A laboured, and perhaps nervous F.C. Lions of Wycombe, came from behind as they so often do, to open their league campaign with 3 points, in a 2-4 win away at Hambleden this morning, thanks to a late John Tilbury double.
With barely 10 seconds on the clock, Lions forward Ben Phippen carried on his sensational pre-season form, when receiving a lay off from Casey, taking one touch to settle the ball before bending an effort from 20 yards past the stranded Hambleden keeper, sending the team and watching public into rapturous applause. What a start.
The next 45 minutes was laboured stuff, as the Lions failed to make use of the extra forward deployed in a 3-4-3 formation, often overplaying the ball in midfield. Towards the end of the half, the Lions back line suffered much due to a distinct lack of communication that eventually a penalty was conceded when West and Why, not working out who was going to challenge, both ended up sandwiching a maurading Hambleden attacker as he entered the box. Penalty given, despite the calls for the foul to have taken place outside the box.
The Hambleden forward then saw his initial effort expertly saved by Talma, before rattling home the rebound on the stroke of half time.
It was thought, a goal conceded would awake the Lions at the start of the second period, as the side emerged with a new look, re-organised by Carter into a more familiar 4-3-3, with Scott West moving to right back, Casey to left back and Dale Why sitting in the DMC role in front of the back four.
5 minutes into the second half, the Lions, still looking like a punch drunk boxer, fell 2-1 down as a fantastic half volley sailed over Eric Talma to give the hosts the lead.
In reaction to this, Carter brought on Norman McCorkell for Andy Harris, who had worked hard without reproducing his stunning form of pre-season. McCorkell went into centre midfield alongside skipper Scott Sharples, who himself, had struggled to influence the game as he would've liked up until this point.
A couple of minutes later and with the Lions upping the ante, the home side looked to play the safe card remarkably early, and looked to have changed to a "what we have, we hold" mindset, this then played into the Lions hands, as they were urged vehemently from the sidelines by manager Carter to attack.
On 53 minutes, Carter withdrew Why and sent on Paul Patterson in a like-for-like swap, to make his competitive debut after transferring from Wycombe Marsh. Patterson was urged to spray the ball around from deep and make use of his vision to orchestrate the Lions attacks.
With Hambleden looking to shut up shop, changing to a 4-5-1 formation, the Lions finally managed to implement some quick passing, and the Hambleden keeper was forced into a string of fine saves, denying Tilbury as he turned in the box and fired a superb effort which was heading for the top left hand corner, and then denying Phippen and Patterson with almost identical, spectacular efforts.
The time came for the Lions last throw of the dice, and 17-year old Arran Bree was introduced for Luke Carter on 60 minutes, the striker looking sharp for the duration of the game, without harvesting a clear cut chance, in too, his competitive debut.
Eventually after banging on the door enough, the breakthrough came and after pegging Hambleden back in their own half, a long Ben Phippen throw in was nodded past his own keeper by an unfortunate Hambleden defender.
With this goal, and 25 minutes left on the clock, the Lions sensed blood and buoyed by the equalising goal, went in search of a winner.
The neutral would've been a brave man to bet on a draw or a Hambleden victory at this point, and after another chance came and went for Sharples. striker John Tilbury done what he does best and popped up with a timely third on 78 minutes, holding off a challenge with his back to goal before turning and finding the net.
3 minutes later and Tilbury had killed the game as a contest with his deadly second, a pass inside from Casey somehow finding the tall frontman in the box and despite the attention of 5 Hambleden players around him, Tilbury held off every challenge before emerging with the ball and burying it past the keeper from 10 yards.
In the end a scrappy, but well deserved result. The Lions being the better team over the distance, even if looking nervous and afraid of anything other than a win to begin the season.
Man of the match was a close call voted by the players with Scott West being awarded the accolade after an accomplished display at the back, narrowly pipping Tilbury.
Talma, Thomas, West*, Stevens, Harris (McCorkell), Why (Patterson), Sharples, Casey, L.Carter (Bree), Tilbury, Phippen.
