Dynamo Camford 1 - 1 Strollers FC

11 November 2006

After last weeks rare victory at Battersea Park, a swift return and the chance to make it two in two.

From the off Strollers took the game to Camford, and within minutes of the delayed kick off a Camford defender was hacking clear off the line from O’Brien.

This pattern of play continued throughout much of the first half, with chances falling to Keniry, McNaught, Barrett, O’Brien and even Blackburn, no doubt gaining himself metaphorical nosebleeds through being so far up the pitch.

With the ball spending most of the time in the Camford half, the home side found it difficult to create any chances of not with a few speculative long shots all that Jones had to deal with, or not as the case was.

As so often with this pattern of play, however, it was Camford who took the lead. Having resorted to bypassing the midfield (an area that was yeilding little more than a sniff, such was the domination of Muhsin and Blackburn), Camford found themselves 25 yards from goal with a man over on the left.

The left midfielder duly crossed to find his striker who, from five yards out, contrived to blast it straight at Jones, with only the pace of the shot beating him.

In season’s gone by, this would have been the que for the famous ‘sound of eleven arses going’ [TM], but Strollers, despite obvious disappointment, and a little shakiness, kept their heads reasonably high.

After a brief team talk by returning manager Gray, and with the taste of Haribo still fresh in their mouths, Strollers returned to the field for the second half determined to make their superiority count, or failing that at least get an equaliser.

For ten minutes of the first half this looked unlikely. The break in play seemed to galvanise Camford, and for this period they threatened and created a guilt edged chance which was blasted wide.

Strollers seemed to take this as the wake up call they needed, and set about trying to regain parity. Barrett was replaced by Levinger, who immediately had an impact and terrorised the Camford back line.

With a forward line that was holding up the ball, Strollers proceeded to attack in numbers, with O’Brien have three chances from the same move, and a couple also falling to Keniry.

McNaught, enjoying a fine game on the left of midfield, had only moments previous unleashed a dipping half volley from 25 yards out which the keeper had struggled to hold onto, almost dropping it over the line.

From a corner, McNaught was again involved, stooping low to head a loose ball in the Camford area. Unfortunately McNaughts head made contact with a Camford boot, somewhere above the left eye, which produced the second head injury of the season after Bailey’s boiled egg attached to forehead incident from a few games ago. McNaught couldn’t continue, and as he left the field could be heard asking if his bruise was in fact bigger than Bailey’s.

The result of this produced the first of many contentious decisions. The referee, originally awarding a drop ball, decided to change his mind and award an indirect freekick. Despite claims on the sideline, mainly (sorry, solely) from a rabid Brown (‘That’s a fackin’ penalty’ – repeat times five), indirect freekick it was.

The kick itself came to (Mc) naught, but moments later the equaliser was fashioned, with a cross from O’Brien chipped to the back post where Muhsin bundled in. Or was it an own goal…

There was still time for a winner, and Levinger was trying his hardest to provide one. A turn and burst past two defenders saw him hacked down from behind a yard outside the box. Play on waved the referee as the Strollers bench and most players became apoplectic with rage. A more blatant bottling of a decision this reporter has yet to see.

All told though, Strollers did more than enough to win this game without the above decision. Unfortunately for them they didn’t take their chances.

Before kick off, however, everyone would have taken a draw in a fixture that has caused this side problems over the years. Trouble is, in that period Strollers have matured, and a draw is no longer acceptable.

Match Details

MoM: Muhsin, Keniry

4-5-1 (first half)
Jones – Stroud, Lennon, Tear, Bailey – Keniry, Muhsin, O’Brien, Blackburn, McNaught – Barrett

4-5-1 (second half)
Jones – Stroud, Lennon (Thomas, 78), Tear, Bailey – Keniry, Muhsin, O’Brien, Blackburn, McNaught (Wosika, 65) – Barrett (Levinger, 55)