Gareth
Mark Kev Batts
Sam Jim S Paul L Roly Paul T
Sandy
Subs: Lefils, Mike, someone else
The Barely Athletic Reporter is disorganised at the best of times, but on this occasion we have to confess we don't know the name of the opposition, and have quite possibly got quite a few Barely players names' wrong. There was definitely a third sub as well. Subs were rolling so regularly we can't be sure the above line up actually started the game either - but all of them featured at some point.
It was an unfamiliar line-up on an unfamiliar ground - with Barely down to half a team, Batts roped in half of his neighbourhood and Paul Loftus Casuals veteran Roly. Barely began with a 3-5-2, changed to a 4-4-2, then mixed things up a bit with a kind of celibate-amoeba formation toward the end.
They played pretty well in terms of possession, but - perhaps due to the unfamiliarity - didn't really test the keeper in the first half, and came off with a 3-0 deficit as the opposition played some good stuff through the middle of the park.
The second half was mainly notable for Roly's contribution - as Paul Tovey flicked one of Mike's big throw-ins on, he - aptly - rolled his marker, and finished adroitly inside the far post to give Barely a glimmer of hope. The away team surged like hopeful teenagers at a school disco, but then slumped back against the wall five minutes later as they ran out of energy/testosterone/hope.
A muggy day saw everyone drenched in sweat despite the comparatively sedate pace, and Barely walked off the pitch grateful for the end of a hard season.
As seems appropriate for this report, we don't know who man of the match was.
