Match Report

Farnborough rise to the challenge and come from behind, copiously

So much for a report of greater accuracy.  I must start this week’s report with a correction to the report of last Sunday’s game. The corner which led to our first goal against Erith was, in fact, struck by Peter Harvey, and not by Gordon Thompson, as erroneously reported.  The triumphal arch erected in Streatham High St to celebrate Gordon’s assist has been taken down.

Numbers dwindled from sixteen to fourteen overnight, with the loss of two good defenders but in the end that did not matter.  The Greenwich Challenge warm-up routine was impressive, all technical, like a professional outfit, compared to our nonchalant ambling, although it transpired later that several of their players had cultural issues with shinpads.   The weather was splendid, our first proper summer Sunday, it felt like. 

FOBG Squad: Phil Anthony, Andy Ashe, Ian Coles, Giles Foister, Tom Girling, Jay Hardy, Waine Hetherington, George Kleanthous, Colin Mant, Chisa Mkala, Kypros Michael, Patrice Mongelard, Simon Thomas, Gordon Thompson.

Kit sponsor: The Dog and Duck, Outwood

Supporter: Sinisa Gracanin

Manager:  George Kleanthous

Chief Football Correspondent:  Patrice Mongelard

Chief Impact Officer:  Phil Anthony

Both teams made a relatively good start without creating anything clear-cut.  Any apprehensions we might have harboured about our defence quickly evaporated and an even contest took shape.  First blood went to Greenwich though, after 15 minutes, as we backed off and allowed a free Greenwich midfielder space to turn and look up from just outside our box.  The shot was on and duly executed, low, powerful and into the bottom corner.  At that point they fully deserved to go in front. 

Yet, that was about it from Greenwich in terms of danger to our goal for the half, discounting the episode when Tom Girling had a jigsaw moment, falling apart inside and outside the box, as he carried a ball out of his comfort zone. The referee awarded us a free kick, a decision which got the Greenwich Challenge Manager all worked up, as he accused the referee of, once again, over-compensating to favour the Away side.  He, the Manager that is, not the referee, was to retain a certain volatility all game.   

We produced the usual catalogue of misses in our search for an equaliser.  Simon Thomas put over a peach of a cross that Kypros Michael failed to convert, a yard out at the far post.  Kypros made amends soon after, chasing down a long downfield punt from Tom Girling, and lashing the ball home from two yards out from the tightest of angles.  The ball could have ended up in Lewisham but instead it bulged the onion bag.  The Greenwich keeper then produced a string of saves that belied his physique, age and grey beard.    The best of these saw him palm a penalty from Kypros Michael away with a sharp dive to his left and a strong wrist.  A close-range miss from Andy Ashe after a Kypros Michael cut-back added to our frustration; as did having a Kypros Michael goal chalked off for a disputed off-side.  With five minutes to the half-time whistle, we finally edged ahead, deservedly, as Andy Ashe brought down a gem of a lofted pass from Waine Hetherington, advanced into the Greenwich box and finished from close range with his second bite of the cherry.  2-1 at half time was a fair reflection of the game.  

Greenwich applied pressure at the start of the second period.   There was even a phase when I feared the Greenwich linesman had a touch of undiagnosed semaphore Tourette’s with three quick off-side flags raised against Farnborough in a short space of time.   By contrast Sinisa Gracanin, resting a dodgy hamstring, was the epitome of fairness with the flag – his best game for Farnborough, according to Simon Thomas, in a witty role.

The flow of the game was quickly restored, however, as we started to create chances.  On fifty-five minutes, we nearly grew our score after Andy Ashe guided a side-footed shot just wide of the postage stamp from a Jay Hardy pull back.  A quarter of an hour in, we badly needed a third goal to settle our nerves.  This duly came from the boot of Andy Ashe, again.  We took a quick free kick that discombobulated the Greenwich defence, Andy drew a fine save from the Greenwich keeper, but had the composure to get to the rebound first and steer the ball home.  As Colin Mant noted, how refreshing to finally have a right-sided midfielder that can finish.  This could be the last piece of the jigsaw.  Funny how in life this final piece, is the easiest piece to slot in, but not in football.

Not long after, Jay Hardy stroked the ball home with a first-time half-volley to meet a Kypros Michael assist.  The ball arrowed into the bottom corner, hovering at speed about a foot off the ground, wrong-footing the Greenwich keeper from just inside the box, crisp, direct, deadly. This put Jay in a great mood, so much so that after the game he said he was going to go to Bromley this afternoon.  I am not sure if that is a euphemism for anything. 

We then had a memorable four pass-move that ripped Greenwich apart, and which deserved better.  Simon Thomas played the ball out of defence to Patrice Mongelard in the centre of pitch.  Patrice produced a deft ball to release Kypros Michael behind the Greenwich defence.  For once, Kypros passed, to a surprised Gordon Thompson, whose first -time shot brushed against the base of the post with the Greenwich keeper embalmed on his line.  There was no denying Farnborough though as Kypros Michael ran on with about ten minutes left to score again after being played in by Jay Hardy.  We could and should have had more goals but for poor finishing and a final pass that was not quite the job.  Instead, Greenwich scored with the last kick of the game as we failed to clear the ball out of defence.    It would be churlish to begrudge them that goal.  There was enough quality in their ranks to warrant it. 

So, a most encouraging start for the new management.  The spirit is good, the system is working and we are once again hard to beat.  The squad is strong and there is quality on the bench.  Talking of management, how about this for a piece of corporate nonsense - in Pseuds Corner in this week’s Private Eye – a reference to the Labour Party’s new approach - “work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams to adopt a product-mindset using agile ceremonies, be empowered to make decisions and encouraged to focus on rapid prototyping, deployment and iteration.”  Come to think of it, that will do for the Senior Vets.

Eight of us made it to the well-ventilated upstairs bar.  Sinisa Gracanin bought a round of piping hot chips with assorted condiments and the chat flowed.  Analysis, gossip, in-jokes, insights, slurs, all taps fully open.  Simon Thomas told us about the time when Judy Dench worked with him, and who could forget when he did Phantom of the Opera.

Man-of-the-Match: Giles Foister, with ten out of fourteen votes cast, like a brick privy on castors, whom I advised to have a small salad for tea instead of roast pork, four pints, Yorkshire pudding, all the trimmings etc. No guesses for what he went for. Think of the gravy caught in his tache!  All fourteen votes cast today went to defenders, and I think they all voted for each other as well, a sort of mutual appreciation society, and rightly so.