Match Report

New management team comes from behind, with verve

This game was eventful and the build-up even more so.  At one point during the week it did not look like we would have a game to mark the start of the Coles-Mant era. Our original opponents Reigate Priory Vets could not raise a team to visit Farnborough.  Normally, we are the ones who suffer a touch of travel sickness when it comes to visiting them but the virus had clearly mutated to affect them. 

AFC Greenwich Super Vets were at a loose end and as we say a game is better than no game, even an away one.  We also survived a Saturday scare to find a referee in Ian Clarkson, initially in the frame to do our home game against Reigate, now willing and able to do our away game against Greenwich.  We managed to confuse ourselves about the location of the ground with Colin Brazier’s invaluable assistance.  Thankfully, the two venues in question were opposite each other. 

To add to the quality of the experience we had keeper Matt Angelo, Rain Man on steroids, lock himself and his kit out of his car, and engaging in Chinese whispers with Phil Anthony with the result that after hot-wiring his car, he was half an hour late taking his place in goal, and even then I had to find socks for him (and the referee).  Matt was replacing Deano in goal after some midweek turbulence.  We are back to being Deano-less but we had Matt back and he wasted no time reminding us of what we have been missing. 

Talking of turbulence, an under-12 game took place on the pitch we would be using – not sure why we had to use that pitch when so many other and better pitches seemed to be available.  As the two junior teams were coming off the pitch it looked like it was going to kick off between some of the adults involved, in the best traditions of Sunday morning football.  Our game was a more sedate affair.

The facilities at our home ground would have been better but we were where we were, on a pitch best described as a leveller, bumpy, clumpy, narrow and with a forest of brambles all down one side.

FOBG Squad: Matt Angelo, Phil Anthony, Ian Coles, Jay Hardy, Waine Hetherington, Michael Hills, Louis Hussey, Colin Mant, Danny Mullins, Joe Skinner, Simon Thomas, Gordon Thompson, Jason Windsor. 

Referee:  Ian Clarkson.

Supporters:Bob and Ronnie Hewitt, Steve Hills, Patrice Mongelard. Mick O’Flynn, Ian Thomas.

Director of Football:  Mick O’Flynn.

Chief Football Correspondent:  Patrice Mongelard.

Waine Hetherington played the first half hour in goal.  Unfortunately, he could not claim a clean sheet.  That cherry went after twenty minutes when a shot from a Greenwich forward, allowed too much time and room on the edge of our box, came off Colin Mant and looped over Waine.  This was against the run of play although we had not really threatened the Greenwich goal seriously up to that point.  We did though draw level with ten minutes of the first half left.  Jay Hardy had connected first time with a loose ball on the edge of the Greenwich box to arrow a crisp and powerful drive into the bottom corner with the Greenwich keeper rooted to the spot.

From that point we became more dominant.  We had a goal by Gordon Thompson disallowed because Simon Thomas had been offside and active in the build up to the move.  Cue more drama from Simon who was spoken to by the referee. Near the end of the first half we had a good shout for a penalty turned down because Jay Hardy had gone down in a theatrical manner (that is Simon’s job) when tapped from behind.  The last meaningful action of the half saw Simon Thomas slip the ball to Jay Hardy clean through on goal with a shot narrowly screwed wide when a square pass to a free Danny Mullins arriving like a train would have yielded more.

The second half was a pleasure to watch and, no doubt, play in.  The quality of our team performance buoyed everyone up.  More Farnborough goals were expected.  In the end we could have had more that the three we eventually registered.

Ten minutes into the half saw Jay Hardy in a one on one with the Greenwich keeper. The ricochet fell kindly to a marauding Simon Thomas unmarked.  Simon steadied himself, conveyed a sense of technical difficulty and ever so carefully rolled the ball into an empty net with the right mix of aplomb and nonchalance, as if to say “This one is for you dad”.

Not long afterwards Jay Hardy hit the base of the post.  But we did not have to wait long to double our lead.  Jay notched his second of the game after his run was spotted by Louis Hussey and Jay steered the ball low into the bottom corner.  Louis’ perceptive and penetrative passing has added a new dimension to our game and greatly improved the service to our forwards. 

We then had a comedy moment when Greenwich tried to pull a fast one.  Referee Ian Clarkson had stopped play to tend to an injured Greenwich player just as Gordon Thompson, today at his most sinuous and slippery, was poised to cash in.  From the restart Greenwich had the nerve to mount an attack instead of giving the ball back to us. 

More chances came and went for us – Simon Thomas put his body in the way of a piledriver from Danny Mullins in the six-yard box.  Louis Hussey hit the base of the post exactly where Jay Hardy had earlier.  Jay was not to be denied though.  With five minutes left he completed a move initiated by Simon Thomas to poke the ball home and complete his first hat-trick of the season.  There was time for Matt Angelo, who had a clean sheet today, to pull off a vintage flying save, catching the ball at the second attempt as he ran out of pitch. 

Greenwich did not really have clear cut chances in the second half. True they forced a number of corners but our defence held firm with Michael Hills, Colin Mant, Ian Coles, Joe Skinner and the immense Danny Mullins catching the eye in the midst of an excellent collective performance.

After the game a number of us made our way across the road to the other clubhouse where some even had showers. 

Jay Hardy was seen stroking a pussy in the bar, not a ginger one, but the cat took a liking to his kit bag, not unlike sniffer dogs at airports.  Jay must have inhaled something because he proceeded to make a complaint about the accuracy of last week’s match report.  I am used to such delusions and distortions; however, it gave me an idea.  As a result, this week’s report sees the introduction of a new exciting feature – the Jay Hardy corner.  This is where I take the opportunity to mention anything from the previous game which I somehow inexplicably overlooked in my report.  This could be a winner.  Jay asked me to mention that in last week’s game against Wellcome Vets he produced what he called a David Platt moment, and there was also an acrobatic volley which crashed against the bar.  I have to admit that a bit like Prince Andrew I have no recollection of these moments. 

Man of the Match – Joe Skinner, playing on his least favourite pitch and rising above it.