Match Report

With the added benefit of an extra hour in bed a rejuvenated Farnborough played host to Ditton Vets on this crisp October morning and with several first team players still missing due to holidays and injuries Farnborough were thankful to call upon a couple of familiar faces from their local rivals The Buff both of whom would go on to have a significant impact in today’s match.

Farnborough lined up as follows.

GK, Gary Rosslee
LB, Danny Saines
CB, Andy Cobham
CB, Matt Wright
RB, Brett Cheesman
LM, Neil Connelly
CM, Jim St John
CM, Danny Clark
RM, Daragh Nott
CF, Barry Grainger
CF, Simon Davies

Subs,

Richard Davies
Mark Friend
Paul Bailey.

Having lost the toss Ditton bizarrely decided to play against the wind and soon found themselves a goal down with no more than 5 minutes played. Barry Grainger dispossessed the Ditton centre back some 25 yards out and then had the presence of mind to lob the goalkeeper with an excellent right foot finish, 1-0 OBG’s.

One nil soon became two nil as the other emergency loan Buff player Brett Cheesman floated an excellent angled ball into the Ditton penalty area where Jim St John rose completely unmarked at the far stick to head home with the Ditton goalkeeper colliding with the post for his troubles; he would play no further part for the remainder of the first half, 2-0 OBG’s.

The delay in the match did not deter Farnborough as they soon added a third goal, Simon Davies reacting first to a decent save from the sub goalkeeper to head into an empty net, 3-0 OBG’s.

Ditton were now clearly deflated and did not look like the team that we had played on 3 previous occasions where the best we could muster was a 1-1 draw and they were soon picking the ball out of the net for 4th time. A dubious free kick was awarded to the home side when it clearly looked like Jim St John had committed the foul. However the Ditton complaints fell on deaf ears and a sweetly taken direct free kick by Barry Grainger put Farnborough four goals up, his effort curling away from the goalkeeper as soon as it left his “cultured” left foot, 4-0 OBG’s.

Ditton rarely found any real momentum and Simon Davies then found Barry Grainger at the back post to slot home with ease to get his hat-trick after some very neat football by Farnborough, 5-0 OBG’s.

The one real chance that Ditton had fell just before the half time interval but the effort was well saved by Rosslee as he was quick off his line to thwart the danger and block a one on one chance with a strong left hand, half time 5-0 OBG’s.

Farnborough made several changes at half time with Danny Saines and Andy Cobham making way for Mark Friend and Paul Bailey. Daragh Nott should have added a 6th for Farnborough but he sliced his effort wide when having the ‘freedom of Farnborough’. Farnborough’s 6th came courtesy of a howler from the Ditton keeper as he spilled an innocuous cross and as the ball squirmed through his hands Mark Friend was on hand to guide the ball home to make the score 6-0.

Farnborough were totally in control of the game and they looked on course to secure their first clean sheet of the season but with 2 minutes of time remaining Rosslee inadvertently underhit a pass to Cheesman at right back and the Ditton forward easily intercepted the pass and rounded him and was able to score from a tight angle although Paul Bailey had done his utmost to get back and try and block the effort. Had you have turned up to watch the match from that point you would have actually thought that Farnborough had just lost the match when the ref blew for full time. In fact some players needed reminding after the match that we had finally beaten a team we had not beaten before!

For some reason the oppo decided not to stick around after the match to sample Farnborough’s warm hospitality (maybe their food was going cold back at Ditton) which meant with the clubhouse being rather empty we all had seconds.

Shot of the match: Barry Grainger’s sweetly struck first half free kick

Save of the match: Rosslee’s first half one on one save

Man of the match: Danny Clark for yet another box to box display

Moan(s) of the match: Rosslee’s blunder to deny Farnborough their first clean sheet of the season and Ditton’s post-match disappearing act!

Next week as it stands we are away to AFC Greenwich, so aftershaves at the ready boys. I bought some new aftershave the other day called Breadcrumbs, It doesn’t smell that nice but the birds love it!