Westside Reserves 4-6 Old Boys Clapham 07.05.2011

Match Report by Peter Joicey

the contents of this report are biased, one sided and probably inaccurate

OBC WIN DIVISION TWO TITLE IN WESTSIDE GOALFEST

Old Boys Clapham won Division Two in some style at Raynes Park by thumping six past Westside and it could have been more. Westside opened the scoring in the seventh minute with an excellent free kick but Emmett Shingler equalised within sixty seconds. Mike Breen put OBC in front five minutes later before Westside hit the self-destruct button. Their number 16 was sent off by the referee for trying to start a fight with everyone but was allowed to be subbed after being shown the straight red card. The disruption allowed Matt Belk to add two goals before half time. A mix up at the back at the end of the first half gave Westside some hope before Emmett Shingler added a fifth and had a good goal chalked off as OBC threatened to run away with the win. Westside kept battling though but it was not enough as Belk powered home a header for his hatrick and OBC's 6th. OBC won the last four games in the league in a row to pip Pilgrims Well to the League title on the last day of the season.

Matt Custance continued in goal. Alex Whelan returned at right back. Andy Cochrane was partnered at centre back by Johan Bakker and Alex McGreevy moved back to left back as Simon Burbage was away. Charlie Horner was pushed into midfield with Ed Uff and Mike Breen continuing in central midfield. Joe Chun was again selected to start on the left. Up front Matt Belk was partnered by Emmett Shingler who was in a goal run of four goals in two games previously. On the bench was Dean Barrett, Mahf Chowdhury, Mike Nguyen, Peter Joicey and Max Pumphrey who has nearly recovered from his knee injury.

After the dramatic win over Old Plymouthians the lads were up for this title decider. With the Croydon Greenside throwing in the towel early it was possible that and anything other than a win or draw could leave OBC lying in third place if Greenside’s results were expunged by the League Management Committee. Joicey made the lads aware of just what was at stake before the kick off.

OBC travelled to Raynes Park and were allocated the pitch with the biggest slope. OBC opted to play with the wind and the slope in the first half. It was Westside who made the breakthrough when the striker appeared to dive for a free kick on the edge of the area when challenged by Andy Cochrane as Cochrane’s plea for innocence were ignored by the referee. The number 16 stepped up and smashed the ball over the wall and into the goal. 1-0 7 minutes gone.

The goal spurred the OBC into life as Mike Breen played in Emmett Shingler who raced through one on one and coolly slotted home under the keeper to equalise within a minute of going behind. 1-1 8 minutes gone, Shingler’s 15^th goal of the season.

Westside appeared a little nervous at the back and it took an excellent reaction save from the Westside keeper to stop the ball going in off the defender when an OBC corner was nodded goalward by the centre back.

Alex McGreevy was really applied the pressure with his inswinging corners where one was met at the back post by Matt Belk who headed back across goal for Mike Breen to power a header into the net to give the OBC the lead on thirteen minutes. 1-2 Breen’s 5^th goal of the season.

Matt Belk had the chance to extend the lead after good work by Emmett Shingler on the left wing. Shingler put an exquisite ball across the box but Belk opted for power over accuracy and the shot flew wide of the near post.

Mike Breen then blazed over when you’d have expected him to hit the target especially as Emmett Shingler had just dribbled around the full back and centre back and calmly rolled the ball in Breen’s path to strike.

It was all one way traffic as the blue tide piled forward in wave after wave with the homeside getting ever more frustrated as Ed Uff and Mike Breen dominated in midfield. The number 16 went flying in on Charlie Horner and was booked. He then tried to start a fight with a number of OBC players and was aggressive towards the referee. When the player refused to calm down the referee brandished the red card and appeared to have sent the player off. Then the home side convinced the referee that they had made a substitution before the red card was issued. It was all a bit farcical but the disruption did the home side no favours as from the restart Alex Whelan got down the restart and rolled the ball to Belk to blast into the roof of the net. 1-3 thirty six minutes gone, Belk’s 30^th goal of the season.

The lead was further extended on thirty-eight minutes when in an almost identical move Alex Whelan got around the full back and played another brilliant ball for Matt Belk to cooly finish at the near post. 1-4 Belk’s 31^st goal of the season.

Whelan was having an excellent half and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet himself when he found himself free of the full back and he hit a sweet strike that narrowly went over from twenty-five yards.

Westside did not give up though and when attacking played some quick, clever intricate football. Matt Custance made a great save when the Westside striker was through one on one after playing the ball around the OBC defence.

With the half coming to a close the makeshift defence of Johan Bakker and Andy Cochrane were exposed for pace as Bakker running back towards goal could not cut out a ball across the back four and the striker had a simple tap in to reduce the deficit to 2-4 on the stroke of half time.

At half time the lads looked gutted but the truth was that if we made sure Westside did not win the second half then we’d be champions. Johan Bakker said that he was struggling for position at centre back. Joicey wanted to see how we initially coped with slope and the wind against us before making the change.

The second half kicked off with Westside still trying to score goals. Matt Custance made a reflex save as Andy Cochrane headed back towards his own goal in the manner of the Westside centre back in the first half.

OBC too rolled their sleeves up at the start of the second half when Matt Belk got down the right hand side of the box and found Emmett Shingler at the back post but Shingler could not get enough power on the shot to trouble the Westside keeper.

Joicey brought Mike Nguyen on for Johan Bakker and moved Alex McGreevy to centre back with Alex Whelan going to left back and Charlie Horner pulling back into the right back position. Mike Nguyen was deployed on the left wing with Joe Chun being moved over to the right wing.

Matt Belk completed his hatrick on fifty-three minutes when Alex McGreevy swung in a free kick from deep and Belk rose like a Colossus and powered a header past the keeper in what was the goal of the game. 2-5 Belk’s 32^nd goal of the season.

A minute later Emmett Shingler thought he had got his second goal of the game when Joe Chun got to the byline and pulled the ball back for Shingler to bury from six yards. The lino flagged which was simply outrageous.

Westside got their third goal of the game on sixty minutes when a ball from a free kick from the half way line was bundled in at the back post. Matt Custance initially made a good reaction save but the rebound fell kindly for Westside and they were again back to a two goal deficit. 3-5. In the goalmouth scramble Matt Custance picked up a knee injury which later swelled up to double its normal size. Custance went to hospital after the game for treatment.

OBC continued to look dangerous and Emmett Shingler was denied what looked an obvious penalty when he pulled down whilst shooting but the referee did not give it.

On seventy three minutes Joicey introduced Mahf Chowdhury on the right wing for the hardworking Joe Chun.
Emmett Shingler got his second goal of the game with ten minutes to go when Belk was released by Mahf Chowdhury on the right. Belk muscled into the box and just waited for Emmett Shingler to use his pace where he laid the ball on a plate for Shingler to tuck away from just six yards out. There was no way that goal was going to get scrubbed. 3-6 Shingler’s 16^th goal of the season.

That should have been that but Westside still had another goal in them. A long ball over the defence was not dealt with as the defence switched off as they looked for an offside flag that never came. 4-6 81 minutes gone.

OBC decided to shut up shot and waste time as we went for the corners to stifle Westside’s attempt to get further efforts on goal. Dean Barrett came on in the ninetieth minute to help run the clock down. The referee blew for full time and OBC were champions in a truly classic game.

It has s been a brilliant season what with winning the League and reaching another cup final and hopefully we will strengthen in the summer with new experienced signings as well as developing the players already in this talented squad. Furthermore with the addition of the new OBC Reserves side for next season 2011-12 should be very exciting for all. Well done everyone, the OBC goal machine rolls on.

Peter Joicey
08.05.2011

		1. Custance

37. Whelan	2. Cochrane		16. Bakker	3. McGreevy

	18. Breen		39. Uff
12. Horner				35. Chun
	9. Belk		29. Shingler