Goal: Peter
Defence: John, Batts, Ian, Sam
Midfield: Richie, Lefils, Chris, Mike
Attack: Jim, Jim B
Sub: Danny
Any hopes Barely had of surfing the wave of optimism generated by the spectacular comeback in their last game were torpedoed by SCS Vets, who played a canny game of threatening to concede the points - to give Barely a false sense of points-in-the-bag - and then suddenly changing tactic, claiming they now had a full team and would fulfill the fixture - discombobulating the away team, who were preparing to gallantly play a friendly. Mike's extended pre-match talk in the changing room of good portents for Barely in his home life - too surreal to detail here - should probably have ended, it turns out, after his opening salvo of "I'm not a superstitious man".
Another day it could have been so different. Barely played a decent game of football but were serially guilty of missing chances. Conversely, new goalkeeper Peter could do nothing about any of the SCS goals, as each and every one of them seemed to fly at speed into the unreachable corners of the net.
Having edged the opening quarter-hour, Barely fell behind when SCS counter-attacked with purpose and poise. Jim equalised with a spectacular lob from an a acute angle, but SCS struck back immediately and added another before half time, going in at half-time 3-1 up courtesy of clinical finishing. Barely's neat build-up play, with Jim Banton putting on another man-of-the-match showing, came to naught in terms of the score.
No personnel or tactical changes from Danny during the break, just the advice to keep the ball on the floor and use the width. But despite another good start to the half, Barely just could not get the ball in the net. Lefils shot against the bar; Jim Banton headed against the post. The keeper foiled Jim's tap-in from Lefil's cut-back on the goal-line. Sam's waist-high volley was plucked from the air like a wren snatched up by a barn owl. A barn owl with a red jersey and chunky thighs.
And at the other end SCS were having no such trouble, going 4-1 up around the hour mark and adding two more goals late on; Barely's reshuffle as Jim Banton had to dash off (Danny on at RB) bringing no dividends. SCS even had time to whack a penalty wide, Ian having upended an attacker in the box. The manager, somewhat greedily, brought himself on to take it - and then subbed himself off again having cocked it up. Barely's best chance of a late consolation goal came as a ball flew into the box and Sam met it with a header - but with not enough contact, it sailed away from goal, kind of like a wren deciding it didn't want to risk going near the barn, and buggering off home instead.
It was just not Barely's day, and though the result could not be argued with, everyone felt 6-1 did not reflect the balance of play. Just the finishing. So, not a huge amount of positives to take from the game, but at least it was played in good spirit - and in the sun.
