REPORTS OF MATCHES PLAYED ON SAT. 2
September<br><br>SOUTHGATE COUNTY 1st 3 OLD FINCHLEIANS 3<br>( FINN 2 TYLER
)<br>IT WAS WITH SOME TREPIDATION THAT THE 1st XI TOOK
THE FIELD AGAINST OUR LOCAL RIVALS OLD FINCHLEIANS.
THE PRE MATCH BANTER CENTRED AOUND OUR DEFEAT OF THEM
IN LAST YEARS AFA QUARTER FINAL AND THE EXPECTED
REVENGE THEY WOULD BE SEEKING. <br>AFTER A WHILE THE BOYS
SETTLED DOWN & WE MADE OUR BREAKTHROUGH WHEN GARY TYLER
REALISED WHICH WAY UP THE NET SHOULD GO ! WE LINED UP FOR
THE KICK OFF TO BE GREETED BY THE ONLY FEMALE REF. IN
THE LEAGUE – HORRIFIED BY THE FACT THAT SHE HAD A
MOUSTACHE BROADER THAN THE FAT CAT ON SOCCER AM !! KICKING
INTO THE WIND & FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION FROM THE BENCH
TO PLAY A STRICT 4-4-2 WE FOUND OURSELVES OVER RUN
IN MIDFIELD, DESPITE THE IMPRESSIVE WORK RATE OF
DEBUTANT DANNY LESLIE & CHRIS BURNHAM. IT WAS NO REAL
SURPRIS WHEN FINCHLEY WENT 1-0 UP AS A BALL OVER THE TOP
CAUGHT OUR BACK 4 SQUARE – (DOES NOTHING EVER CHANGE ? )
& THE CENTRE FORWARD LOBBED THE ADVANCING
KEEPER.<br>AT HALFTIME THE TEAMTALK CENTRED AROUND PACKING THE
MIDFIELD WHICH WE THEN DID TO ALMOST IMMEDIATE EFFECT. 10
MINS AFTER THE RESTART GARY TYLER DID WELL TO RETRIEVE
THE BALL & FEED KIERAN FINN WHO DELICATELY CHIPPED
THE KEEPER. THE QUALITY OF THE FINISH SEEMED TO
INSPIRE THE REST OF THE TEAM & LEFT THE OPPO. IN AWE.
JEFF ANDERSON BEGAN TO STAMP HIS AUTHORITY ON THE
MIDFIELD & IT WAS NO REAL SURPRISE WHEN JEFF RELEASED
TYLER WHO HIT A CRISP SHOT ACROSS THE KEEPER WHICH HE
COULD ONLY PARRY INTO THE PATH OF FINN WHO FINISHED
FROM 6 YDS. THIS GOAL SPELLED THE BEGINNING OF
SUSTAINED SCFC PRESSURE CREATED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
INDUSTRY & GUILE OF THE NATURALLY GIFTED ROBBIE ROSS.
LINKING UP WITH ANDERSON & ANOTHER DEBUTANT BRIAN BRADY,
ROBBIE WAS CREATING CHANCE AFTER CHANCE FOR THE EVER
WILY TYLER, WHO WAS DENIED BY THE AGILE KEEPER & A BIT
OF INDECISION IN THE BOX. FINCHLEY GOT BACK INTO THE
GAME WHEN THE REF. FAILED TO NOTICE A BLATENTLY
OFFSIDE FORWARD – SHE WAS PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT
LAKESIDES’ OPENING HOURS AT THE TIME & THE BALL WAS WALKED
PAST THE UNLUCKY CHRIS GOULD IN GOAL. THE SCORELINE
REFLECTED OUR SUPREMACY WHEN KIERAN FINN BRILLIANTLY TURNED
THE FINCHLEIANS FULL BACK TO PULL THE BALL ACROSS THE
GOAL FOR GARY TYLER TO NET A WELL DESERVED
GOAL.<br>WITH TWO MINUTES TO GO THE RESULT SEEMED CONFIRMED
WHEN TYLER AGAIN GOT THE BETTER OF HIS MAN TO PRESENT
BROWN WITH A SEEMINGLY UNMISSABLE CHANCE. 6 YDS OUT &
ONLY THE KEEPER TO BEAT. HE TOOK A WILD SWING & WAS
RELIEVED WHEN THE BALL SNEAKED PAST THE CORNERFLAG FOR A
GOAL KICK RATHER THAN A THROW IN. IN THE LAST MINUTE
FINCHLEY SCORED FROM A CORNER TO MAKE THE FINAL SCORE 3-3
– PROBABLY A FAIR RESULT. <br>A LOT OF GOOD THINGS
CAME FROM THE GAME, IT WAS ENJOYED BY ALL & WE PLAYED
THE KIND OF FOOTBALL THAT BODES WELL FOR THE COMING
SEASON. ALL IN ALL A GOOD EFFORT WITH A DISSAPOINTING
RESULT.<br>MOM – GARY TYLER – AN INSPIRATION TO ALL WHO
WITNESSED HIS DISPLAY.