Past it

Pass Masters 4-0 Barely Athletic

Goal: Pete

Defence: Colin, Batts, Al, Chris

Midfield: Craig, Paul L, Jacko, Sam

Attack: Adam, John

Sub: Mike


It's like a footballing purgatory - another fixture, another defeat, as Barelys struggle to maintain a flimsy veneer of 'squad football' continues. It was another trawl across Bristol for willing volunteers to make up numbers yet again, as injury absentees Jim, Ian, and Scott were joined by an ill Richie, and Danny made the trip to Liverpool to watch his beloved reds wallop Spurs.

Sadly his beloved orange and blacks, meanwhile, were being handed a lesson in chance-taking. Batts counted 14 efforts on goal for Barely in the first half, yet they came into the break 2-0 down, as the clinical finish of the Pass Masters forward was added to by a rather harsh penalty - Batts again the alleged perpetrator, but he clearly got the ball and nobody had seen a pen except the ref. Pete - who was arguably Barely's best player on the day - got a hand to the spot-kick but it had the power to deflect into the net.

With a goalkeeper between the sticks it looked hopeful, but missing Richie's incision and Jim Siemen's finishing, Barely created half-chances in the main, generated by the industry of Adam and John up front. They did get the ball in the net - Sam heading home Jacko's cross from the right - but it was disallowed for offside. A shame, as Jacko being the furthest man forward and Sam winning a header are two things that only come around once every few years - having them coincide was like a lunar eclipse.

Craig was feeling an injury at half-time so Mike came on in his stead. And, as the first half had been, there was a sense of to and fro to the game in that both teams had their moments, but neither could make much of them. Home and away goalkeepers excelled and frustrated the attacks. Halfway through the second half Jacko rejigged the team, with Mike going between the sticks to give the energetic Pete a run-out. However although Pete had an impact outfield, Barely missed his athleticism in goal, where Mike was beaten twice in quick succession. Mike's willingness to don the gloves is admirable, but perhaps Barely should be volunteering somebody who doesn't admit in the post-mortem that they "can't bend".

Barely knocked at the door but in fairness the legs were slowing and the footballing pendulum that had begun looping from one end of the pitch to another was swinging slower, and more centrally, as the seconds ticked away under the hot sun. And the whistle went on another hiding.

Barely have gotten out of a similar situation before of course, but at the moment they just don't seem to have any momentum, and getting anything from this season looks like a big task.

There was no man of the match award but all the "guests" - Pete, Al, Chris and John - made a good impression and would have been in the running. Maybe there's something in Adam's suggestion of replacing the entire team after all...