|
YC&AC, Sun 28th Jan. The British Embassy came through a stern test of their leadership credentials last Sunday with a hard-fought win in Yokohama. The Embassy had turned up to face YCAC 2nds, but there had obviously been some kind of mix-up with the fixtures as the game turned out to be against YCAC 1sts. Funny how these things happen, isn’t it? Only a couple of weeks ago a similar blunder happened when we thought we were going to be playing Vagabonds, but half of the BFC first team turned up. Still, can’t be helped I suppose.
After a DWDW four match streak, BEFC had in some eyes started to wobble, and a host of teams were hanging in the shadows just below in div. 2 ready to pounce. It became fairly obvious that a win would be vital to BEFC’s chances at promotion, not to mention the league title.
With that in mind BEFC set about its new comprehensive pre-match work out- one lap of the pitch at a light jog. Yeah sure, it may have had half our team looking like they were fit for the knackers yard by the time we’d got back to the starting point, but it had the desired psychological effect - you could see the look in the eyes of the YCAC boys as we jogged past them. They were sh’tting themselves.
Though it has to be said they did well not to show it in the first half. As BEFC were failing to put away their chances, YCAC were going for it and pulling the strings in the midfield- a headed clearance off the line stopping them once and some good solid gritty defending kept them at bay until a bit of penno-box pinball ended with them taking the lead about 20 minutes in. The game was proving a good one, with both attacking all out- Steve Lidbury just failing to get a shot off from a cut inside from one wandering BEFC center back who really shouldn’t have been where he was, and another time hitting the outside of the post when (sorry mate) it was probably easier to score. But then, that’s why we call him Crouchie.
Actually there’s another reason why we call him Crouchie- and I am not talking about the fact he’s ugly as sin (OK, so there’re three reasons) – and he showed it just before half-time when a steaming Silvano, in his first game back for ages, made it to the byline and crossed sweetly for him to rise majestically (or something) and glance just inside the far post. 1-1, and the league leaders were back in it. Just moments before the goal, it had taken heroics from BEFC goalie Keith to keep the score down, as he saved once, getting down low to his left, twice with his hands as the striker followed up with another shot, thrice as the striker tried his luck a third time- only this time for Keith to deny him with his face. An incredible triple save from Keith, and ladies, have no fear, despite having a casey toe-poked full-pelt at his mush from a yard and a half, and with the obvious concerns over those devilishly handsome features of his, Keith is still the looker he always was. You’d never know the difference.
Chances flowed at both ends- with both goalies in fine form. The BEFC attacked in droves, right from the defensive line, but so too did YCAC. At times, there were so many cockneys in the YCAC attack and midfield, that this central defender felt like he was on the set of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. That would, perhaps, go some way to explaining why their big centre forward had his fingers in BEFC right back Tim Marchand’s mouth at one point pretend-pistol styley. Slightly obscene, but still a highlight of the first half and, one assumes, totally accidental.
Second half- more end-to-end stuff, despite tired legs on both teams as the intense pace of the game took its toll, but an altogether more restricting performance from BEFC. Gary for the embassy stabilized things more in midfield and came up with a great defensive header to keep out a lurking YCAC attacker. Tim M (until his injury), Simon, Torsten had all done well in defence flanking Tim L and Mark. The midfield and attack had done superbly to keep attacking and again BEFC had numerous chances in the second half.
Again Silvano and Crouchie linked up well in what led to the latter getting his second goal of the game, to put him right up in the scoring charts.
Man of the match, however, goes to BEFC goalie Keith Crowley- not only for that incredible triple save, but also for winning the aerial battle against the tall lad up front for YCAC. YCAC pumped ball after ball in the BEFC box, and whatever the defence didn’t handle, Keith got his mitts to. Well in lad.
I’m battered and bruised now which shows how good a fight it was throughout. – credit to YCAC for giving us a really good game. But for BEFC -well done fellahs, the 14 month unbeaten league run continues, and more crucial games coming up…
Report by Tim L
|