Saturday 20th October away to Knights Old Boys
For once, the sun wasn’t beaming down on some of the receding hairlines or the DC faithful. Could this signal their first win in the league this season?
Given the opponents recent results, a few from camp Convictus may have been lulled into a false sense of security and fully expected a win.
Results though, can be misleading.
Knights delayed kick off for some considerable time and ended up starting only 8 players - DC couldn’t have imagined an easier start to a game; bottom of the league opponents and three-man advantage. Game on.
Hold the front page! Some overconfident play and casual passing along with a lack of communication gave the hosts a break in the first 2 minutes. Beating the offside trap, the Knights right-winger squared a ball to the onrushing and unmarked midfielder to calmly slot the ball home for a 1-0 lead. Shocked and stunned were the faces of the away team.
To say that Dynamo needed galvanising was a gargantuan understatement. Shortly after this, Sean showed why he’s this generation’s Jens Lehman with a reckless challenge, which went unnoticed by the ref after the whistle had been blow for offside on their forward, who inevitably needed some treatment on the sides.
It wasn’t long before his counterpart was called into action. A chipped ball over the back four from Nick Letham left Beddow chasing down the keeper. The striker toed it passed the goalie and was scythed down. No pen. Goal kick awarded. Answers on a postcard please.
The two combined again a few moments later. DC’s forward was brought down from behind by their CB, which saw the ball fall to his strike partner for the afternoon, only to see his shot hit the right back’s arm.
The ricochet from Ashley’s shot hit the deck ready for an eagerly waiting Ben James to pounce, but by this point the ref had found his whistle and pointed to the spot. Finally the away side were rewarded a penalty.
Up stepped the trusted captain from left back to find the back of the net. 1-1. Game on.
The away side only had to wait a few more minute to see another opportunity arise. Lewis narrowly headed wide after some good work by Manzi sent Beddow down the wing. He spotted the run from Lewis through the box and found his head, only for the winger to see his effort narrowly missing the target.
Letham and Beddowcombined well with the former scooping a ball over the Knights defence and inviting a 50/50 challenge from the onrushing keeper. This time the goalkeeper won the race and earned a clattering from Michael Beddow which kept him down for a few minutes. GK 1 – 1 Michael Beddow.
It was only a matter of time. Beddow swung a low corner into the near post to DC’s impressive right-winger. His first time volley was too hot for the keeper to handle and he parried into the side netting. 2-1 courtesy of Ben James.
The opportunities were coming thick and fast as the team ticked over nicely as one – Vincent and Letham dominating in midfield and finding the forwards at every opportunity, and Ellen and Beddow working out a fine ‘flick on’ routine between them with every ball over the top.
One of these attacks created one of the most clear-cut penalty shouts seen in a long time. The ref deemed the Beddow to have dived when he was running through in the keeper and brought down from behind. Cries of Tom Daley from DC’s Ben Nixon were not well received by the now muddied and bruised Beddow. A clear red card challenge from Knight’s last man. Was it going to be one of those days?
A beautiful through ball with the outside of his right boot from Dan Vincent gave another opportunity for Beddow to pounce. Mike’s flirtatious relationship with the keeper went to the next level with the latter taking him out. Not quite the dinner and movie he was expecting but another penalty claim from the forward was put to the ref who duly obliged. Captain Butler stepped up for his second spot kick of the game. Bang, perfick pen - 3-1 DC.
It could have been more just two minutes later, with the DC forward pair combining again. This time the knock down came from Beddow a full 20 yards from goal, dropped nicely enough for Ellen to attempt a sweet left footed volley that looked destined for the top corner, only to see the keeper make a very fine save, pushing it around the post. (he had to make one I suppose)
They didn’t have to wait long for the fourth though. Dynamo’s #8 delicate chip fooled the keeper after some good work by Letham with his uted pass finding the striker’s run.
Half Time. 4-1
Searching balls over the top trying to find the strikers were becoming more affective. Dan Butler had the vision (and ears) to see run and send a delightful ball over the top for beddow to run onto. Ball bouncing and the keeper rushing out, Beddow guided the ball way over the keepers head to gently bounce into an empty net. 5-1
The same happened again but with Daniel Manzi provided a super curling pass into the strikers path. He beat the right back for pace and was surely on course to get the hat trick. A neat side foot finish to the bottom corner gave him a well-deserved third. The first Hat-trick for him and the club was met with a kiss of the crest. Putting to bed the rumours about him being linked with a January transfer to Serie A team Genoa, who lost at home to Roma at the weekend.
Two firsts to mention as Ben James made way for Alex on the right wing. The former having scored his first goal for the club, the latter making his first appearance in the emerald shirt of DC. It looked like he’d been playing every week, very conformable on the ball and linking up well with Manzi, Letham and the forwards.
Shortly after, another beautifully weighted in-swinging cross from Manzi was an absolute invitation to score and Ellen’s diving header beat the keeper for what looked to be number 7 for Dynamo. The referee decided to go with the linesman’s view that the DC forward was offside, however replays and eye witness testimonies have proven this to be wrong – the goal should have stood.
With Alex’s fresh legs putting Knight’s on the back foot constantly, a neat run from the wing into the box eventually ended up with him toe poking the ball to Nick Letham in support, who took on a defender and placed the ball nicely in the corner 7-1 DC. Game over (if it wasn’t already).
The overpowering midfield was still breaking up the opposition play and producing some opportunities through their creative work still in the late stages of the game, Letham’s marauding runs giving some Knights’ players twisted blood as he run them outside and inside, over and again.
Letham, Vincent and Ellen combined a number of times with great effect – bringing more players in to the game and advancing higher up the field.
The first substitution of the day saw Ellen make way for Cluett, like-for-like with no change to the newly adopted shape of 4-4-2. Who had a chance within a few minutes of being on. An argy bargy between the CB and the striker ened up with the defender clearing his lines. It was hard to tell if they was equally fast, or equally as slow as one another. A slow motion replay couldn’t help the decision.
With a 6 goal lead and passages of football pleasing on the eye it’s easy to forget the back 5 of Dynamo Convictus, who consistently won high balls, tackles, and maintained discipline (except for the first 5mins of the match anyway!). Nixon and Davies made welcome returns to the first team and we all hope to see them both consistently back in the fold.
On the rare occasion that the back line was breached, Sean Beddow showed his class and ability to stay focused. One particularly good save came from a direct Knights’ free kick, the keeper getting low and pushing a fierce drive wide of the bottom left corner. This really emphasises how a silly red card in the early stages of the game could have been hugely detrimental to Dynamo’s cause.
Confidence buzzing and the away team morale on a high. The fans shouting for an eighth… was it on the cards.
An opportunity via the consistent right back found Dan Vincent treading water running down the right wing through on goal. He took one look at the keeper, but his early shot was only going to worry some farmer’s crops in the adjacent field.
Beddow tried to give him a confidence boost “Come on Dan, you’re better than that”. The exhausted midfielder replied “F.Off Beddow, you a-hole”. If that’s not a good relationship then I don’t know what is.
The eitgh came after a goal kick from Sean caught the defence unaware. beddow ran through, but back on the chasing right back to stroke it into the far corner just inside the 18yrd box
In the end, the thing that matters is points. DC left with all three and a boost to their goal difference (which now stands at plus 2). Let this be the sign of things to come.
MOM – Nick Letham, although it was close with outstanding performances from a few individuals – Mike Beddow would have been a shoe-in to the England squad after that performance and 4 sublimely taken goals and an assist, but will have to wait until the next squad is announced and keep putting them in. Daniel Vincent showed fitness similar to that of Ramires and it’s rare to see such an energetic box to box performance in this league.
Also, special mentions to:
The referee for getting a hold on the game after about 75mins with a good old fashioned ‘telling off’ when the risk of a fight breaking out looked more likely than a fifth Beddow goal (that’s very likely, by the way).
Sean Beddow and Dan Manzi for not actually fighting with the oppo in the end.
The oppo for not keeping their promise of ‘dropping’ Sean and others after the game, as was promised on occasion
