Match Report

(This match reports are biased, one sided and probably inaccurate)

WORCESTER PARK A 1-3 OLD BOYS CLAPHAM

Belk 31
Barrett 67
Walsh 69

Worcester Park Goal: Cruz 24;

HT 1-1

Worcester Park Sports Club

6pm kick off

ref:

Man of the match: 8. Joe Kubik

Line Up: Harman, Whelan (Barrett 63), Idjiwa, Burke, McGuire, Horner, Kubik, Walsh, Dundas, Belk (Peters 68), Breen - unused subs McGreevy & Lewis

BARRETT HOMES IN ON VICTORY
Old Boys Clapham got a vital a win at Worcester Park to move within two points of league leaders Norton with three games in hand. Worcester Park opened the scoring on nineteen minutes with a well worked goal and an assured finish. Matt Belk scored the most difficult of his chances to equalise ten minutes later with a low drive at the keeper's near post but was guilty of spurning several good opportunities as OBC should have been out of sight by the break. Worcester Park came out purposefully and dominated the opening twenty minutes of the second half and should have taken the lead when a powerful header was hit straight at Steve Harman in goal. Dean Barrett & Adam Peters were introduced for Alex Whelan and Matt Belk and the change paid off as Dean Barrett and Ian Walsh hit low quick fire goals as OBC started to hold on the ball in advanced positions. A cracking game where either side could have won it but Old Boys Clapham kept calm and kept our nerve to see the game out for this most crucial of wins. Thanks go to Worcester Park for switching the tie to their excellent home ground and thank you to all of the club officials who made Old Boys Clapham feel welcome with their hospitality.

After Saturday’s morale boosting win over NPL it was back to midweek action as Old Boys Clapham start to play their additional midweek league games due our good cup runs in the season. Worcester Park moved the tie from Manor Park to their first team’s excellent home ground at Worcester Park Sports Club. The home side looked to turn the game into a cup final with their lads getting good experience playing in front of the home stand and the club house. It was just the sort of venue that we needed ahead of a trip to Alfold on Easter Saturday and the League Shield Cup Final next Wednesday.

Manager Peter Joicey was able to name an unchanged starting line up from those that played so well on Saturday. In goal was Steve Harman. Across the back was Alex Whelan, Grant Burke, Cian McGuire and Idjiwa Adjido. Across midfield was Charlie Horner, Ian Walsh, Joe Kubik and Andy Dundas. Up front Matt Belk and Mike Breen continued despite drawing a blank at the weekend. On the bench was Dean Barrett, Adam Peters and Alex McGreevy.

The game kicked off just after six pm with two players rushing straight from the changing rooms and out on to the pitch and straight into the starting line up without a warm up. OBC did very well to get the same eleven players out from Saturday and were able to start more or less on time. Worcester Park started brightly and kicked up the slope towards Steve Harman in goal.

The first chance of the game was created when Mike Breen got down the right hand side of the Worcester Park penalty area and whipped a ball to the back post where Matt Belk outmuscled the defender but planted his header wide of the goal.

OBC were winning the second balls in midfield thanks to the harrying efforts of Ian Walsh and Joe Kubik. Worcester Park was forced to concede a corner as OBC pressed high up the pitch. Andy Dundas whipped in a corner and Joe Kubik planted a header just wide of goal but Kubik was stretching and did well to meet the ball.

On fifteen minutes Belk was put through on goal after an excellent through by Walsh but Belk’s one on one footballing faux pas continued from the weekend when he shot straight at the keeper.

Joe Kubik won a freekick in midfield and Alex Whelan hit an excellent freekick into the box where Belk broke free of his marker but planted a free header narrowly wide of the post.

Just as Old Boys Clapham were starting to become camped in the Worcester Park half they broke away down the right hand side where Idjiwa was turned and some good interplay on the edge of the area saw the ball smartly despatched into the corner of Steve Harman’s net for 1-0 to the home side on twenty one minutes.

Matt Belk had the opportunity to make an instant reply when again he got himself through one on one with the keeper after showing good strength to outmuscle the defender and bear down on the keeper but again Belk’s shot was straight at the keeper and had the weight of a back pass.

Mike Breen then got himself into a good position and hit a fizzing left foot drive that went narrowly wide of the left hand post. A few moments later Belky had another effort that was struck better but again it flew the wrong side of the post.

Old Boys Clapham were attacking in waves and Alex Whelan got into the penalty area and had he been able to get the ball across the box then it would have been a certain tap in for Mike Breen but the keeper closed the angles down and smothered ball at Whelan’s feet and the ball was put out for a corner.

Andy Dundas whipped the ball in and Cian McGuire thundered his header off the underside of the cross bar but those present in the six yard box was unable to bundle the bar into the back of the net in the resulting scramble and Worcester Park cleared.

Matt Belk did make the breakthrough a minute later when another wonderful through ball was played by Ian Walsh and from a tricky angle Belk riffled the ball into the corner of the net past the keeper to make it all square. Belk’s 34^th goal of the season on 31 minutes.

Matt Belk had another chance to double his tally from a similar position on the 39^th minute but Belk could not replicate his fine finish and Worcester Park were again let off the hook especially as Mike Breen had bust a gut to get level and called for the ball to be rolled into feet but Belk shot and Breen made his frustrated feelings known to the skipper.

There is an old adage that you should be careful for what you wish for because within thirty seconds of Breen having a go at Belk, Breen was guilty of the miss of the game when he blazed over despite having an open goal at his mercy. The opportunity arose as Belk won a header which caught the keeper out of position for Breen to deal with.

There was no halftime team talk as the teams turned around so that we could play out a full ninety minutes before it got too dark to play.

With the slope in Worcester Park’s favour they came out to take advantage of OBC’s missed opportunities. Grant Burke and Cian McGuire were having to work overtime as the home side constantly moved forward. Red shirts pressed high up the pitch much in similar manner as to OBC in the first half.

The ball was only ever going one way as OBC resorted to long balls to Belk that were often wayward and easily collected by the Worcester Park back four to return with interest. The game was becoming increasingly frustrating. Thanks to good defending by the OBC back four Worcester Park struggled to carve out too many chances on Harman’s goal. One fine effort narrowly flew wide of the post when Harman was all but beaten.

The chance of the game fell on sixty two minutes when a freekick was whipped into the area and was met with a free header which looked a certain goal but thankfully Steve Harman was well positioned to catch the ball. Either side of him and it was in.

Joicey introduced Dean Barrett as a striker for Alex Whelan as Joicey moved Charlie Horner to right back and Breen to right wing. The change brought and instant dividend as Dean Barrett got on the end of a Walsh ball and Barrett who hit his effort wide of the diving keeper and into the back of the net with a sweet strike. Barrett timed his run and strike to perfection for his 22^nd goal of the season on 67 minutes.

Joicey then introduced Adam Peters for Matt Belk which raised a few eyebrows. Peters was told just hold the ball up and don’t lose it. Within a minute of his introduction and with OBC now playing higher up the pitch with more balls to feet; the ball was rolled to Ian Walsh who tucked away his 13^th goal of the season with the aid of a deflection on the way to the back of the net. 1-3 on 69 minutes.

Old Boys Clapham’s confidence returned and started to play close touch and move football which was pleasing on the eye as Worcester Park were forced to run back towards their own goal rather than towards our goal.

Joe Kubik hit a low sweet shot from the edge of the area that was well held and Charlie Horner was denied from a full length flying save as the keeper kept out Horner’s wonderful freekick.

Old Boys Clapham saw out the remainder of the game as the home side tired and we kept the ball better. An interesting game where Worcester Park could have gotten themselves in front but fortunately for us they failed to take the opportunities that game their way. A crucial three points were achieved tonight that puts Old Boys Clapham two points behind Norton who play their penultimate game on Saturday at Kerria Knights; who are in third, five points behind us. A draw in that game would be more than handy with OBC having five still to play. On Easter Saturday we are away at Alfold FC in the County Cup Semi Final which will be a tough game but with two good wins in a week we should give them a good game and if we take our chances a place in the Surrey County Cup Final awaits. A big if.

Peter Joicey
04 April 2012