Met Police Ground, Bushey.
Saturday 26th January, 10.30 kick off.
A strong squad descended upon cold, but sunny Hertfordshire for our
local derby against Barnet.
After much thought, and many phonecalls to Tina, Inga confirmed the
starting 11 as follows.
Goalkeeper: Carlos
Left Back: Slouch
Centreback: Orv
Centreback: Dave
Right Back : Frange
Left Mid: Robinson
CentreMid: Donny
CentreMid: Brian
Right Mid: Immy
Up Front: Sharky
Up Front: Nick
Subs:
Weeman,
Rob,
Rodrigo
Julio
Zack
Duber (?)
+ 1 South Americano
A lovely surface to play on, both sides took the chance to play some
neat attacking football. ASB did most of the pressing in the early
stages, but Barnet always looked threatening on the break. Robinson was
causing endless problems on the flank, all too often the play would
break up and ASB would find themselves defending on the edge of the 18
yard box. Orv and Dave looked solid at the back, Slouch and Frange
assured either side of them. Immy, on the opposite flank to Robinson,
was also causing some concern to the Barnet team. Sharky was putting
himself about up front, and it was from one of his endless 'pressing
from the front displays' that we have all become accustomed to, suffered
a clash of heads and had to be subbed. He made way for Rodrigo. Dave was
pushed up front, and Rodrigo took his place next to the brilliant Orv.
Not long after, a foray into the ASB half caused mayhem in the box.
Barnet were chasing and closing down on everything! Slouch and Carlos
ended up on a heap on the floor. The ball was laid into the path of an
oncoming Barnet player, coolness personified, from just inside the angle
of 18 yard box, drilled through the scurrying defenders trying to
protect the goal. 1 - 0.
Regular pattern of play ensued. Donny and Brian in the middle of the
park were making things tick. ASB would press, Barnet would counter. It
was at this time Robinson took centre stage. He had already had a number
of shots on the Barnet goal, all of which the keeper just stood there
and watch go by. This time, from just outside the edge of the box, his
curling, dipping effort found the top corner. Again, all the keeper
could do was watch it as it flew in!
The game swung from end to end. Another dangerous break saw Barnet smack
a post. At the other end, after more dangerous play from our wing
wizards, we won a corner. the ball was crossed into the box, Rodrigo, up
from the back, nodded down, and Nick steals in to score from the edge of
6 yard box. The boy never misses from there! Donny had to come off
injured (later transpired ruptured medial ligament - ouch!)
Half time: Barnet 1 - 2 ASB.
Subs: Weeman came on for Frange.
The second half started in the same fashion as the first. ASB managed to
get further infront when Robinson latched onto a loose ball on the area
and drilled high into the net. Again, a nice finish. You got the feeling
that there were plenty of goals in this game, and Barnet were by no
means out of it. The proof came when Barnet won a corner. The cross came
in, Carlos went for it, but the striker nipped in to score from just
under the cross bar. It was all square just a few minutes later when
Slouch got into a tangle with a Barnet player in the box. My initial
reaction, and those on the sidelines around me were 'penalty'. The ref
agreed. Up stepped their forward, sent Carlos the wrong way. Good pen, 3
- 3.
At this point the game really could have gone either way. Luckily and
thankfully, it went ours! It wasn't the prettiest goals, they do all
count though, and a low speculative shot by Duber (?) from outside the
area seemed to either go through, or was spilled, into the back of the
net by an otherwise quite impressive keeper. 3 - 4.
10 minutes from the end, Rob came on for Nick, Zack came on for Immy.
Orv limped off to be replaced by Julio.
The game soon generated into a farce. Every challenge seemed late,
tempers flared. The Barnet boys didn't like the theatrics, the ref did
the right thing and blew for time.
MOM: Orv. |
