24th November 2007 – Vets 1 v. Besace FC 2

Team: Sejersen, Shiono, MacDonald, Waite, Eriksen, Bentham, Lewis, White, Gutierrez, Sigurdsson, Harbush.

Scorers: Harbush, Sigurdssson

For the second week running, Vets 1 went into a game with just a bare eleven. Our Captain (having dropped himself after the previous weeks performance) left the running of the team to one of our dwindling number of Scots. Therefore selection was easy, if you were fit and willing to turn up, you played.

The pre-match team talk, was centred around last weeks poor team performance and the need to get back on track with the hard work and passing game that we know we can play. Brian Lewis asked for us to start quickly (unlike England) and get at them. To show that we were paying attention, we went one up in the first minute. After a ball across the Besace box was not dealt with by their defender, the clubs leading scorer Frank (Gerd Muller) Harbush leapt on the mistake and put the ball firmly in the net. 1-0

Once the game restarted, the first half progressed with Vets 1 looking comfortable throughout the team. Tommy (would we still be 2nd, if he hadn't played so many games) was called upon to make a couple of saves. The ever reliable Waite & MacDonald (I have personally never seen either have a bad game) were dealing with everything that came through the middle of the park. Samurai Sami (what a revelation at right back this season) was comfortable against a very useful left winger. In midfield, Lewis and White worked their respective socks off, against the Besace number 10 in particular. They were supported in the midfield by Jez, and Mad Mike, both of whom got at the Besace midfield and defenders throughout the game. I would like to point out here, that both of these attacking midfield/wingers are good at running at defenders, good at crossing the ball, can score goals, and.........are both a little unstable!!!! In attack the German, Icelandic connection was giving our opponents problem after problem.

Midway through the first half, Mad Mike sent over a corner that somehow made it through a crowd of players before coming to Lewis and Hjalmer sliding in at the back post. It was Hjalmer who got the touch that made it 2-0, and settled any lingering doubts that Besace might get back into the game. Half Time 2-0

The second half saw the game stretched with Besace trying to stage a fight back. Poor poor Tony White, worked his socks off in midfield together with Brian, but Tony seemed to be getting advice from everyone (all at the same time) on who he should be picking up....sorry Tony! Apart from yet another absolute wonder save by Tommy from a free kick, Besace never really looked like scoring. Eriksen somehow managed to get himself booked for gesturing to one his opponents 'that he liked to interfere with himself'

This was a very good all-round Vets 1 performance. Everyone was on his game and playing well throughout the match. The MOM vote had four or five players all on equal votes, but the casting vote went to Eriksen for wearing the short sleeve shirt and his all too convincing hand gestures.

Full Time 2-0

HALF TERM REPORT

We are now half way through the season and second in the league. One has to feel that if Vets 1 produce the same performances in the second half of the season and reverse the ridiculous defeat to Old Ducks and beat Cosmos at home (we will need to be on our game away to British Utd) then promotion is in our hands and well within our grasp. We have conceded just seven goals in thirteen games and two of those were in the same match. As always it boils down to injuries and availability. We need to be back in Division One, so that the skipper can drop some of us to Vets 2 next season :)

MOM Erikson