BBC Vets 2 - CRFC Hounds 0

This was Hounds third and final pre-season friendly and as with the previous two games, we were up against a really good team. This would be a good test to see if we were ready for the upcoming season.

A strong squad was picked, but with a lot of excellent players rested from the week before, everyone knew they were fighting for their place. When the game kicked off, this was very apparent. Hounds were straight into the battle and with the team set up to attack a little more, that is exactly what happened. The midfield trio of Stu, Eric and making his Hounds debut, Kev Warner, were as formidable as you’d expect them to be. Winning every ball or second ball and delivering good service out to the strikers, Elliott and Garry.

BBC are a very good team. Every single one of their players are comfortable on the ball, they were strong and also extremely quick. However, they couldn’t get a rhythm together and it was Hounds that were playing the better football. Garry and Elliott were chasing their back line down and not giving them any time on the ball and our first chance came when Garry took the ball off of their centre half, dribbled into the area and forced a save from their keeper. Encouraging start!

In fact, our start was so good that it forced BBC to change tactics. They weren’t winning much in midfield so started hitting long balls over the top of our back three. This was obviously something that were well drilled on, their strikers were both rapid and timed their runs well. However, our back three were easily a match for them. Chris Hemmings, Andy Watson and Dan Ward read every ball and came their way. Dan in particular made some unbelievable interceptions, whilst nothing got past Andy and Chris in the air. In fact some of our best moves came from Chris taking control of the ball and bringing it out of defence with an air of assurance.

Behind them, Graham was also having an excellent game, making one outstanding save from close range to keep the scores level.

Dan Marsh, also making his debut at RWB was having an excellent start, winning plenty of tackles and headers but also looking assured on the ball when we went forward. He went agonisingly close with a quality header that looked destined to go in but somehow managed to skim the wrong side of the post.

Another chance came, a free kick pinged to the far post where Elliott arrived but couldn’t quite direct it home. The resulting rebound was blocked, the goal wasn’t going to come!

Then came the BBC goal. A corner that wasn’t cleared and one of their players tucked the ball home from a few yards out. Gutted but not down though, we carried on fighting. Stu taking a ball to the face from close range embodied the fight throughout the whole team.

Unfortunately, Stu had to go off but fortunately he was replaced by Nigel, who impressed everyone with his touch and patience on the ball. He even nutmegged one of their defenders before playing an intelligent pass inside.

Half time came. The whole team looked disappointed to be losing and rightly so. A lot of changes took place but as normally happens, it took us a while to get our shape back. However, once we did we threatened again. Paul Camp, looking composed on the ball, went close with a free kick and Matt Creasey was causing issues in and amongst their back line.

At the other end, Ian had taken over from Dan and was giving no quarter.

BBC then won a penalty when Andy Watson blatantly headed the ball out of his own area. The ref obviously didn’t do Biology at school and believed that this was handball. After our protests fell on deaf ears (or deaf wrists if you’re a ref?) justice was done when their player put the ball wide from the spot.

A second goal for BBC came soon after but weren’t done yet. Paul Rayner pushed on down the right wing and set up Eric, who burst into their area before hitting a great cross towards Garry, Matt Creasey and myself. Their defender stuck his arm out and the ball deflected away to safety behind all of us. There was a short pause, a large shout of handball and then….nothing, the ref hadn’t seen it. The ball came back into the box and Garry and Matt both had shots blocked before the ball eventually went behind for a goal kick.

Soon after, Matt was taken out on the half way line but managed to get the ball out wide to myself. I knocked it past their full back and outpaced him. This has never ever happened before and I felt like Usain Bolt as I sprinted clear of him. With my sights firmly on goal nothing could stop me. Well nothing apart from the ref, who blew up for the foul on Matt. I asked why he didn’t play advantage and was told he couldn’t because of the noise our player made when he was fouled. I mentioned the fact that I’d outpaced their defender but he suggested that maybe he wasn’t trying. A funny ref, who knew!

All in all this was another really good performance, with some commanding performances. I honestly don’t think there was one player that didn’t throw everything into that game and you really can’t ask fir much more than that. We created chances, defended well and battles hard in midfield. I asked after the game for the guys to pick their own man of the match and many names came for forward. Eric, Chris, Kev and Andy all picked up votes but the clear winner was Stu. A brilliant performance from him but in fairness the whole squad played well.

Onto next week and we play our first league match. We may be losing a couple of players to the Hares for their Cup semi final game but I’m extremely confident that we’ll end the day with three points and a place in the cup final.

Mike P