It was a cold wind swept afternoon in West Wittering. Two of the giants of Div 4 South faced up against each other in the prestigious Div 4 Cup. The Coalie were using an experimental 3-5-2 formation due to the mid-season injury crisis.
The Coalie started well, with mid-field quintet Simon 'Giggs', Chalkie'Anderton', Danny 'Gascoigne', Anthony 'Quashie' and Jamie 'Wright-Phillips', creating good chances for Lee 'Owen' and Alan 'Shearer' up front, but despite hitting the post the Coalie couldn't force home the advantage, and it was the Witterings team who scored first to take a 1 v 0 lead into the half-time break.
After half-time the Coalie defensive trio Andy 'Stefanovic', Scholesy 'De-Zeeuw' and Sam 'Razor Ruddock' came under intense pressure, but held it together and put in some truely olympic last-ditch sliding tackles. Big 'Shaka' Sav in goal pulled off his usual string of super human saves.Geoff 'Berkovic' Bartlett came on for the second half and dragged this epic cup encounter into extra time with a trade mark poachers goal. Despite another 30 minutes of energy sapping effort neither team could break the deadlock and this epic cup encounter will resume at Fortress Emsworth.
We travelled right out into Sussex red-neck country on saturday to take on the Graffham Tractor Boys on 'Mole-Hill Field'. It was like a scene from 'Deliverance' as we warmed up. The Graffham supporters complete with banjos sat around drinking moonshine and eyeing up our shiney town cars!
The game was an industrial affair with Graffham attempting to amputate in every challenge. But the Coalie players stuck to the football and produced some excellent early chances. Keith forced the first goal when he booted it against the ample back-side of the Graffham centre-back and it re-bounded into the goal. Despite Chalkie claiming it, it went down as an OG. Jamie scored the second after a mazey run down the right wing and a shot from a tight angle. Graffham had a couple of good chances, one cleared off the line by the sure-footed Fellows, but the defence, Big Sav, Danny, Brian, Scholes and Hatchet held firm.In the second half we gave Big Sav some action in goal and he pulled off the usual world-class 'Sav' Saves to maintain his clean sheet. Jez, Geoff, Jamie and Chalkie kept up the good work in midfield and we moved ahead with well finished goals from Lee J (9th of the season), Jamie (4th of the season) and Keith (8th of the season). Anthony and Sam came on for a run-out in the second half. After the game we shared a mug of moonshine with our hosts and made it back to civilisation in time for sarnies and a winning pint in the Coalie. Another great win.
There were fireworks at Emsworth Rec at the weekend as 'rock solid' Coal Exchange took on the 'up and down' Stannah from Andover in the Hants FA Cup. Stannah started well and created several good chances before rifling a low shot past the unsited Big Sav in goal. It was looking like the Coalie were in for a tough afternoon, but Jez and Geoff stepped up the work rate in the midfield and Sam and Danny got to grips with Stannahs speedy left winger to help dry the chances up. We poured forwards towards the end of the second half with good chances for Keithy and LeeJ, but it was Chalkie who popped up to notch his first/second goal of the season. After tricking the Stannah defence with a deceptive first touch, Chalkie cooly lobbed the keeper. 1 v 1 at half-time. Anthony came on at half-time, and the Coalie again poured forward. Both teams had good chances to take the lead. Big Sav pulled off a series of 'Banks-like' saves to keep us in the game. Scholes and Andy continued to hoof the ball out of danger . It was Keithy who broke the deadlock a few minutes from time with a sweet strike to put the Coalie 2 v 1 up. Simon saved the day in the last few minutes with a last ditch hatchet tackle. Stannah couldn't find the lift they needed to equalise!!