The season continues to break new ground for the Lions as spirited display saw us overcome Epsom & Ewell Old Boys to take our place in the semi-final of the Junior Oak Cup. OK, so this quarter final fixture was the first game that we’d actually played in the cup this season, but bearing in mind that we’d a) never had a bye in this competition before and b) not won either of our games in the previous seasons, this was very much a noteworthy occasion.
Line-up:
Paige (GK)
Julian (RB), Matt R (CB), Phil (CB), Ollie (LB)
Dale (CM), Nathan (CM), JP (CM)
Gregg (RF), Scott (CF), Gary (CF)
Due to the lack of pitch availability at TIffinians, we’ve had to book home pitches with Elmbridge Council who don’t supply nets, so this was our first experience of putting up our new nets (many thanks to Richard Withers for supplying these). All I can say about that is apologies to Epsom and Ewell OB and the ref for the long delay to the kick-off, due to the comedy of errors in getting the bloody things up on the posts. Between trying to work out how to get the net clips on, stretching one side then the other to get the net to the ground and oh yeah, putting the net on upside down (you know who you are!!!) we must have looked like a right load of muppets. At least it can’t be that bad next time round.
Anyway, once the game finally got under way we had the better of the early chances and although we weren’t exactly stretching the keeper, we were getting shots in on target and passing the ball well. By contrast, the oppo were relying too much on the long ball over the top, which put us under pressure, but we were mostly able to clear the danger effectively. Their chances were few and far between and it’s no exaggeration to say that Paige did not have a single save of note to make in the entire game.
At their end, Nathan and Scott came close with a couple of efforts, Gregg put a great shift in on the right side, creating proving a handful for their defence. Gary seemed to have the beating of their right back and had a couple of efforts at goal. The actual breakthrough came from a set piece, with JP putting a free kick into the penalty area, with ball bouncing around for a bit, before Dale passed the ball past a static keeper into the corner.
In the second half the oppo changed things up a bit and put a bit more pressure on us. We didn’t help ourselves either, with a couple of missed clearances giving the oppo their best opportunity when their sub striker had a run at goal but could only put his shot just high and wide of the far post.
That was really the closest they came to a shot on target. They played the long ball off the goal kick that simply cleared the midfield which meant our defence had to sit deeper so that we could clear the ball. When they tried the ball down the side, Julian and Ollie got the ball away. It was very hard work defensively, but Paige probably had one of his quietest games.
Up the other end, Gregg had a number of chances to add to his season’s goal tally: a shot just over the bar, one just wide and a sliced half-volley that sadly didn’t do justice to the excellent build-up play that preceded it. Scott put a couple of chances wide and Kev forced a near post save when he came on as sub.
Despite the lack of actual goalmouth threat at our end, the defence was getting stretched and we badly needed the cushion of a second goal. It arrived very late in the day and was down to a ball being knocked onto Nathan who was just in their half. Their lino flagged for offside but play was allowed to continue by the ref and Nathan, all by himself, ran onto goal, rounded the keeper and tried to pass the ball into the net. It was admirably blocked by a sliding defender right on the line, but the player was unable to recover his feet in time to stop Nathan tapping in on the follow-up.
A few minutes later and the final whistle went to confirm our place in the semis. A date with Newdigate awaits, who will provide a sterner test for sure, but with yet another clean sheet in the bag, this record-breaking season marches on.
