Barely Shot Down By Cowboys

Barely Athletic 3 Easton Cowboys 5

"We're a league team" insists Fry.

Goal: Steve

Defence: Andy, Danny, Tom, Sam

Midfield: Richie, Jim, Rich, Gareth

Attack: Nick, 'Young' Rich

Sub: John.

Unable to muster more than 12 players, Barely took to the field looking a little ragged but up for a game. Danny and Sam played with colds, Gareth returned from lengthy injury lay-off, and Jim needed a painkilling injection of nicotine before he could kick a ball. No-one can say Barely are not men.

Barely usually lose to Easton and they usually lose in the cup so in a way the result was a foregone conclusion, but by golly Barely gave it everything they had, plus a little they didn't. They began on the defensive but with Danny reading the game as perceptively as ever, and Tom fleet of foot to cover the through-balls, Steve remained for the most part untested as Barely sought to make incremental forays in the other direction. As they managed to settle the team began putting a few little moves together, but they remained vulnerable on the counter-attack and had to remain alert.

However Barely's first concession came from a corner, as an attacker stole in at the far post to cannon a header into the top of the net. Sam, guarding the post, was simply bypassed by elevation. Before the team could draw their breath it seemed Easton had another, this time helped by a non-existent offside decision from Bob the ref. However not having supplied a linesman Barely had no grounds for complaint when the ball was subsequently swept in from close range. Two-nil down, and Barely at this stage hadn't looked like scoring.

So Andy, fed up with it all, just ran past about three players and smashed the ball goalwards. The keeper got a hand to it but not enough to stop the ball going in off the post in a very Darren Anderton vs Sweden-in-the-last-minute sort of fashion. His exuberant celebrations were not exactly Corinthian but it was the filip Barely needed, and when the second half began they played their best football of the game for the first twenty minutes of it.

John's presence (on for Gareth) boosted the midfield with some snapping interceptions and snappier passing, and suddenly Barely were at the races. They shrugged off a third goal by Easton to come back to 3-2 when 'young' Rich deftly headed in Andy's cross after excellent work down Barely's left - the focus for most of their attacks. But, enthused by a potential comeback, Barely began to leave spaces and combined with tiring legs it was room for Easton to exploit, which they duly did. Two sublime lobs and one near-post finish Nick was disappointed not to save later, and Barely were out of it. A generously awarded penalty from Steve (Bob became a player for the last ten minutes) was despatched by Tom but by that point there was only one winner, and Easton deserved it overall.

A good game played in the right spirit by both teams, and one Barely can take heart from in that despite the missing persons they still played some flowing football, and when they get the defence sorted they look in good shape for another strong season.

Man of the Match went to 'Young' Rich Walter for his ceaseless running and superb goal, shaking off the close attentions of Andy and Richie who provided most of Barely's attacking threat. But there were no losers yesterday, football was the winner, so on and so forth...