Crouch End Vamps 5s vs Winchmore Hill 7s
SAL Junior Div 4 North
19 October
Winchmore hill 7’s vs Crouch End Vampire 5’s won 2-0
Top of the league vs bottom, but had to keep ourselves humbled and just remind each other that anything can happen in this league. And Crouch End at their ground is always a tough game just because of them being used to playing on those amazing pitches.
Going into the game with a relaxed demeanour about ourselves, at some points too relaxed just had to remind everyone involved we haven’t turned up just to take part but to go away with the 3 points.
With us being a new team and this being our 5th game together it seems we are beginning to find our identity and what type of team we want to be this season. Being able to keep the ball and passing it out from the back. And straight from the start that’s exactly what we wanted to do.
Tom Conlon and Sean Leahy being colossal at the back again and with Granit Tahirbegolli putting in a solid performance at left back for the best of the team and Charles Bettes dictating things at right back. It was a thing of beauty at time’s watching them take the soul of the opposing players by letting them know that they were in for a game.
Even though they probably had the better chances they panicked as soon as they saw our defence coming for them and Iain Marshall commanding things from in goal.
With us having most of the possession it was only a matter of time that we were going to get our goal. Then up popped our assist king Younas Muluwerk, working well upfront with Pete Cooper going down the left channel and putting a beautiful ball to the right post for Jack Gaughan to volley home from the angle. Van Persiesk
Taking a 1-0 lead into half time, and the half time team talk was simple keep doing the same and the second goal will come and for once we actually started to see the opposing team start to tire because we were moving the ball around the pitch.
Then we got a free kick down our left side and up went our giants on the pitch in Sean, Tom and Andre any defence would be worried seeing these guys come up for set pieces. Graeme Gillies put in a beautiful ball to the far post and then Sean Leahy made the rest look easy, 2-0.
As the game went on we could of scored more but the most important thing was seeing the players play with confidence and enjoying the game we all love. There was even some comical moments before the game Eddie Muñoz said even if I’m on the bench and we get a penalty I’m coming on to take it. Then near the end of the game we got a penalty.
Straight away you here ref sub please and Eddie stripping off ready to come on and with some colourful language being aimed at him to not think about it, he decided to listen to his team. And unfortunately we missed the penalty. Lessoned learned on the day ‘Eddie takes the penalties’ as he won’t get many chances this season. :-)
But unfortunately during the game we had suffered a big loss also as Jack Gaughan fell on his hand and heard a crack, later on to find out his fractured his hand and will miss 4 weeks of the season. Big player big loss but we all wish him a speedy recovery and can’t wait to have him back in the team.
Man of the match Sean Leahy but an amazing team performance from everyone.