Match Report

With last week’s completely one-sided display against Toby Vets hopefully a distant memory we embarked on yet another trip to SE3, an area that yours truly pointed out last week with some “interesting” stats (zzzzzzzzzzzz) has been a very happy hunting ground for the Farnborough Young Vets who have yet to taste defeat in the 4 years they have been making the journey from BR6. Today’s hardened opponents were Inter Vygra who play their home matches at Shootershillian Sports & Social Club, but unfortunately on a rugby pitch.

If we were to rewind to a year ago this fixture was close to being called off to the thick fog, and it was a fixture that the OBG’s would go on to win comprehensively 1-5 but that victory came at a cost as it would see Richard Davies take no further part in Farnborough’s season after picking up an innocuous ankle injury.

Farnborough welcomed back some familiar faces and took advantage of The Buff not having a match by drafting in the potent Barry Grainger and they also handed a debut to Simon Reynolds who had been recruited by Gary Rosslee midweek. Farnborough lined up as follows.

GK, Gary Rosslee
LB, Danny Saines
CB, Paul Bailey
CB, Matt Wright
RB, Richard Davies
LM, Neil Connelly
CM, Danny Clark
CM, Jim St John
RM, Rowan Foggitt
CF, Barry Grainger
CF, Simon Davies

Subs,

Jason Miller
Simon Reynolds

Vyagra were successful with the toss and elected to change ends and kick upfield on the very heavily cut up pitch and we knew that with the surface being in a state like it was this would not make for a good advert for the beautiful game, in fact maybe that is why the home team are named Inter Vygra because you need a bloody case of it to even attempt to play sexy football on a pitch like this!

Farnborough asked the early questions, posed the most threats and were unlucky not to break the deadlock after 10 minutes as Barry Grainger did well out wide to stay on his feet after beating two men and drill a ball into the penalty area that was met first time by Simon Davies but the goalkeeper combined with the right hand post to keep the ball out and deny him his 10th goal of the season. Farnborough pressed forward with Rowan Foggitt and Richard Davies complementing each other on the right hand flank and the former fashioned himself a half chance to add to his brace last week but his effort was dealt with accordingly.

Simon Davies then had a glorious chance to score as Barry Grainger put in a cross that was neatly headed down by St John into the path of Simon Davies but he blazed his first time volley over the crossbar and even over the rugby goal bar that stood behind the goal several yards back! Farnborough finally broke the deadlock courtesy of an own goal, who is actually Sunderland FC’s second top scorer this season. The ball cannoned off of one of their players into the Vyagra net after they failed to deal with Farnborough’s 3rd or 4th corner of the first half, 0-1 OBG’s. Danny Saines (hamstring) was then replaced at left back by Neil Connelly with Jason Miller taking up the left hand side and then Jim St John making his first game in a Farnborough shirt since the 28th of October found himself in acres of room as he was given time to chest down a well weighted Barry Grainger ball and smash the ball down low that the goalkeeper was very unlucky not to keep out, an inspiring substitution and 0-2 OBG’s.

The Vyagra attacks were few and far between however Rosslee had to be alert to tip over a shot from outside the box that was destined for the top left hand corner, but Vyagra soon managed to find a way back into the match that they looked out of when they got what is known as a rub of the green. Paul Bailey appeared to have put in what looked like a well timed tackle in the area only for the ball to kindly bobble and pop up nicely for the centre forward who continued his run and finished well, 1-2 OBG’s.

The second half saw Rowan Foggitt make way for Simon Reynolds who took up position in centre midfield with Jason Miller reverting back to his familiar right wing position and Danny Clark taking a less familiar role out wide on the left hand side. Farnborough soon found some breathing space as Simon Reynolds played in Jim St John in on goal with a perfectly weighted through ball but he was brought down in the penalty area which left the referee with no choice but to award Farnborough a penalty kick. Up stepped Richard Davies to coolly stroke the ball home which left the goalkeeper with no chance, 1-3 OBG’s.

With Farnborough in apparent cruise control the ref then claimed that Paul Bailey had fouled a Vyagra player in his own penalty area to give the home team further hope and the scorer of Inter Vyagra’s opening goal duly stepped up to take responsibility for the resulting spot kick. The forward dummied his run up and feigned to go one way and shot the other but Rosslee was not sucked in to his antics and smartly got to palm the ball away to safety to keep Farnborough’s 2 goal lead intact and was greeted by wild scenes of jubilation by his team mates. With that being a wake up call to them Farnborough then carved out a few decent opportunities for themselves with Simon Reynolds beating 3 players before bearing down on goal but his effort was thwarted by the goalkeeper whose legs appeared to be much fresher than Simon’s at this later stage of the game; and then Simon Davies really should have done better after being played in one on one with only the goalkeeper to beat but his hesitance allowed the goalkeeper to save at his feet as he tried to round the goalkeeper.

The goal of the match then followed, courtesy of a quick throw from Rosslee that found Reynolds, he knocked the ball into space for Jason Miller to run on to and as he collected the ball in full stride he took 2 touches before firing the ball low into the box where Simon Davies was on hand at the near post to steer the ball home, 1-4 OBG’s and surely game over.
There was still time for Barry Grainger to come agonisingly close to capping his excellent performance with a deft lob that that just whistled over the bar, but he was soon on hand to find the net after Danny Clark played him in and he neatly finished at the keeper’s right hand side, 1-5 OBG’s. Full time and Farnborough ran out worthy winners.

So another successful trip to SE3 for the Young Vets but again this is 2 or 3 weeks in a row now where it hasn’t been the greatest of games to be involved in for several of us and at time of print I have been informed that our 2nd of December fixture against decent opposition the Met Police has been cancelled!

This time last year at the 11 match mark we had scored 25 goals, and conceded 20, fast-forward one year and we have found the net 46 times so far this season having conceded 3 more.

Shot of the match: Simon Davies’ first time volley to seal an excellent team goal.

Save of the match: Rosslee’s second half penalty save.

Man of the match: Matt Wright

Moan of the match: What appears to be a lack of enjoyment by a few players over the last few games!

Next week we are away to Charlton Rangers Vets, we lost this corresponding fixture last year 1-0 however this time last year at the 11 match mark we had scored 25 goals, and conceded 20, this year we have found the net 46 times so far this season and conceded 23 so I do not think this will be a similar scoreline this time around!