Kieran
Scott Batts Ian John T
Sam Chris Paul L Richie
Gareth Paul Tovey
Subs
Darren
Laurie
Mike
If there was a feel of After the Lord Mayor's Show to proceedings, Voyager soon set about waking Barely up from their post-final hangover. Barely turned up with the knowledge that Voyager were currently bottom of the league, and perhaps that fed into a little complacency.
They should have scored early on though, when Sam dribbled into the box only to waft the ball gently at the keeper as he lost balance. Minutes later, a Paul Tovey through-ball gave Sam a second chance, but he belted it wide. Barely were to regret this profligacy when - not entirely against the run of play - Voyager took the lead.
For whatever reason the team in the orange and black stripes couldn't quite get their mojo working, and for all their pressure, Kieran was still regularly called upon to foil the home team on a frequent basis.
The equaliser came out of nowhere - as Voyager tried to play out from the back, the ball was intercepted and fell to Paul Tovey. The big man celebrated his birthday with an instant shot on the turn, that with the goalie stranded at the edge of his box, sailed into an unguarded net.
Half-time came and went with Batts rotating the subs - Mike and Laurie now on the pitch as Barely tried to resemble the team who were seven games unbeaten before today. But the ball was given away at the back and Voyager were gifted another goal - and Barely had another uphill struggle. Thank goodness then for Richie, who on the last game of the season scored his first goal of the season, ensuring he has scored every year for Barely over the last two decades! As Barely pressed again, the ball arrived at his feet just outside the box, and Cormack let fly - the keeper got a faint touch but couldn't stop it billowing the net.
It was now 2-2 and Barely had a platform to build on. But despite losing their biggest threat on the Barely goal to a hamstring injury, Voyager seemed to build a head of steam at this point as the game swung from end to end like a large and slightly flabby executive toy. And they took the lead yet again when a corking shot from out wide defeated Kieran, who got both hands to it, but as he dived backwards, couldn't prevent it from giving Voyager the lead a third time.
Seconds ticked away. Minutes fell off reality like books of the end of a bookshelf. Barely were not getting the rub of the green, as Voyager made clearance after clearance and every loose ball seemed to go to the team in blue and black. Barely made a point of testing the keeper whenever they could, but too many shots simply went straight at him. If Edward Woodward had been there to witness proceedings, he would have been shaking his head. Or possible yelling "Jesus Christ!" in the same unhinged way half the Barely team were.
Then with moments left on the clock, Richie came to the rescue again. Getting his head down and his energy from somewhere others cannot access, he stormed to the byline for the umpteenth time and crossed - where Gareth was waiting to head the ball into the net! 3-3, and no time for either time to claim a late victory, honours ended even - which felt fair considering what had gone before.
So the curtains fall on a season that will go down in the annals as a great one - after a very shaky start, Barely's last 8 games have been the epitome of 'solid'. Batts signings of Graham and Dave have played a big part, as has Kevin, and the long-anticipated return of Scott. Goals have come from everywhere, but in the main Barely have looked like a team who put in a real collective effort.
Man of the Match was Richie - a goal, an assist, a huge contribution from midfield. But with Barely unbeaten in 2017, Man of the Season is surely Batts, who has coaxed new life into this old dog, when all seemed lost.
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