19/09/10: The Victory Club (2) v (1) TEF Workingmens Club
Scorers: Robson, Smiles
Team: Swan (GK), Mountford, Hudson, Bunyan, Rodgers, Harding, Lamb (c) (Collins), Jackson, Robson, Hunter, Smiles
Unused Subs: S. Dryden, Stores, White
Yellows: None
Reds: None
The Victory Club secured their first league success of the season as they ground out a hard fought 2-1 win over TEF Workingmens Club. It was a fantastic win for the team who showed real character to put aside last week’s defeat and going a goal behind in this game to come away with the three points.
As is becoming the norm, George Ross shuffled his pack but this time kept changes to a minimum making only one as Stephen Robson replaced the suspended Mark Dryden. Dryden’s absence saw Rodgers switch to left back and Nathan Hudson join Paul Bunyan in the centre of the defence. Hudson was the third different centre half partner Bunyan has had in the last three games. There was also a tactical adjustment as the formation was switched back to the 4-4-2 which proved so successful against Billingham Station, a move which saw Scott Hunter partner James Smiles up front. Greg Davison was still away in Morocco as he continued his search to unearth the next Mustapha Hadji, Youssef Chippo or Hassan Kachloul.
The game began slowly and neither goalkeeper was called into action in the opening quarter of an hour. In fact the only effort on goal came when a TEF player dragged a shot wide of the target when he tried his luck from distance. On the twenty minute mark, Smiles had the Victory’s first shot in anger when his rasping right footed shot from the edge of the box stung the palms of the TEF goalkeeper.
Much like the Sunderland v Arsenal match the day before, TEF were enjoying prolonged spells of possession without really doing much with it.
As the game reached the midway point of the first half the Victory began to click into gear. Graham Lamb saw a left footed shot trickle narrowly wide of the right hand post and Hunter had a weak shot saved by the keeper. The general consensus was that Hunter would have had more chance of scoring if he’d have attempted a cross as the majority of his Victory Club goals have come as a result of crosses floating in. Steve Jackson also saw a shot fly over the bar after he was teed up by Stephen Robson’s clever free kick.
The Victory were restricting their opponents to efforts from long range. Bunyan bravely charged down a shot while the impressive, Hudson, made a vital last ditch tackle to deny a TEF shooting chance as they made a rare foray into the Victory Club penalty area.
The score line remained goalless at half time; incredibly that has been the case in all five of the Victory Clubs games this season. Despite being level and more than holding their own, Ross was still not happy and wanted more from his team as they went in search of their first league win of the season.
The second half began quietly and without event but then on 57 minutes the game sprang into life as TEF took the lead. An in swinging cross from the left wing went over the head of Rodgers and a TEF player ghosted in unmarked at the far post to volley the ball home left footed from inside the six yard box. It was a goal out of the blue and one which would now really test the character of the men in red to see whether they could come back from it.
Ross responded to the concession of the goal by replacing an unusually subdued, Lamb with Anthony Collins who was back fresh from his summer holiday. Bunyan took over the skippers armband and in the process became the first foreign player to captain the Victory Club.
Collins immediately made his presence felt as a crunching challenge by him forced a TEF midfielder to be helped off injured. TEF complained about the forceful nature of the tackle but they had no grounds to especially after one of their defenders practically decapitated Smiles in the first half with a tackle which caused the Victory forward to be propelled airborne, although the somersault in mid-air which Smiles threw in was a little unnecessary!
The Victory were reacting well to falling behind and almost equalised as the second half reached its midway point but Robson screwed his shot wide of the near post after being played through. Moments later and another chance went begging. A Harding cross from the right seemed for all the world as though it was going to be tapped in at the far post by Robson but Smiles, who did not hear Robson’s shout to let it go, lunged in but could only divert his effort at full stretch wide of the target. The Victory must have wondered at that point whether it was going to be their day.
That question was answered with just over a quarter of an hour remaining when their pressure finally paid and the equaliser came. Robson was played in by Smiles’ well weighted through ball and this time he made no mistake by drilling a shot through the oncoming keeper’s legs. It was Robson’s first goal in competitive matches for the Victory but that did not excuse his horrific goal celebration which followed. As the ball hit the back of the net, Robson ran towards the Victory bench arms outstretched as though replicating and aeroplane. While there was no question that the men in red were now flying, Robson’s celebration will surely go down as one of the worst and campest ever seen in the history of the Sunderland Sunday League.
George Ross’ men, not satisfied with a point, pushed for a winner and with seven minutes remaining the winner came. Collins won the ball in midfield and played the ball up to Smiles. Smiles then turned and threaded a ball through to Hunter. The TEF backline, who had stepped out to try and play Hunter offside, stood appealing but referee, Michael Burrows, waved play on. Time seemed to stand still but Hunter kept his composure and controlled the ball before squaring it left footed to Smiles, who after playing the pass had continued his run. As the ball came across, Smiles cleverly opened up his body and steered the ball out of the keepers reach and into the bottom corner of the net to send the Victory touchline delirious. TEF were livid with the referee’s decision not to blow for offside and in the mass protests which followed one of their players was shown a straight red card for being too vociferous with what he thought of the officials call.
In the dying minutes, TEF almost snatched a dramatic leveller but luck was on the Victory’s side as a cross from the right looped over Swan, cannoned off the post and back into play before being hacked to safety by Bunyan.
Thankfully though, The Victory hung on to record their first league win of the season – the three points moving them up to eighth place in the Division Two table. Next week sees the men in red return to cup action with a trip to Millview CIU from Division One as the Victory bid to continue their role as cup giant killers.
