AFA [7] Junior Novets Cup
Semi Final
Carshalton
7s
0 -
1 Poly
8s
Having lost on penalties
in the semi-final of the same competition last season, Poly were
keen to go one step further and reach the final despite being
underdogs against higher league
opponents.
Despite several
notable absentees, Mansingh was still able to name a strong
side. Guy had recovered from tonsillitis (and a week on the piss
in Leeds
) to
start in goal. Karl and Simon renewed their pairing at the heart
of defence, but with Cree (skiing) and Stearno (work) absent,
Fabrice & Alan were chosen in the full back positions. The
reliable, hard working partnership of Hemms & Tomas meant
that the core of the team remained consistent but, as with the
defence, there were enforced changes down the flanks – Carlos
playing out of position on the right side of midfield, and
centre-back Vic becoming a flying left winger! Jan & Tien
continued their partnership, which had worked well the previous
week in a large friendly victory.
Carshalton set out their
game plan early on and showed why they have enjoyed such a
successful season with a flurry of long throws and corners into
the box towards a waiting pack of tall attacking players.
However, the defensive unit remained focused and resisted the
bombardment well.
Slowly, we gained a
foothold in the game and the hosts had no reply to our quick
passing and good movement. The defence knocked the ball about
with composure, spreading it wide to the full backs and
attacking with pace down the wings. Karl’s trademark chest downs
and Cruyff turns continued to bamboozle the strikers throughout.
Hemms was marshalling the team well from the middle of the park,
breaking up play and quickly turning defence into attack. Tomas
was making his typical forward bursts with tight control and
turns, while Tien was using excellent strength and control to
hold up play and bring others into the game. At first we were
restricted to some disappointing long range efforts that barely
troubled the keeper. Vic looked to have the beating of his full
back and on one attack near the corner flag, he spun and
nutmegged his marker before tiptoeing into the box, but his cut
back failed to reach a team mate. The signs were looking good
and we were soon rewarded with a delightful flowing move. Tien
received the ball on the touchline just inside his own half, he
spun his marker and released Jan with a slide rule pass down the
line. Jan muscled past the defender to reach the ball and
slammed his shot past the keeper to give us the lead.
1 –
0
(J.Schuma)
We continued to have the
better of the half, defending well and limiting Carshalton to
feeding off scraps. There was, however, one moment of panic when
Guy mis-judged a low cross and allowed the striker to nip in
in-front of him, but luckily the prod went the wrong side of the
near post.
We did cause our
opponents some problems from our own set pieces too, with some
well delivered corners from Hemms, which resulted in several
near misses, including a glancing header wide from Jan. There
was one good strike from the edge of the box (can’t remember
whose shot!) that the keeper did well to save and push around
the post, but we didn’t create the chances that our build up
play merited and we went into the break just one goal to the
good.
HALF TIME: CARSHALTON 0 –
1 POLY
It was obvious that the
home side would come out determined at the start of the second
half, so it was disappointing that we offered them numerous
chances to get on top early after the break. Our assured passing
deserted us and decision making was poor all over the pitch. To
make matters worse, Tien was struggling with an injury too.
Simon miss-judged a back pass and inadvertently presented the
striker with a chance to get the better of Guy, but thankfully
the keeper was alert and brave to the danger – making two
challenges at the feet of the forward to keep the lead intact.
After receiving some treatment, he was fine to continue, and
soon after stood tall to make a good block with his
feet.
At the other end, we
looked dangerous on the counter attack. Tien set Jan away down
the inside left in similar fashion to the opening goal, but he
delayed his shot and it was eventually deflected behind for a
corner.
Tien was then replaced by
Dario, who played right midfield, with Carlos going up front.
Then Vic needed to come off, following some minor concussion and
a cut behind the ear following a mid-air collision with Tomas.
Actually, Tomas was in the wars throughout – on the end of
several late challenges and a stamp on the hand – but generally
ended up being punished by the referee
instead.
The nerves on and off the
pitch grew by the minute and we had several near calls while
defending more corners. First, a header came back off the cross
bar, and then a shot was hack away off the line, before Simon
used his arm to block a shot on the line – luckily with the
unsighted ref waving away penalty appeals. With stout defending,
combining brave blocks and tackles with lumped clearances, we
hung on to clinch a one nil win to reach the first final of
Mansingh’s managerial final at the
Poly.
FINAL
SCORE: CARSHALTON 0 – 1
POLY