THERE WASN'T A SPARE SEAT ON THE BENCH AS A CAPACITY CROWD TURNED UP AT THE WALNUT TREE PLAYING FIELDS TO WATCH SOUTH CERNEY ENTERTAIN MINSTERWORTH IN THE COUNTY CUP. MANAGER RENNIE HAD A REAL SELECTION POSER FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON WITH 16 PLAYERS AT HIS DISPOSAL, WITH 4 NEW SIGNINGS IN GARY RANDELL, JORDAN ALLEN, DAVE LEVETT AND DEAN GOBLE FROM WANDSWORTH UNITED.
THE MAIN CONCERN WAS THE AMOUNT OF GOALS CERNEY WERE CONCEEDING, AND HE DECIDED TO GO WITH THE EXPERIENCED RANDELL AND AN AUDATIOUS MOVE IN PICKING HIMSELF AT THE HEART OF THE DEFENCE. IT WAS TO BE A NIGHTMARE AFTERNOON FOR JASE ALLEN, WHO AFTER FORGETTING HIS SHINPADS, PULLED HIS HAMSTRING GOING TO GET THEM, AND HAD TO TAKE AN EARLY BATH. CERNEY DOMINATED THE PLAY RIGHT FROM THE START AND MOVED THE BALL AROUND NICELY AND CREATED GOOD EARLY CHANCES, MAINLY FOR KEEN, WHO WAS EAGER TO ADD TO HIS IMPRESSIVE GOAL RECORD. YOUNG JORDAN LOOKED BRIGHT AND DANGEROUS IN ATTACK AND WAS LUCKY NOT TO SCORE, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED LIKE HE DONE MOST OF HIS SCORING ON FRIDAY NIGHT WITH SOME HEFTY LOOKING LOVE BITES ON HIS NECK.
THE FIRST GOAL WAS INEVITABLE AND CERNEY TOOK THE LEAD WHEN THE IMPRESSIVE LEVETT BENT A LONG RANGE EFFORT OVER THE KEEPER FOR A WELL DESERVED DEBUT GOAL. CERNEY CONTINUED TO PRESS AND WERE RARELY THREATENED IN DEFENCE AND FURTHERED THERE LEAD WITH THE SIMPLEST OF GOALS. A GOAL KICK FOR THE VISITORS FELL TO LEVETT AND HIS DEATH TOUCH PUT KEEN THROUGH ON GOAL AND HE MADE NO MISTAKE ROLLING A LEFT FOOT EFFORT UNDER THE KEEPER. THERE WAS SOME IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES FROM THE CERNEY PLAYERS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE NEW SIGNINGS AND THE ULTRA CONSISTANT MAD PETE ON THE RIGHT AS THEY TOOK A 2 GOAL ADVANTAGE INTO HALF TIME.THE FOCUS AT THE BREAK WAS TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AND GET THAT CRUCIAL 3RD GOAL, ALTHOUGH IN TRUE CERNEY STYLE THEY DIDNT DO THINGS THE EASY WAY.
WITH SEVERAL CHANGES MADE DUE TO THE ROLL ON SUBSTITUTIONS, CERNEY LOST THERE SHAPE A BIT AND ALLOWED THE VISITORS BACK INTO THE GAME. THE BACK 4 WERE FINALLY PUT UNDER A BIT OF PRESSURE AS RUNNERS FROM MIDFIELD WEREN'T PICKED UP AND MINSTERWORTH GAVE THEMSELVES A LIFE LINE BY GRABBING THE CRUCIAL THIRD GOAL. THE DEFENCE WERE OUTNUMBERED AND A CUT BACK TO THE STRIKER FROM HIS UNCLE BROTHER WAS NEATLY FINISHED AND CERNEY LOOKED A DISTANT MEMORY FROM THEIR FIRST HALF PERFORMANCE. THEY HOWEVER RESTORED THEIR 2 GOAL ADVANTAGE WHEN KEEN SMASHED HOME AN EFFORT AFTER A CROSS FROM MAD PETE, TO TAKE HIS TALLY TO 7 IN JUST 3 GAMES AND LIVE UP TO HIS GOAL MACHINE NICKNAME.
THE VISITORS CONTINUED TO PRESS THOUGH AS THE GAME REACHED THE FINAL STAGES AND SET UP A NERVY ENDING AS THEY GRABBED A SECONG GOAL LATE ON WHEN A CROSS FROM THE 6 TOED WINGER WAS HEADED HOME AT CLOSE RANGE. CERNEY HOWEVER HUNG ON AND PUT THEMSELVES IN THE DRAW FOR THE NEXT ROUND AS THEY HOPE FOR A NICE AWAY TIE.
A BIG THANKYOU MUST BE SAID TO CRAIG O'KEEFE FOR COVERING IN GOAL WITH A SOLID PERFORMANCE AND PAUL JUGGINS FOR HIS SILKY WORK WITH THE FLAG. WITH SOME GOOD PERFOMANCES FROM DAVE LEVETT, DEAN GOBLE AND PETE WILSON, MAN OF THE MATCH WAS A TRICKY DECISION BUT WENT THE WAY OF GARY RANDELL WHO'S EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME MADE FOR A MUCH MORE COMPOSED PERFORMANCE IN DEFENCE.
CERNEY TRAVEL NEXT WEEK TO ASHTON KEYNES HOPING TO CONTINUE THERE WINNING WAYS INTO THE LEAGUE FOR SOME MUCH NEEDED POINTS.
P.S PLAYER RATINGS WERE WORKED OUT ON AN AVERAGE FROM 2 IMPARTIAL SPECTATORS
