A Game played on the morning of April Fools day was always like to prove a few comic moments, and luckily for ASB it was the boys from the East who were left feeling a little foolish.

Having not played for quite a while I was immediately impressed by the new look ASB set up. Water bottles, clip boards, enough kit for everyone and a huge bag of footballs showed that the management were running in a most professional way.

Top dressing rooms Fools were Tina who spent a good 15 minutes oiling himself before the game (why I have no idea, Ant didn't show up) and PeeWee who had bought himself a Alice band Frange had shiny new black and white boots.....

With a fairly massive squad to choose from the job of getting the best side out as well as keeping all the players happy was always going to be something of a problem for Jordan, but I think he managed it well.

GK : Juzza
RB : Orville LB : Tina
CB : Woody & Peewee
RM : Nick LM : Slouch
CM : Riz & Task
S : Sharkey & Jordan

Subs : Rob, Immy, Naz, Daffy, Iain

The team started off with Juzza in goal a back four of Orv Woody PeeWee Tina in the middle Nick Riz Task Slouch and up front Sharky and Jordan. Subs Frange who sporting ran the line in the first half, Rob, Prince Naz (our new keeper) Immi Iain and the Daffanova.

West Ham kicked off into blustery conditions. It was always going to be a case of the team that could best keep the ball on the floor and start to pass would dominate but the opening minutes where pretty even. Sharky acted as almost a lone striker up front while Jordan was acting as provider with his bags of tricks flicks.

Juzza had an early bit of action coming well off his line to punch clear a dangerous looking Hammers cross, and Woody was getting head on the end of everything coming through in the air.

Slowly the ASB began to dominate the game with their slick passing football but make no mistake this was a quality WH side we were playing, and they were making life difficult.
 
Jordan crosses, slouch pulls the ball back across goal, and Sharky is denied by the last defender. Lots of ASB pressure with Sharky getting a few half chances. Then comes the lucky break for ASB as the WH keeper acts the April Fool.

From a long range drive from the right Tina Fools the keeper and he juggles with the ball a while before losing all control and putting it in the back of his net. 1-0 Rangers.

Riz is coming more into the game now with some lovely flicks, and Task is getting in on the action with a corner that saw about 3 Rangers trying to bundle the ball in to the goal.

The game is on a knife enge the next team to score will be in the ascendance and WH win a dangerous looking corner with the wind blowing into the ASB goal. Nothing comes of it thats to a Woody Header.

The deciding moment was Tina's corner to Sharky, the keeper could just parry the ball in to the path of the Shark, 2-0 ASB. 25 mins. Nerves calmed.

ASB now start the domination, Riz feeds Slouch and he is just denied as he tries to stroke the ball into the net. Slouch, Tina and Jordan are all firing up but it was Nick-Nick who gave it the Whelly to make it 3-0.

Then comes a sweet ball flicked on from Jordan to Nick who puts it away easily for 4-0.

Half time.

ASB played compelling football, against a tough team and rightfully deserved the lead, everyone agreed.

There ten comes a lot of substitutions, and Im sure I dont have it exactly but Orv comes off at right back and I go on. Rob replaces Juzza in goal. Juzza becomes ref. Frange comes on for Woody. Tina goes in at central defence with the Frange mister on the left.

ASB rather take their foot off the gas with so many subs coming on its a little understandable but the battle is there and WH fail to make an impression but getting a goal back.

Slouch is the bought down, Juzza awards a penalty (not for the first time against WH, only this time he has the good sense not to sub himself into the game to take the penalty). Riz takes an impress spot kick that goes in off the post. 5-0
Sharky then gets in on the act again and nearly makes it six.

Jordan then has a long range shot that goes in off the hapless keeper, 6-0

Tina off for Task injury.

Immi on for Sharky.

Naz on for Rob.

Frange Starts to string the passes together, and gets in to the action. The new boots are a blur as he tricks his way down the left playing some nice one twos.

Naz looks like a quality keeper, not since Yeti have we had a keeper who could kick as far. Deep in to the oppositions 22 yard line.
Immi comes good to make it 7-0 from a Nick flick.

Finally comes the most contentious moment of the game for me. What we know is that Slouch crosses the ball what no one can agree on is if Riz makes any contact with the ball or if it is a defender bundling the ball into his own net. Still its a team game and the team called ASB won 8-0 against a quality West Ham team.

Nick got MOM, and Tina got the washing to do.

Daffy.