please note : I am trying to be as impartial as possible as I represent both teams. So here goes, apologies for all the in jokes, but I'm sure you'll get half of them.
AUTOMATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS 5 (4) CYBURY GOONERS 6 (3)
S.Matthews D.Skeels
T.Fullman Alan A
M.Rainey C.Ingles
J.Dolan D.Brownjohn 2
M.Melis Gary Rob
Attendance : 8
The Teams :
ALS CYBURY GOONERS
1. Fraser Frizelle 1. Anjit
2. Brian Thomas 2. Mark King (subd)
3. Mike Newing 3. Mike Doherty (subd)
4. Gary Mallins (subd) 4. Alan A
5. Gary Menezes 5. Matt Powell (subd)
6. Tony Fullman 6. Peter Northcott *CAPT*
7. Mel Evans (subd) 7. Simon Dickson (subd)
8. John Dolan 8. Chris Ingles (subd)
9. Pete Marrache 9. Julian Shulman (subd)
10.Mark Rainey *CAPT* 10. Mark Williams
11.Steve Matthews 11. Mel Melis (subd)
SUBS : SUBS :
12.Mel Melis 12. Darren Skeels
13. Adam Rose
14. Derek Brownjohn
15. Gary Rob
16. Mark Simmons
MAN OF THE MATCH : PETER NORTHCOTT
A hard fought and keenly contested match between two very tough
teams ended with the Cybury Gooners pipping the victory after
going four goals down. ALS have now suffered their first defeat
since 1990 (mostly due to a deliberate policy of playing
inferior opposition eg - Blind Bhuddist FC), but the players
enjoyed the test against the classy Cybury side.
The Cybury dressing room before the match was buzzing with anticipation, this was their first ever game. Chris Ingles got so exited he opened his bag and tried to sell us some Anne Summers merchandise, handcuffs and various rude shaped baton's, but no-one seemed interested. All minds were focused on the game ahead.
The game kicked off with no referee, the ever reliable Spencer Cox deciding that getting bladdered at the pub was a more favorable option. This didn't change anything, as the fouls that did occur were pretty blatant and thus nobody could really argue when a free kick was requested.
Cybury started brightly, dominating the first 20 minutes, most of the good work came down the right hand side. Mark King, Simon Dickson and Alan all linking up well and putting in crosses for the massed hordes of Cybury forwards. Shulman battled hard as the lone target man but got no joy in the opening period, he was well shackled by Thomas and the rest of the defence, a well timed challenge dispossessing him each time he got close. Cybury didn't convert their half chances (yours truly missing a sitter) and out of nowhere ALS broke away. The ball fell to the hard working Matthews who shot from 25 yards, Mark King could only help it on it's way as the ball trickled teasingly passed the scrambling Anjit into the bottom left hand corner. 1-0 to ALS.
After 25 mins, King and Melis subbed themselves, donned their heavy coats, wore some jewellry and trilby hats and did the touchline manager bit. Darren Skeels and Adam Rose came on to replace them.
ALS then had a blinding ten minutes, where defensive blunders, some nice passing, brilliant finishing and a little bit of luck got them three more goals. Their second came from a superb passing move, which was sweetly rounded off by the centre back Fullman, having run the length of the pitch to score. Fullman is a gooner, and has threatened to subscribe to the Arsenal list, so you never know.....
Then a mix up in the Cybury defence allowed Mark Rainey (who also had another cleared off the line) to lob into the net from the edge of the box. The fourth came within a minute, scored by the Glasgow terror John Dolan, recieving a long ball on the right hand side of the box, knocking it up and then driving it from fully 20 yards into the top left hand corner.
The shell shocked Cybury team, led by the majestic Northcott in defence ("PETE'S BALL!"), then rallied. 4-0 down after 35 minutes is not the best position to be in, but Cybury pulled one back soon after, Skeels smashing the ball in from close range after a 20 man scramble in the six yard box. (And he didn't spill his pint or stub out his fag). Cybury battled hard toward the end of the half, the tired ALS frantically reverting to their favourite tactic of wellying the ball as hard as possible in the hope their lead would be preserved till half time. Unfortunatley for them it didn't work. Mark Williams, Adam Rose and Darren Skeels were motoring now and a chance was carved open for Alan A who slotted it home. 4-2 and only five minutes till half time. The third goal, was it a fluke? Not according to PC Chris "Lombardo" Ingles who dug out what looked like a cross from the right, which spun over the unlucky Frizelle's hands into the net.
Half Time : ALS 4 Cybury Gooners 3
The second half saw two crucial substitutions : Gary Rob and Derek Brownjohn who blitzed the ALS defence with three cracking goals between them. Their touch and vision were excellent and they linked well with Rose, Skeels and Williams as they tore into ALS again and again. Derek's brace was superb. Both volleys. The best one was him spinning round to meet a waist high ball which he despatched first time into the top right hand corner. Mark Simmons also came on to replace Mike Doherty, both played solidly at left back.
Unbelievably, Cybury had responded to take a 6-4 lead from being 4-0 down. ALS were struggling but still getting stuck in. The target man Marrache was feeling the pace, in his first match in two years, but kept plugging away, and the midfielder Mallins was fading fast. ALS were there for the taking.
The ALS left hand side vs the Cybury right hand side was a particularly brutal exhibition. Dolan (who was now foaming at the mouth), Matthews and Newing trading tackles and elbows with King, Dickson and Williams. Sliding tackles were flying in, which on the astro surface was like sliding on sandpaper. A few layers of skin were scraped off many a thigh.
Then another substitution was made, this time for ALS. Melis put his red shirt in his bag and donned a blue one, replacing the veteran winger Evans who had been suffering from cramp. Thomas and Melis linked well on the right side, eventually leading to a classic goal, Melis blasting a first time shot into the Cybury net from outside the box. The cries of "Judas! Judas!" from the Cybury bench not putting him off. Suddenly, ALS were pressurising again. They forced corners and chances which fell to the normally clinical Rainey, who somehow missed three one-on-ones. He should take heart that no-one else in the team could possibly have made the chance though and was always a threat to Northcott and Alan A. As ALS pushed forward, they were stretched at the back and Cybury could have increased their lead too. But in the end they had to settle for 6-5.
WHAT A GAME!
ALS are not mugs, so Cybury, considering they've never played together before, did very well to beat them. Internet Hotspurs take note. We have the nucleus of a very strong side.
Report by Mel "Judas" Melis
I see someone else has beaten me to a match report... Suffice to say I am extremely unhappy at writing this report. I would have liked nothing better than to report a hard-fought 1-0 win with a dodgy winner in the last minute. Unfortunately things did not quite work out like that...
We started with Anjit in goal, Mark K. at right back, Mike D. on the left, Matt and myself in the centre, Mel in left midfield, Simon on the centre with Al, Chris on the right and Julian and Mark up front. Not surprisingly we took a few minutes to settle but soon got on top without creating too many clear cut chances. Then, against the run of play, ASL scored - a jammy deflection off the manager creeping into the bottom corner. This was after about 20 minutes. Then, during the next 15 minutes, they attacked three times, and scored three more! Some superb finishes though. The annoying thing was we were actually defending quite well - but were punished severely for lapses of concentration.
Then we showed true Arsenal spirit and fought back. Inspired by substitutes Darren and Adam we pressed - Darren(?) firing in loose ball after a corner. Soon after Al drove home our second and then, on the stroke of the interval, Chris made it 3-4 with a Nayim like 40 yarder from the touchline - or was it really a cross...?!
In the second half, with yet another Mark on at left back and with Gary and Derek up front we really took an iron grip. Derek scored with two Wright-like outstanding finishes and Gary scored the other. We also hit a post and went close several times - Adam and Mark controlled the midfield while Darren and Simon raided dangerously on the flanks. Meanwhile the defence looked very tight (although sadly we did not manage any offsides at all - possibly partly due to the referee not turning up...).
But we are Arsenal - and we have to do things the hard way. We went completely off the boil and allowed a tired ALS back into the game. Mel "Judas" Mellis scored a fifth for the oppo (the score now being 6-5!) and they then forced a couple of corners, some goal-mouth scramblles and missed two one on one chances. However we held out for a thoroughly deserved and very encouraging victory.
There were some very promising performances from the boys in red leaving Mark and Mel some difficult selectorial decisions. Well done everybody - and my apologies if my shouting and screaming got a little out of control at times! I'm afraid that's what happens if you make me Captain!! Also apologies if I've got any of the above details wrong - it is late, and I am tired.
Cheers & WATCH OUT SCUMMERS!
report by Pete "Pete's Ball" Northcott