A few people were left hurting after the Malgo cup defeat, all with points to prove. Due to injuries, a drugs run to the Dam and a massive let down of a goalkeeper, options were limited for the game against Hadlow Harrow. Early front runner for Clubman of the year Stan Bowles took one for the team and pulled on the Fresh Source for the third time this season, Gandhi tucked in at centre back pushing the Ginger Prince back up in to Centre mid where he belongs and there were returns to the starting line-up for Huffers and Harrison. Harrow looked slightly different with a few new young faces in the side, exactly what they need with their average age well exceeding that of the Germany Euro 2000 Squad.
After Harrow playing most of the early stages in the Blackham half as time ticked on it was B&A who looked the more dangerous. Fergy had acres of space out on the left flank and with Pat overlapping and working well with Bert on the right we really started to stretch the game. And it was down the right side that the breakthrough came. The Ginger Prince picked p the ball and powered past the fullback before pulling the ball back to the edge of the box, Bert was then wiped out with a rather dangerous tackle, Thumbelina went to pick up the scraps and was also cleaned out. As Dumb & Dumber were remonstrating with the ref, Fergy quietly got on with it and lashed the ball home from 20 yards, neatly nestling in the top corner. Ferg then turn provider minutes later. An inch perfect heat seeking Paul Hathaway 50 yard pass dropped right in to the handsome winger’s path and he picked out Captain Underpants in the box who finished well with the outside of his boot. 2-0 at the break and very much in control. Early in the second half Bert found some space out on the right and lifted a nice ball in behind the back four and over the flapping keeper to Ferg at the far stick, he kept a cool head and finished well from a tight angle to effectively finish the game as a contest. As he was getting greedy the manager pulled him back to left back and introduced Zac Effron for his first run out since his injury away at Southborough. It was the impressive Hamish Warnock who put the icing on the cake with the 4th. A really slick move from deep in our own half and down the right saw Pat overlapping again, beating the full back and picking out Hamish to slot home his first goal in Black & Red and cap a Man of the Man performance. Hugo came on and nearly made it five, getting on the end of 2Gun’s through ball and slotting it away but the lino had flagged for offside, it was chalked off and it stayed at 4-0. And that’s how it should have finished until Paul Hu, Hu Hu, Huffaway got a bit cocky in his own 18 yard box lost control of the ball and let Harrow nick a goal back. Still a good win, three points and a very good performance from all. There was also some very green showering going on with some of the lads going 2’s up to save water. We really do care about the environment at B&A.
