St Brendans 2 - 2 Barely Athletic (Barely win 5-4 on penalties)
Gareth L
Adam Mike Ian Nick
Sam Jacko Paul L Al
Lefils
Jim S
Subs: Batts, Darren
Barely don't usually do cup runs.
Winning a solitary game doesn't usually count as a 'run', but in Barelyworld cup ties are something you either lose, or wear. And if you're going to break something like a 9-year run of losing first-time-out in the cup, why not do it by coming from 2-0 down and knocking out the current champions?
Barely rolled up with a very decent squad - and a recognised keeper in Gareth, a rarity for the away team. Unbeknownst to them it was also a sign that they were to end the day as victors... as Gareth was to play a key role.
But from the outset Barely were on top - snuffing out St Brendans' attacks and looking to counter quickly. With Paul Loftus a driving force in midfield and Fizzy and Jim snapping away, the big St Brendans' number ten - who could pick a pass - found space and time at a premium. It was almost a surprise how much Barely were dictating things... although with this being a cup game, it was less shocking when they fell behind after a half-hour or so. A St Brendans midfielder ghosted to the edge of the box and when the ball was played to him his shot unerringly found the top corner, giving Gareth no chance at all.
Barely sought to draw level quickly. Sam thought he had won a penalty when his legs were taken from under him in the box, but the ref decided otherwise. Paul hit a shot from distance that sailed wide. And when the break arrived it was an unwanted distraction. Barely had restricted St Brendans to such minimal sights at goal nobody could quite credit being behind. However, it was to get worse before it got better.
Batts changed things around with Darren joining him on the pitch, going left-wing, and Sam and Jacko taking a spell on the touchlines. Gareth gamely volunteered to stay in goal. The first five minutes of the second half was a microcosm of the first, as with Fizzy and Jim leading the charge, Barely looked to be the most-likely team: only to concede again by virtue of a rather laid-back approach to marking. A hefty throw-in bounced into the Barely box and was tucked away neatly to put St Brendans 2-0 up - defending straight out of the Ardilles handbook.
One might have forgiven Barely for losing interest, as their long-held habit of imploding in the cup looked to continue for at least another year. What had resembled a defensive fortress was being made to look like a bouncy castle by the unflattering scoreline.
But a metaphorically-infantile Barely is a dangerous Barely, and they bounced back. Jim and Adam twice burst down the right only to find their team-mates performing a kind of Paul Gascoigne chorus line as they serially slid in and just missed the ball. So, sent away by a delightful Jacko chip, when Jim found himself in a similar position he went for a powerful shot into the far corner. 2-1.
With their tails up, Barely continued to search for the equaliser as St Brendans struggled to contain the movement of Jim and Fizzy - with Adam also breaking forward at every opportunity. But it was the sheer manic belief of Paul Loftus that manifested itself in a goal, as he took the opportunity to charge forward and apply the finishing touch on a cross from the right. 2-2, with ten minutes to go. With no time for extra time, could Barely win it in the 90?
No. Despite pressure - and some purposeful counter-attacks from the far-from-despondent St Brendans - time was called with the scoreline two-all and penalties beckoning.
St Brendans take the first one and tuck it away 1-0
Sam passes Barely's first low to the keeper's left 1-1
St Brendans slots in despite a touch from Gareth 2-1
Fizzy's low shot also has power: 2-2
St Brendan's goalie took their 3rd - saved by Gareth!! 2-2
Ian shoots unerringly home 2-3
St Brendans score again 3-3
Jim Siemens keeps his word and goes low 3-4
St Brendans score their fifth to give them hope: 4-4
But Paul Lofts slots home to create history 4-5
And Barely went whooping and hollering across the pitch, like bunnies on crack.
It was fitting that Ian, Paul and Gareth all played a key role in the shoot-out as on a day of strong showings they also led the votes for Man of the Match - Ian shading the win by a hair, having looked impassable at the back - and, like every Barely player, looking to keep possession at every opportunity.
It was fitting that Ian, Paul and Gareth all played a key role in the shoot-out as on a day of strong showings they also led the votes for Man of the Match - Ian shading the win by a hair, having looked impassable at the back - and, like every Barely player, looking to keep possession at every opportunity.
But truly, it was a great team performance: Jim's goal was classy. Paul's was a thing of driving determination. Darren's presumably-unrehearsed lecture on the appropriate use of swearing was both moral compass and comic relief. And both the ref and the teams played the game, to a large degree, in the right spirit.
They say history is written by the winners (other versions are available - see last two seasons' posts) and for a change Barely have the chance to write their name on the cup - unless of course they feel that one win is enough for the next nine years or so. Time will tell... either way, a very solid start to the season and a stirring comeback into the bargain. One might even say classic Barely - except going by tradition, it clearly wasn't.
