Today’s game saw Bexley Athletic face higher league opposition welcoming Division 2 JB Knights to Danson Park. With only two players absent, manager Peter Baulsom had a strong squad to select from for what was anticipated to be a challenging match.
Adam won the toss and elected to change ends forcing JB Kinghts to play up hill in the second half. Bexley started well controlling the midfield and restricting the opposition in the final third. With their first real attack Bexley were ahead with a superb strike by Guildford from 20 yards rifling past the goalkeeper. Bexley kept up the momentum with JB Knights keeper just tipping the ball round the post from Adam. Such an impressive start left some supporters comparing him to Ronaldo.
Bexley defended superbly with JB Knights unable to breach the solid back four. Bexley went 2-0 up when a poor clearance from a corner with knocked back in James Hall for Mark to accidently head the ball in. Strangely with players fixing the net, the referee allowed JB Knights to kick off and elected to shoot from the half way line but well wide. Realising his mistake the referee pulled the play back. Bexley continued to frustrate JB Knights in the final third and passed the ball through the back four and the midfield with ease. You wouldn’t have thought Bexley were the lower league team as they went 3-0 up. A piercing run through the middle from Luke to feed Matt Bennett who slotted past the goalkeeper.
JB Knights came at Bexley in the last ten minutes, cutting in from the left to feed an attacker 10 yards out to strike straight at Dan who sat on the ball for good measure. The referee further baffled Bexley when he gave a free kick twenty yards against Adam who to everyone else made a great challenge. With the wall organised the free kick was struck straight at Dan who got two strong hands to the ball put pushed it into danger. He would have retrieved the rebound but careful not to get decapitated, he left the clearance to Lee’s right boot. Bexley went in to half time full of confidence from clearly their best first half performance of the season but the message from the management was not to get complacent, the game wasn’t over.
At half time John had been bought on for Mark. A quiet start to the second half with Bexley continually to defend well but seemingly unable to fashion more opportunities. The JB Knights goalkeeper appeared to be defending on his own with many tackls outside of his 18 yard box. He made a mistake however when he picked up an obvious back pass, but the referee got the position of the free kick completely wrong so Bexley were unable to make anything of the set piece.
However, it was soon 4-0 when James Hall robbed a JB Knights defender to nip in a score for his second goal in as many games. The opposition appeared to full apart turning on each other, perhaps due to the solid defensive display from Steve, Lee, Kev and Laurie. Substitute James Brown who came on fro Laurence also made an impressive contribution with some crucial passes and interceptions.
The fifth and final goal was a fortunate one, when hesitancy in the back four as Matt closed in caused the goalkeeper to kick it against him and the ball trickled into the corner. Not goal of the season, but they all count. It could of been six when Adam skilfully set himself, but realising he was inside the box he decide to rattle the bar.
Bexley’s clean sheet was almost ruined with two poor mistakes from the goalkeeper firstly coming out to the corner of his box but hesitating allowing the player to take it round him and pass across the open goal. Fortunately, Kev still has a particle of goalkeeping instinct left in him and was quickly on the line to close the angle at the near post as the player shot wide. When a second ball was played straight through the middle Dan went into no man’s land on the edge of his box. Conscious not to concede a penalty he elected to jump on the edge of the 18 yard box as the ball was looped over him but wide.
The last ten minutes saw the mandatory appearance of the player manger, coming on for Kev. Peter was supposed to be playing left midfield but honestly, he didn’t even know what he was doing. Perhaps he was keen to impress with the chairman present, but he’s clearly the manager for his tactical awareness, not his footballing ability.
Full time 5-0, three wins in a row, and a fantastic performance all round helped by terrific support from all seven fans. Barca next week will probably provide stiffer opposition so we will have to be on top form again.
(Ratings this week by Mark Baulsom)
