A Tale of Two Athletics

Barely Athletic 3  Russell Athletic 2

                                                Al

            Dave H            Danny              Paul L              Colin

            Darren             Chris                Scott                Kevin

                                    Gareth             Adam

Subs:

Batts

Mike

Laurie

Bob

Kieran

So, it is generally the received opinion amongst top flight managers that the best way to wash out the downer of a defeat is to return to winning ways. A simple mantra that translates itself all the way down to the very base of the football pyramid. However, Barely endeavoured to make hard work of this, nearly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and even contributing a player to assist in their near downfall. More about that later.

So bulging is Barely’s current player roster these days that they arrived at Coombe Dingle with 5 subs and boasting two goalies (Three if you include Gareth. But we don’t. Not anymore.). Batts in charge for the game selected a positive attacking starting line up hoping to force the issue “Early doors”. Quickly the Barely forward line set about putting this into action. Following a series of probing attacks Chris found himself on the edge of the box collecting a pass from Scott. Driving into the box his weak cutback was poorly fielded by the Russell defence and Darren latched on to it and drove the ball into the far post from tight angle.  

The game then entered into a more even affair with both sides gaining possession and giving it away again in typical Sunday league style. The game was fairly open and end to end with the slightly heavy pitch sapping energy from ancient legs. Being generous we could supply this excuse as Barely contrived to supply a few comedy moments in defence and attack. One passage of play saw Danny and Paul managing to tackle each other presenting the ball to the forward for a chance that he lumped into Al’s arms. The other end saw Kevin precisely slotting the ball over the bar from 6 yards following a well worked Barley free kick.

Before half time came Barely doubled the lead when Kevin, making up for his easier missed chance, Slalomed in to box, riding a challenge or two and neatly planted his shot past the keeper.

At half time Batts cautioned keeping the game tight for 15 minutes and rotated a few players to conserve energy, with Batts now on in defence with Chris, Paul moving up to midfield and Mike replacing Darren on the wing.

Russell similarly sought to bring on fresh legs, but it was a surprise to all when Kieran stepped into their forward line brandishing his fluorescent pink socks, should anybody dare to not know where he was at any given moment. Although his introduction to Russell was to prove key, his influence could do nothing about the first move of the half. Clearly with Batt’s halftime words ringing in their ears the Barely forwards launched up the field with Adam latching on to a long ball and scampering into the box from the right. His lofted cross skimmed off Kevin’s bonce and crept into the net off the post.

With Barely three nothing to the good they collectively may have thought that the day was theirs. But as we all know, especially at our ages, starting to party too early often sees us tucked up in bed with a nice mug of cocoa by 9. Anyway, there was a whole half to go and Barely began to recede into their shell. Pegged back by crisp Russell midfield play and forwards holding the line, there was also the additional challenge of Kieran’s long throws. These bombs were being hurled into the box aimed at their tall defender to flick on and were almost impossible to stop.

The pressure told midway through the half with Dave coming off better in an aerial contest which flattened the Russell forward. Penalty. Possibly soft was the black and oranges view but they would’ve shouted for it themselves. Kieran stepped up due to an absence of volunteers and planted the kick bottom left leaving Al no chance. Russell’s second, again swept in by Kieran, was a result of nice wing play and a cut back.

The following twenty minutes became more and more frantic for the pressed Barely backline with the whole team refusing to help themselves by not retaining possession. Sporadic attempts up field were fizzling out and another Russell attack was mounted. Fortunately, the team held firm for long enough and as the final whistle blew there was a palpable sense of relief.    

It was good to get back to winning ways but the performance, although better than the last game, still could do with some refinement. Although, at least Barely won’t be playing against their own frustrated goalie each week!! Man of the match this week was Kevin for his all round display and two goals.

report by Chris

Barely Top Scorers!

Big Caveats:

1. These are the scorers since the inception of the blog. There may be a record of pre-blog scorers somewhere in the loft of Nick/Ioan/Jerry/someone's house. I know both Jim Fry and Richie's goalscoring exploits stretch back further than the below, for instance, as do others: Nick, Ioan, Mani to name just a few.

2. Not all matches played since 2006 are actually on the blog. I'd guess there are at least six missing; possibly more. So if anyone has insight on this I can update. I have a hunch Adam might be due a couple more goals, amongst others?

With that in mind, having trawled through the match reports, this is what the data threw up:

Jim Semmence     28
Lefils                    27
Richie C               15
Adam                   12
Tom Pinnell         12
Andy Lilford       11
Sam                     11
Jim Fry                10
Batts                    10
Manrouf              10
Darren                   8
Paul Tovey            7
Paul Loftus           6
Mike Graney        5
Christov                5
Chris Smith          4
Alex                     4
Ioan                      4
Rich Jackson        3
Dan Hird              3
John Rossetti        3
John Trimble        3
Jim Banton           2
Paul Taverna        2
Scott                     2
Lee Douglas         1
Gareth                  1
Lewis Batten        1
Andy Lucas          1
Roly                      1
Jerry Gyde            1
Rich Sloper           1
Bob Lynn              1
Nick Ambler         1
'Young' Rich         1
'Other' Tom           1
Phil                       1
George                  1
Mystery John        1
Bradley                 1
Danny                   1
Alastair                 1

The surprise for me, totting all this up, was not that Jim and Lefils were streaks ahead of anyone else, but the regularity with which Batts used to crash in goals charging up from left-back!

Notable contributions from defence also from the youngsters Andy Lilford and Tom Pinnell and of course from midfield, the indefatigable Richie C.

No doubt there will be corrections. I've hazarded some early goals from 'Jim' and 'Jimmy' were Jim Semmence and I think those guesses are pretty solid. There was a goal given to 'John' which I think was John Rossetti so I've given that to him.

The Long and Winding Road

Barely Athletic 2 - 4 Recliners

Allan

Dave H       Batts          Colin

Danny

Sam            Chris         Scott          Graham

Kevin          Dazza

Subs:

Adam

Mike

Laurie

Alastair

John T

As George Harrison once sang, all things must pass, and so Barely's year-long unbeaten run was unceremoniously ended by a robust Recliners performance at Combe Dingle this morning. As Batts declared after the game, it was a monkey off their back.

However things could have been different had Barely matched the positional discipline of the first half with the flowing football of the second. But much of the flowing football was coming from Recliners - how did things come to such a pretty pass?

Well, it's been a good while since the last Sunday outing, and there was certainly some rustiness. But early on Batts' experimental 3-1-4-2 seemed to be holding up, with Danny in front of the back four as Chris and Scott belted around in front of him. Graham was providing the creator role from the left, and having succumbed to a goal Allan will want to forget - the ball skewing in off his gloves - Barely nearly equalised immediately when Adam - on for Sam - just failed to connect with the latest Graham cross into the box.

No matter though - Adam made amends only a few minutes later with a goal of Gascoigne-esque flavour, as he chipped the ball (again, sent in from the left) over the onrushing keeper and ran around him to head into the net - the score now 1-1 and Barely with their tails up. With Mike taking a turn up front the Recliners rearguard suddenly had a different tactic to deal with, as the big man won the long balls and flicked them on for the dashing Adam and Darren.

The second half began with John T joining the fray on the left as Graham dropped into defence. This time Adam turned provider though, as his cross from the right was deftly converted by Darren, who steered it under the keeper.

But outside of a penalty save from Allan (after Batts made a full-length save with his hand!) that was as good as it got for Barely. Was it the sun, or the hill, or the raft of substitutions? We'll never truly know but the last half hour of the game saw Barely at their most ragged, as they conceded a third - an unlucky own goal from Man of the Match Scott - and then a fourth, as seconds after Allan's penalty save the resulting corner was buried with a header.

If Barely had been caught napping when the first goal went in, their response was to lurch up out of bed (ie score two goals) but then somehow fall down the metaphorical stairs (ie let three more in) as the long unbeaten run was not so much over, as over-turned. But, as Paul McCartney once sang, we can at least now concentrate on the cup. Adam and Graham were the noteworthy runners-up to Scott, who was so cross with himself that he said his colleagues had "no idea" if they saw him as a worthy winner. It was that kind of day.