Gareth
Mark B Danny Ian Sam
Paul L
Al Jacko Richie
Adam Fish
Subs: Batts, Mike
After much last-minute shenanigans over the location of the pitch, the availability of the pitch, and the state of the pitch, Barely and Cardiff trotted out for what might be the last game of the season, since so many teams have bailed on the inaugural over-45's league. Say what you like about Barely's football, but they're very good at turning up.
Batts and Jacko had been scheming and came up with an interesting formation: 4-1-3-2 with Paul Loftus patrolling in front of the defence. Mark Blakemore made his Barely debut at right-back and long term absentee Fish returned to partner Adam up front.
It was an inauspicious start for both sides as they struggled to come to terms with the undulating pitch. But Cardiff looked the most likely early on, when they drew a couple of good saves from Gareth in the Barely goal; tipping a shot over and sending another effort wide via an outstretched foot.
Barely threatened at the other end too: Adam flashed a shot fractionally wide after good approach work by Barely and Richie also threatened. But Barely's breakthrough came from a most unexpected source, when Richie's corner curled all the way across the face of goal and inside the far post. 1-0 to the home side, and inspired by the breakthrough Barely enjoyed a good ten minute spell.
However this ended with some pantomime style football in the Barely box after several opportunities to head the ball clear were forsaken in favour of wild, swinging legs, some falling over and a kung-fu kick on the line from Sam, which failed to stop Cardiff taking advantage of the mayhem by prodding in from close quarters for the equaliser.
The break rolled around with the score still at 1-1 and Barely feeling the game was winnable, as long as they didn't shoot themselves in the foot again. However the second half was only ten minutes old when things took a turn for the worse, as Ian and Gareth expected each other to take control of a ball bobbling into the area and as they hesitated, an attacker stole between them to flick the ball inside the far post.
Barely tried to respond, and the Accies gloveman was the busier of the two keepers. But although called upon with increasing regularity, he never looked fazed by what Barely threw at him, and several attempts skewed wide anyway. Sam's mad dash the length of the pitch could have ended in glory when Adam set him away and he cut inside the first defender - but those mad dashes the length of the pitch do make him quite tired, and he could only feebly stab the ball in the vague direction of goal. Mike's presence on the right (with Batts now on at the back) was a source of some more direct attacking play as he looked to get Adam or Fish away, before the latter limped off after catching his studs in the turf.
And though they huffed and puffed, Barely could not find a way to an equaliser, and a game played in good spirit ended on a disappointing note for the home side.
Gareth narrowly took the Man of the Match award from runner-up Adam, but it was a wide spread of votes with Paul, Richie, Ian and Sam all featuring in the voting. Cardiff took the points though.
