Old Town 0-7 Old Boys Clapham FC

MAGIFICENT SEVEN

Peter Joicey's youth policy is reaping early rewards as Dean Barrett, Emmett Shingler, Joe Chun and Markus Bristow all turned in goalscoring performances. OBC used pace and skill to defeat the physical home side. Dean Barrett give the OBC an early lead and Emmett Shingler scored a wonderful second just before half time. Joe Chun scored within twenty seconds of the re-start and when Phil Condon awarded a penalty as a result of Markus Bristow getting clattered, up stepped skipper Alex McGreevy to get his first goal for the club. Joe Kubik scored a wonderful free kick into the top left hand corner before Markus Bristow got himself a tidy goal. Emmett Shingler got the last goal with twenty to go and even Joicey himself came on for the last fifteen allowing Matt Custance to tip a thunderous effort onto the bar to keep his clean sheet intact.

After an excellent 2-1 win at Intermediate side Hersham Elm Grove the previous week this cup game in the League was always going to be a different type of game. With no Matt Belk, Max Pumphrey, Cian McGuire or Jelle van der Zwet the OBC were missing some of its big guns in what was expected to be a physical encounter at Raynes Park. Matt Custance continued in goal with Charlie Horner, Andy Cochrane, Marc Henderson and Alex McGreevy proving to be the bedrock this rocking team is built on. In central midfield was Steve Allison and Joe Kubik. Markus Bristow and Emmett Shingler started on the wings with orders to push onto the full backs leaving Dean Barrett and Emmett Shingler the central pairing up front. Joicey wanted the young guns to put the opposition on the back foot and pressure them into mistakes. On the bench were Paul Lewis and Peter Joicey.

Old Boys Clapham made a good early start as Old Town struggled to find their first touch as Shingler, Chun, Barrett & Bristow all chased down lost causes. Old Town clearances were often hit long where centre backs Andy Cochrane and Marc Henderson were imperious, eventually the Old Town back four would be breached.

It was on the fifth minute that Old Boys Clapham should have taken the lead when Steve Allison scuffed the ball from eight yards and the ball was cleared off the line. From the sidelines it looked as if the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Condon was well placed and ruled the whole ball had not gone over the line.

Dean Barrett nearly made the breakthrough a minute later when he collected the ball midway in the opposition half. Barrett skipped one way and then another and broke free on the left hand edge of the area. Barrett got a good shot away which squeezed under the keeper but only found the side netting.

Barrett was not to be denied though by scoring a spectacular opening goal from the edge of the D outside the penalty area as he drilled it passed the keeper into the bottom corner. The goal came from Joe Kubik winning the ball in midfield and with nothing on laid it off to Steve Allison. Again with nothing available Allison played the ball back to Alex McGreevy at left back. McGreevy played the ball into Barrett on the edge of the area where he knocked it Emmett Shingler who laid the ball of nicely to the right for Barrett to strike. A well worked goal on sixteen minutes. 0-1 Barrett, his 12^th goal of the season.

Markus Bristow then had a glorious opportunity to double the lead as Joe Kubik played him through one on one with the keeper and with all of the time in world Bristow tried to spoon the ball over the keeper from the six yard box when he had the whole goal to aim at but went for an unorthodox effort which the keeper comfortably saved.

The home side did not get their first shot on target until the thirty fifth minute when the right winger broke past McGreevy and from a narrow angle fired a shot straight at Matt Custance in goal. Custance could not hold the ball and the effort slipped out of his fingers for a corner. The corner was swung in and initially cleared by Marc Henderson but his header did not clear the edge of the penalty area and a ball in was headed over Matt Custance but Custance was fouled in the process and with Old Town claiming the ball had crossed the line referee Phil Condon blew for the foul. It looked as if the referee had given the goal.

Marc Henderson was unlucky not to double the lead when a good ball to the back post by Joe Chun from the left was expertly delivered. Henderson got under the ball and could not get enough power on the header to test the keeper at the near post.

Emmett Shingler did get the second goal on the cusp of half time as he finished in style from a narrow angle as he used his blistering pace to beat the offside trap and finish with one touch to set himself and the other to bury the ball in the net. The goal was very reminiscent of old OBC hit man Dean Barnes. 0-2 OBC on 45 minutes, Emmett Shingler’s 7^th goal of the season.

Steve Allison had the last kick of the half as he had had a goal chalked off for offside or pushing by Marc Henderson who won a header at the back post for Steve Allison to bundle in. With being two goals up OBC were not really disappointed.

At half time Joicey said that everyone was playing well and Old Town were struggling to get into the game because of the pressure the OBC were putting on their back line. Alex McGreevy said that they were getting disheartened as their attempts at magic balls were not coming off. Marc Henderson said that the forwards had to take more advantage of the oppositions slow defence and Paul Lewis wanted Joe Chun and Dean Barrett to come to the ball more to retain possession knowing that they had the pace and skill to turn their markers or lay the ball off to another OBC player.

Joe Chun scored within twenty seconds of the restart as Steve Allison knocked a perfect ball to Joe Chun who was moved to the right by Joicey at half time. Chun with the outside of his foot half-volleyed over the keeper for another special goal from the young winger. Another sublime piece of skill and individual talent. 0-3 OBC 46 minutes, Chun’s 6^th goal of the season.

Charlie Horner managed to get himself for petulance and frequent fouls as he kept the left winger out of the game.

Markus Bristow was clattered in the box and Phil Condon pointed to the spot. The big defender was furious stating he got the ball but he chopped down Bristow, what did he expect? Who was going to take the penalty? Up step the skipper, Alex McGreevy, to blast the ball into the roof of the net. Great pen from the Irishman. 0-4 OBC 63 minutes gone. McGreevy’s first goal for the club.
The next time Bristow received the ball on the right edge of the area the big centre back kicked him up in the air and put the ball out for a corner. The centre back gave the referee a load of verbal and was booked. Moments later centre back went through the back of Joe Kubik twenty five yards in front of the goal. Out came the second yellow card and the centre back was sent off.
Up stepped Joe Kubik to curl the ball over the wall and under the bar for OBC’s 5^th of the game on 65 minutes. Kubik’s 5^th goal of the season.

A minute later Markus Bristow calmly placed the ball past the keeper for our six goal. Charlie Horner at right back played a nice ball in to Emmett Shingler who played a neat ball into Markus Bristow’s path where he coolly slotted the ball under the keeper. 0-6 OBC Bristow’s 2^nd goal of the season.

Emmett Shingler added a seventh when he used his pace well as Joe Kubik threaded an excellent through ball for Shingler to run onto and he coolly finished from a tight angle with his left foot. 0-7 OBC 71 minutes gone, Emmett Shingler’s 8^th goal of the season.
Joe Chun pulled up with cramp and manager Joicey came on at left back. Alex McGreevy was moved to right back and Charlie Horner moved to wide right. Joicey cleared a header from a long throw and made a couple of tackles. With ten minutes to go he was beaten for pace but Matt Custance came to the rescue as he got a finger tip on a rocket of a shot and the ball smacked against the cross bar.

At the other end Emmett Shingler was denied his hatrick when he appeared to have been brought down in the box when through on goal but referee Phil Condon pulled the kick back to line on the edge of the area. The referee appeared to give a penalty but was dissuaded by the opposition who were now in a running verbal battle with the referee. The free-kick was wasted and the game ended. Another great result.

We have been drawn against fellow Division Two side Battersea Ironsides at Garratt Park on Saturday 29^th January 2011.

Next week Old Boys Clapham return to league action taking on Goodfellas Elite, at the Sheldon Sports Centre, where we played Pilgrims West on the first day of the season.

Peter Joicey
6^th November 2010