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| Amateur Football Combination vs Arthurian League Amateur Football Combination
2 Arthurian League 2 played at Potters Bar F.C., Wednesday 28th March 2007 (report courtesy of Dave Stanners) A.F.C. coaches Rory Vermeulen and Paul Rumley pronounced themselves satisfied with the progress of the representative team after the third of its four match programme which is designed to prepare the team for its debut next season against the Bedfordshire Football League in the National League System Cup. Even the donation of two goals to the visitors, one gift wrapped and one passively handed over, although unnecessary, was considered part of a learning curve which saw the match prolonged as a competition when fairly light weight opposition were kept in the game and the hosts had to come from behind. The Public Schools’ Arthurian League were welcomed to the homely and friendly atmosphere of Potters Bar Town by a truly representative A.F.C. side comprising of players from seven Premiership teams and one from the division below. It was just like the old days (subless) as both sides suffered from the curse of midweek football, interference from work sources. The Arthurians turned up with just eleven and, as a result of a call from somewhere on the M25, the A.F.C. started coach Vermeulen who ‘walked’ tall up front until midway through the first half to turn back. Despite this nominal disruption, however, the hosts immediately set about dispelling any doubts of cohesion with a dazzling twenty opening minutes of total football in which they passed crisply, found the angles to make rapid progress upfield and were soon slicing clinically through the Arthurian midfield. For good measure A.F.C. striker Peter Eguae, although claiming to be match rusty, was his usual speedy self and was only contained by the expedience of double marking. On twenty minutes Vermeulen proved his worth by taking a high ball on his chest and back-flicking it down the wing for Paul Tumulty to run onto and cross. As the ball was blocked it sat up for Damian Swann to volley home from fifteen yards. In the following power play the A.F.C. could have settled it if they’d been luckier with two half chances, one well worked by Eguae whose narrow angle shot hit the side netting. However, it was the visitors who struck the next blow on thirty five minutes. A high ball down the middle gave central defender Alastair McCombe the option of back heading to keeper Kris Sayers. His effort was woefully short, forcing Sayers out of the area to fly kick in strained circumstances whence his complete air-shot left a lurking striker the simple task of ushering the ball into an empty net. The second half began with the A.F.C. once more making steady progress through the Arthurian mid-field but then failing to put in telling centres. Their one area of deficiency, the lack of height up front, had led to instructions for wide players to pull crosses back towards the edge of the area for mid-fielders to attack the ball from deep. Either through lack of a call from receivers with a good angle or inaccuracy the visitors found it comparatively easy to cut crosses before they could reach the heart of the area. Seemingly as punishment the A.F.C. immediately found themselves behind as the visitors broke away and although defenders got back lax marking at the far post allowed an innocent looking centre to be stabbed in from close range. Far from fazing the hosts, they continued their inroads to good effect and forced a corner with twenty minutes to go. This enabled them to feed air power forward and allow Alastair McCombe to atone by turning in a loose ball from five yards. More pressure saw them almost taking the lead when John Butler was just wide from the edge of the area and Damian Swann clipped the top of the bar moments later but a draw was the fair result. The referee, Chris Beament and assistants, Simon Bullock and Michael Barron controlled the match well enjoying their self–made sinecures to the full and, finally, players, officials and spectators retired to the warmth of the bar and a well earned buffet repast. A.F.C. Squad: Kris Sayers (Old Meadonians), Paul Tumulty (Shene Old Grammarians), Matt O’Sullivan (Old Ignatians), Ali McCombe (Old Meadonians), John Butler (Bealonians), Chris Thomas (Old Aloysians), Ian Sawyer (Bealonians), Rory Vermeulen (Old Meadonians), Ollie Freeman (Old Hamptonians), Matt Harrison (Old Hamptonians), Ian Sawyer (Bealonians), Peter Eguae (Southgate County O.B.), Damian Swann (Old Aloysians), Dave Norman (Old Aloysians) |
