful header from an excellent McGreevy free kick. Cian McGuire scored a well taken goal towards the end of the half as he broke through the Westside defence to calmly finish from twelve yards. Mahf Chowdhury looked to have sealed the midway in the second half when he slotted home after another brilliant ball from McGreevy but a Westside effort from the kick off evaded Mel to give Westside a glimmer of hope. Nevertheless it was McGuire who settled the matter stooping low to head home a Paul Lewis corner to make it six of the best, but this time for the OBC.

Having being soundly beaten by Pilgrims West last week manager Peter Joicey changed the playing system and went to 4-5-1 formation to try stifle any Westside attack. Joicey continued with Kenny in goal. The back four remained unchanged of Andy Cochrane, Tom Simpson, Marc Henderson and skipper Alex McGreevy. In midfield Jelle van der Zwet was deployed as the anchor in central midfield with Steve Allison on his right and Cian McGuire on the left with both having licence to drive forward. Max Pumphrey started wide right and Dean Barrett was pushed out wide left as Leroy Donald sees out his suspension from last season. On his own up front was Matt Belk. The subs were Mahf Chowdhury returning after his time away due to the Ramadan festival and Charlie Horner. Jesse Jumbo was due to be on the bench but could not attend meaning that Paul Lewis became the third substitute.

OBC quickly got into the grove and it was in the third minute that the deadlock was broken when Dean Barrett won the ball from the left back and then bore down on goal where he calmly slotted the ball under the keeper for his 7^th goal of the season. 1-0 OBC 3 minutes gone.

Matt Belk had the chance to make it 2-0 within a minute as an excellently weighted pass by Cian McGuire allowed Belk to break through the defence but the centre back made an excellent challenge to deny the big striker.

Belk was denied the by the keeper on seven minutes when an excellent free kick from the left from McGreevy was met by Matt Belk who got his shot off but it was well saved by the keeper. It was clear that OBC had the better of the early exchanges.

Westside struggled to get through the wall that was made by Jelle van der Zwet, Steve Allison and Cian McGuire and the opposition were starting to get frustrated. However, Westside were able to force a number of early corners as Marc Henderson often wanted an extra touch and play his way out of trouble. Marc Henderson was forced to put the ball out for a corner as a result of some determined harrying by the Westside forward. The corner was swung over and headed out by van der Zwet but it fell kindly for the Westside man on the edge of the area and he unleashed a fine drive into the top left hand corner of the net. 1-1 on 19 minutes. Westside had scored from their first attempt on target.

Max Pumphrey was forced to come off early as he turned his ankle and Mahf Chowdhury was the like for like substitute on the right wing.

But it was not to be one of those days as OBC continued to create chances. Marc Henderson was unlucky not to connect better with a Matt Belk throw in as Henderson’s header lacked power and the keeper was able to collect.

Then there was some excellent play on the left hand wing as Matt Belk and Dean Barrett combined and Barrett put an excellent low ball across the box but no one was on hand to tap the ball in.

Steve Allison won a free kick on the left wing, Dean Barrett whipped an excellent ball in but Tom Simpson was adjudged to be offside.

Dean Barrett was having an excellent first half and it was capped off by a good interchange on the left wing again with Matt Belk and Barrett found himself bearing down on goal in the same manner of his first goal and again calmly slotted under the keeper to restore the lead. 2-1 26 minutes gone.

Matt Belk then got in on the goalscoring act as an Alex McGreevy free kick was whipped in from the left and Belk beat the flying keeper to the ball to powerfully head home to give the OBC a 3-1 lead on 27 minutes.

Cian McGuire nearly got his first of the day when a low Dean Barrett corner was met by McGurie but he could not get enough on it and the effort went just wide of the left hand post.

Mahf Chowdhury was starting to do well on the right hand side as he played a fine ball for Matt Belk to run onto but Belk fired down the keeper’s throat when clean through on thirty-one minutes.

Cian McGuire extended the score line when he broke through of the defence but made no mistake as a powerful drive was placed under the corner. I think Matt Belk held the ball up and played it back to McGuire for the assist. 4-1 minutes on 39 minutes.

Tom Simpson was unlucky not to get on the score sheet when he headed a Belk throw in just wide of the post. From the goal kick the keeper kicked it straight at Belk but with an open goal to aim at Belk skied the shot and the half ended 4-1 to the good.

At half time everyone was happy. Joicey said the biggest threat at the back was the grass being long so urged Marc Henderson just to clear it quicker. Alex McGreevy said “his name is Marc not Marco”. Henderson agreed that this was the best half of the season so far and was helped by Cian McGuire and Jelle van der Zwet breaking their attacks by winning the headers in the middle. Joicey said the opposition keeper was making dodgy kicks and that Mahf and Dean were terrorising the full backs. Andy Cochrane said that he did not want to see OBC lose their concentration as that is when the OBC tended to concede when the defence switch off. Mel Kenny encouraged Alex McGreevy to keep putting in those freekicks in as they were tremendous in the first half.

The second half kicked off with OBC on top again. McGuire laid a nice ball for Belky to hit from twenty five yards but the effort fizzed wide of the keeper’s post. A Belk free kick moments later was fired high and over, it was not becoming Matt’s day as he was struggling with a knee injury.

At the back Marc Henderson was much improved and marshalled the Westside forwards really well with Tom Simpson.

Dean Barrett had the chance of a hatrick when put through on goal by Steve Allison but Dean’s low shot was too weak. Belk was put through on goal by Cian McGuire as OBC continued to created good chances but Belk fired wide.

Dean Barrett was also denied a hatrick by the crossbar as his whipped in corner was deflected onto the underside of the cross bar by the keeper and Andy Cochrane was not close enough to bundle the ball over for his first OBC goal and the ball was cleared.

Charlie Horner came on for the excellent Steve Allison on sixty minutes.

McGuire was denied after a great run through the centre by an excellent last ditch tackle by the Westside centre back as Cian was about to pull the trigger with the keeper out of position.

Alex McGreevy cleared the ball from left back to right wing as his excellent cross field ball was met by Mahf Chowdhury who mishit his shot but it was enough to deceive the keeper and the ball rolled in for 5-1. Chowdhury’s 3^rd goal of the season on 72 minutes.

Westside scored from the centre circle (kick off) as Kenny switched off and was not paying attention to the kick off. The defence had kept Westside at bay all game and so had few shots on goal during the game. In their frustration they tried one long punt from the kick off and it paid off. A shocking goal to concede. The language on Joicey’s Dictaphone cannot be repeated here but it was another embarrassing goal and it’s a habit Kenny has got to get out of. It was a great strike from the striker but this should not happen. 5-2 73 minutes gone.

The goal gave Westside confidence and they tried to press for a third goal. Mahf goal should have killed the game but did not. Some good tackles by Simpson and Cochrane repelled the Westside waves and they were restricted to freekicks from twenty-five yards both of which went wide.

At the other end OBC sought to assert their dominance once more a Belk drive from a tight angle was saved on the line and the loose ball could not be turned in and the ball was cleared on 79 minutes.

The Westside keeper then was lucky to get away it as he played a ball straight to Charlie Horner on the halfway line but unlike the Westside strike Charlie’s lobbed effort curled just wide of the gaping goal.

Dean Barrett pulled up with cramp and was taken off. Paul Lewis came on to take the resulting corner and it was low to the near post where Cian McGuire stooped low and headed the ball into the net. A brave diving header by the flying Irishman. 6-2 84 minutes gone.

The game played out with two late booking for the frustrated Westside, one for dissent and the other for a two footed tackle on McGuire which sparked furious complaints from McGreevy. Henderson said to the ref “don’t listen to him ref, he’s our dirtiest player” and the situation calmed down but full time was up and you can’t complain with scoring six.

After the game Marc Henderson asked keeper Kenny if he was still doing his kick boxing as he was not looking in the stupendous form that Kenny had been in at the end of the previous season. Kenny said he was getting back into it. Skipper Alex McGreevy said that he really enjoyed the game and this was like getting back to the OBC of old.

Next week there is no league fixture so I am trying to organise a friendly with the well organised, physical and difficult Division One side Shaftesbury Town who do not have a game. More info to follow as I have it.

Peter Joicey
12.09.2010