Barely's Cup Dreams go South

SC Vets 5 Barely Athletic 1

Goal: Mike

Defence: Colin, Danny, Ian, Paul

Midfield: Richie, Jacko, Sam, Nick

Attack: Mani, Lefils

Sub: Tom
Injured in warm-up: Andy
Off to a christening: Bats
Ashen-faced manager: Steve

With Andy, Sam, Lefils, and who knows who else carrying injuries before the game even started, the only way Barely could have been more crocked was if they were helicoptered in. The disparity with a strapping and bullish SC Vets could not have been more pronounced as Andy Lillford hobbled on to the pitch and fell over with his first contact with the ball, screaming in pain. With James Fry missing with what the physio referred to as a 'shagged knee' it was a case of needs-must, with Sam insisting that he 'mustn't run' while playing in centre-midfield.

Barely turned tradition on it's head and started very well. With Jacko dictating the pace in the middle a clutch of decent moves saw Barely attacking through Nick down the right-wing, the stoical Barely veteran linking up well with Lefils. But then SC scored with what felt like their first attack of the game. Barely conceded a corner and as it rifled in to the near post the ball was acrobatically volleyed into the top of the net. Mike didn't even move - though to be fair he probably wouldn't have got a leg to it.

The next haif an hour was pretty even, a case of thrust and counter-thrust as Barely tried to find their way to goal through the wings and SC, winning every header against Barely's diminutive centre, looked for the long ball being flicked on to increase their lead. Neither team created a real chance though until some nice play from Paul and Mani set up the galloping Richie to finish past the keeper and bring the scores level. Thus it stayed until the break, whereupon Steve brought on Tom for Sam and moved Richie into the middle. Barely again began the half well, but in an uncanny mirror image of the first half, SC's first attack of note brought them the lead. Nick - now in goal for Mike, who was on the left wing - will be disappointed to have not saved it, but the SC winger's powerful shot from a narrow angle had enough velocity to go in off his surprised hands.

Suddenly SC were on top, and for every bright moment from Barely - and there were plenty - the final ball wasn't quite right, whereas SC looked ominously menacing near the goal. They stepped up a gear and fired one into the roof of the net, giving them a two goal advantage. A fourth came when the ball squeezed agonisingly under the diving Nick's body - and the fifth - well, who cares, frankly? The game was much more even than the scoreline suggested, but ultimately SC knew how to finish and Barely didn't. A team with two successive promotions behind them, the Barely Reporter fully expects to see them in the top division next year - when Barely will get another shot at beating them. For the meantime, the second division side go on in the cup, and Barely concentrate on the league.

Man of the Match was a tight affair with Jacko runner-up to Richie and Paul in joint first place. All in all though, Barely can stand the odd smarting defeat if they play as well as they did today - some good football bodes well for a solid assault on the league - perhaps 4th is up for grabs again.

Or fifth.