DAYLIGHT ROBBERY..SUPER SUB WILLIAMS COMES UP TRUMPS TO STEAL 3 POINTS FROM STUNNED RUSHMOOR SUNDAY
If football is about wining ugly, then today AS Camboli looked like a fat hairy bitch with no teeth and scabies. What looked like a fairly routine fixture for Camboli against a side at the foot of the table, turned into a scrappy and nervous affair that even their hardened followers must have found hard to watch at times.
Fresh from their heroic cup exploits the week before, Camboli headed into the match full of confidence with just three changes from the previous game. James Price made a welcome return in goal and Johnny Hannaway slotted in at right back with Tom Harris switching to left back. Justin Green and Dave Aird resumed their roles and the centre of defence as did Sam Welburn and Jonny Gosnell in the middle of the park. With Ritch Putman slotting in at left midfield and Jack Burgess continuing on the right, it was Gary Smith and Ed O'Flaherty (replacing the absent Jimmy Welburn) who made up the starting eleven.
As many fans were still taking their seats following the prematch corporate entertainment, Camboli were busy getting off to a flying start. Rushmoor had barely woken up before they found themselves a goal down courtesy of a Ritch Putman header following an Ed O'Flaherty flick on from the edge of the box inside the first two minutes. A second goal swiftly followed in only the 4th minute, Jonny Gosnell the provider as he burst down the left before crossing for Jack Burgess to slot his 3rd goal in his last three starts with a simple tap in from close range. The away fans were going wild. The only sour note for Camboli was the loss of O'Flaherty (replaced by his brother Rob) who yet again had to leave the field injured, ironically in front of original 'sick note' Si Tappenden who looked on from the stands. The home fans were in stunned silence by the Camboli onslaught as many feared the worst. Somewhat suprisingly though, they needn't have worried. For Camboli committed the cardinal sin of seeming to believe they had won the match after just 4 minutes..!
Some observers will point to the loss of Ed O'Flaherty as a key moment so early on. Others will say that Camboli lost their focus and forgot that a match lasts 90 minutes.. Either way, Camboli stopped playing the football they had become accustomed during the next 20 minutes and let their opponents back into the match. They seemed unable to keep possession nor to compete with their more physical opponents. Most passes were overhit and Camboli were caught offside needlessly on several occasions. Eventually the home side pulled a goal back following a scrappy goal mouth scramble. Growing in confidence and roared on by the the home support, Rushmoor continued to make life difficult for Camboli. With every opportunity the hosts would launch the ball forward and feed off any scraps from the wasteful Camboli possession not seen since their early defeats at the start of the season. Soon the scores were a level. A hopeful cross came into the box and despite three or four chances to clear, Camboli conceded another cheap goal. The prematch favourites seemed unable to stop the downward spiral. A constant victim of their own poor play, Camboli couldn't even manage to hold their hosts level until half time. Yet another high ball into the area saw Camboli beaten to the first header and the second which looped over the unfortunate James Price and into the the net.
The halftime whistle could not come soon enough for the Camboli backroom staff. If there were teacups available I'm sure they would have been thrown, but suffice to say immediate changes were needed. Tom Harris made way for the experienced Andrew Bradshaw, allowing Justin Green to push into midfield and Jonny Gosnell to roam further up the pitch. A bright start to the half saw Camboli go close only to be denied by some smart goalkeeping from the Rushmoor stopper. However, the confidence that the home side now had meant that they were more than happy to continue to apply pressure of their own and sure enough they added a fourth less than 10 minutes after the restart.
At 4-2 down with barely 25 minutes to go many fans would have begun to leave, however the Camboli faithful are made of sterner stuff and their patience began to be rewarded as the away side attempted to turn the tide. In recent seasons heads would have dropped but, to their credit, Camboli began to exert themselves back on their opponents in a dogged display the wasn't pretty but showed some much needed commitment. Bradshaw in particular was typical of the Camboli fightback as he began to dominate the aerial battle that had been so spectacularly lost in the first half. Sam Welburn, another homegrown talent, was also throwing himself into last ditch tackles as the visitors rallied. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Camboli pulled a goal back through the now expected weapon of Dave Aird's long throw. Another towering lob from the consistent centrehalf caused chaos in the hosts penalty area and was nodded home by a hapless Rushmoor defender.
Belief seemed to rush through the veins of the Camboli revival and they began to bully and fight their way into the last 20 minutes with newfound optimism. Never pretty but fully committed, sadly sometimes a little too committed as skipper Jonny Gosnell collided with the ever reliable Justin Green in a desperate attempt to get an equalizer - forcing Green to leave the field with suspected ankle ligament damage. His replacement, Alex Williams, a 17 year old product of the youth academy, came on with the task of leading the final charge as Camboli reshuffled the formation with Jack Burgess joining him up front and Smith dropping back into midfield to load the ammunition.
The change of formation seemed to confuse Rushmoor as they struggled with the pace of the two youngsters who chased every lost cause like true eager young soldiers eager to prove their worth. And prove their worth they did, as Williams chased a long punt from 'keeper Price into the hosts' penalty area and leapt like a salmon to win a towering header to send the ball looping into the Rushmoor goal.
Many sides would have settled for a draw in such a game. But Camboli proved the have the fight and belief when it counts. They continued to press in their 3-4-3 formation and searched for the crucial winner knowing that a point was not good enough. The home side had chances of their own, Sam Welburn capping a fine display with a goal line clearance from a Rushmoor corner. Despite some Rushmoor resilience, the comeback was complete deep into stoppage time. Fittingly, it was arguably Camboli's two key players who secured victory. Sam Welburn shrugging off the clumsy challenge of a Rushmoor midfielder before crossing for Williams to volley home a sweet strike worthy of winning any match.
And so an important three points for Camboli as the sides around them also won, but they'll certainly need to improve if they truly wish to push for the title.
Jack Meehoff, Rushmoor Manager
"I'm sick. We were the better side and they've robbed us. I may as well call the police, it is that blatent. I can't believe it."
Tom Welburn, AS Camboli manager
"We don't make it easy for ourselves. Clearly we weren't at our best today and we stopped playing after 5 minutes which is unacceptable. But we dug in and, credit to the players in the second half, they didn't give up and we've taken a valuable 3 points which I don't think we would have done last year."
