Owens 1s VS Winchmore 1s
AFA Senior Cup
26 October
Outcome: Favourable
The AFA is a tough competition. In the Preliminary rounds it’s rare you see two top flight teams coming together in a head to head but that’s exactly what happened. Owens and Winchmore had a chance to do the rest of the competition a favour by putting out a top side early.
Do or die. In or out. That’s how the cup goes. Off the back of our first league win this season we were in high spirits despite the English weather finally realising that it was time to pay a visit.
The journey to Potters Bar isn’t far unless you turn up at the wrong ground. Amazingly, despite the full address and postcode being given in the whatsapp group, Kieran managed to arrive at Owens school and realised his error just as his lift drove away into the distance.
Seeing the dilemma the opposition Manager who was at the school at the time gracefully offered to give Kieran a lift. Kieran is cursed. No matter what he does he simply cannot get to a game on time.
In the 5-a-side size dressing room we turned our attention to the white board. No TK (who we are not allowed to call Tommy K anymore... *sad face*....) meant that a straight swap for Jamie Doyle was the only change with Barney staying put alongside him.
After such a strong performance the previous week we appeared to simply take for granted that the same performance would just happen again. It didn’t. Ignoring the weather conditions and the fact we started by shooting into the wind, we got absolutely battered for the first 35 minutes.
Sloppy in possession in the midfield and caught out by a lively Owens front line the warning signs came 5 minutes in when their number 10 raced through, tried to dink Will Deamer, and the ball went wide of the goal.
3 minutes later, same pattern of play. Lost the ball, got caught flat and another 1 on 1. As last man, Will reached for the ball and completely missed. Penalty. Fair Dinkum.
The Ref awarded the obvious penalty and completely lost his head by awarding a red card. Understanding that no amount of Lew’s incoherent screaming or Wills energetic protestations would sway the official it was up to Branners to calmly and rationally recount the change in laws which declared a goalkeeper could not conceded a penalty and be given a red card if there was a genuine attempt to win the ball and as such, unless the referee felt there was clear and obvious malice with no attempt to win the ball a yellow card was the appropriate action. The referee considered this and conceded his error. Red rescinded, Yellow awarded.
Penalty saved!
You’d think that would jolt us into action. It did not. Wave after wave of Owens attack came our way, helped in part by the challenge of getting the ball forwards against the wind. By half time we should have been 3 or 4 nil down but a combination or over complicating their finishing and a little bit of luck and we went in 1-0. The only goal coming straight from a corner that drifted ferociously into the top corner via a little poppadum hand from Deamer who used all his first half magic saving a penno.
1-0 down but with the wind. We were lucky to still be in the game but now had a chance to reset and get a grip of the game.
We bagged the next goal in the game 10 minutes into the half. After some close control and touches, Jamie flicked the ball into the path of Lewis who slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
We took the lead another 10 minutes later with a trade mark Barrell free kick. Not a top corner rasper. Not a sublime curled effort. Not an elaborate routine… standard quick free kick whilst no one was watching. With the keeper caught unaware he could only get his fingers to it and watch as it hit the post and crept agonisingly back across goal and into the side netting.
We’d turn the game around had the literal wind in our proverbial sails.
Jamie Doyle, already with an assist to his name, doubled our lead with 15-20 to go. Picking the ball up on the edge of the box he shifted the ball to his left. The centre back gave him half a yard to much space and Jamie smartly fired home into the same corner as Lewis to put his name on the score sheet.
A 2 goal cushion is not always enough and against Owens it almost proved too little.
With time ticking down they through a bit more forwards. They continued to play some good football and stuck to their passing game well. 5 minutes from the end and they got reward for their approach. Some smart work down their left and their full back overlapped before flashing a ball across the box. The outstretched foot of the Owens midfielder clipped the ball across Deamer into the bottom corner to set up a nervey finish.
The Hill held out though and the final whistle blew to see us win our second game in a row. 3-2 to Owens and through to the next round of the cup.
It gets no easier though as our first round proper sees us face the AFA Cup holders Old Carthusians on 30 November.
It was good to see us come back from a goal down to win this. We rode our luck a bit and the optimists will always say that we ‘deserved the rub of the green’ but we can’t rely on that. We have to start smarter and play better in the early exchanges, especially when momentum is against us. We’re pleased to be through but have much to learn from this game.
A quick mention for young Rory who came on and made an impact in his first appearance in the first team. He adds a little flare to the squad which is starting to build in depth as we approach the winter seasons – good to see some youth coming through as well.
Onwards and Upwards
MOM – Alex Bex. Another industrious performance from the new cat
DOD – Kieran.