Vets1 send signal to the rest of the division with a convincing win against the early season pace-setters.
Vets 1 took to the field against league leaders Ecusson off the back of some good recent form - back to back 3-0 wins against Cosmos Molenbeek and Alize Veterans respectively. Confidence was high but the players were clear that a high level of performance would be required to keep the good run going.
With almost the first move of the match, Rice released Knight with a nutmeg pass down the right channel. A slightly heavy second touch gave the keeper a sniff and dived at the feet of the onrushing home midfielder. The clash seemed innocuous enough but it was enough to see the keeper leaving the field on a stretcher. One of their outfielders donned the gloves.
If RBBFC thought this signalled a glaring chance to shoot from range, they were mistaken. The replacement keeper was as solid between the sticks as Waite had been for us the week before in his 450th game for the club. He had the same distributional abilities to boot.
Instead the opening goal came from a corner. Not for the first time this season, Levionnais whipped in a devilish left foot cross and Rice was left with the relatively simple task of nodding in at the far post.
The second goal was strikingly similar. Levionnais curled another beauty just beyond the back post and Hoskins did tremendously well to not only divert the ball back towards goal but also managed to angle it just over the line.
2-0 probably flattered us a little. Ecusson were creating space between the lines and interchanging positions enough to make themselves difficult to mark. Our back line of Cabaret, Christensen, Ledbury and Salvel held firm. Balls over the top were claimed with authority by Sejersen.
One of the final acts of the first half saw Cajade spin his two markers and play a beautiful cross field ball to Rice who brought the ball inside two defenders but waited a little too long to offload. Chance gone but still a solid half-time lead. As the skipper put it at half time, proving his Match of the Day credentials, if the score stays 2-0 we'll take home the three points.
2-0 it stayed for a good portion of the second half as Vets1 adjusted to playing in to a reasonable wind. Eventually Darran got the goal he sought, initially seeing a shot blocked by their keeper but knocking the rebound in off the far post. Just before he scored, Dazzler had what the watching Brian Lewis termed a Roger Davis moment. Roger Waite was actually at the Chelsea match in question but for the rest of you, here is a link to the other Roger's unfortunate moment: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JNIquRW3mOo
Christensen becoming our latest hamstring victim - yoga lads! - prompted a bit of a re-shuffle. Hoskins moved back alongside Ledbury, Criado came on at right back, Cabaret pushed forward on the right and Rice moved inside to central midfield. Everyone knows the system of play and it was a refereeing error rather than any positional confusion that saw Ecusson get off the mark. Salvel took the ball in a challenge inside the box but the sound of boots clashing persuaded the ref to award a penalty, well dispatched high to Sejersen's left.
Rather than producing a frantic finale, V1 kept their cool and Belfi rode three challenges as the clock wound down, sending an emphatic finish past the helpless Ecusson keeper. 4-1 it ended with Belfi taking home the MOM. It only cost him 3 packs of crisps and all. Result!
