The Polytechnic first XI played their first
league game since October, losing 2-1 at home to
Weirside.
Seales's side took the lead when former 2s
skipper Pybus scored from a corner. The set-piece resulted
when Field’s penalty was saved following a foul on Raynes by
the visiting goalkeeper.
The second half was full of incident: first of
all it was Weirside’s turn to win a penalty, against the run
of play, which they converted.
They then had a 10-minute spell during which
they scored an excellent second to go 2-1 up. Stevenson of
the Poly was sent off with 20 minutes to go for a second
yellow card and, despite hitting the underside of the
crossbar, the Poly were unable to pull it back.
They are fifth in the table and still well in
the title race given their games in hand.
The reserves lost 3-0 away at Old Actonians
and, as one of four teams on 14 points in mid-table, are in
touch with both the top two and bottom two.
Unfortunately the 3s’ match was postponed
while the fourth side put in a fantastic team performance,
coming out winners with an impressive 3-1 result against Old
Actonians 5s.
This crucial victory – which saw the Poly move
well away from the bottom places and allows them to look
upwards once again - had significant resonance in that the
team personnel were the same players who had suffered two
heavy back-to-back defeats. They were also up against a
parsimonious opposition defence that had only leaked 14 goals
in its previous 10 games.
Khalil opened the scoring for the home side
with a perfectly executed lob over the advancing keeper. The
adage ‘you are at your most vulnerable just after scoring’
came to mind after the Poly conceded a disappointing
equaliser to take the score to 1-1.
However the response was magnificent and
immediate, Bear taking a long throw from Big Mo on his chest,
swivelling and volleying into the top corner. The third goal
was a result of some excellent interplay between Bateman, Big
Mo and Barrett who crossed for Bear to score his second of
the game.
The fifth team lost 4-2 away at Carshalton,
going 4-0 down before coming out of their shell in the last
five minutes with goals from Keane and Spear – they are sixth
in the table.
The 6s won 4-0 at home to Old Wilsonians 4s
and sit six points clear at the summit of that same division
while the 7s lost 3-2 at home in the SAL Cup
semi-finals.
It was a close affair: the Poly went 1-0 down
after 10 minutes, drawing level 20 minutes later through
Sansom; finding themselves 2-1 down at the break they scored
another equaliser in the 80th minute through Sullivan only to
go down 3-2 late on.
The eighth squad's good run of form continued
with an accomplished 8-1 win against a capable London Welsh
team.
The game was won in the first 45 minutes with
another superb display of simple football that earned the
home side six well-crafted goals.
On a sad note, left-back James Stearn made his
farewell appearance for the Poly as he embarks on a new
career.
Blighted by absences, a patched-up
ninth team took on the division’s frontrunners and near neighbours
Old Actonians – and lost 3-1.
Despite the unfamiliarity within its ranks the
team settled down well and gave as good as they got in a
tightly fought derby. Watkins deservedly levelled for the
Poly after the home side had opened the scoring just after
half-time but, as the game entered its final quarter, a
couple of lapses from the otherwise outstanding Poly defence
let the home side take a decisive lead from which it never
recovered.
The Vets are in the middle of a mini-slump,
losing to Old Lats for the first time in the club’s
history.
The Polytechnic beat their opposition 5-1
earlier in the season but, playing on a nightmare of a pitch
in Chiswick, went down 1-0 on this occasion.
The home side gifted a goal from an error at a corner and neither
team mustered as much as another shot on goal for the rest of the
game.