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Match Reports by Chris de Cani
24th November 2007
Littleton U13 3 Barton Stacey U13 4
Littleton this week, two places below Barton Stacey and in with a realistic chance of a place in the top three if they could take the points from this game. A midday kick off, so a lie-in for the Barton contingent, an even longer one for Mr Bearpark who sent Mrs Bearpark along for this game; filling in admirably at the back after a brief struggle with the three maids roundabout, it was a good all round effort by the away game debutant. Mrs Bearpark also covered for the absent Mrs Taplin who had important business with a wardrobe full of clothes, eager to make space for the “new season” collection from Next that Mr Taplin had painstakingly picked out for her Christmas present.
The usual suspects started in their usual places, Harry Lawton, Danny Tuson and Connor Jones provided cover for Barton Stacey, who had several players under the weather.
Barton Stacey started slowly and within 10 minutes had fallen two goals behind. Urgent changes were required, Harry Lawton, Danny Tuson and Connor Jones replacing Sam Burrows, Luke Bacon and Charles Sherwood, Dan Pomroy detailed to do a man marking job on the leggy Littleton striker. Within minutes the changes reaped rewards, Michael Taplin setting up an overlapping William de Cani who slammed the ball into the net for his 6th goal of the season, minutes later it was Taplin’s turn to race into the box to score Barton’s second, and his 10th goal of the season; currently in a superb vein of form, he creates as many goals as he scores.
With 5 minutes left in the half, Barton Stacey won a free kick on the left hand side of the Littleton box; step up Captain Coetzee who scored from 25yards out, a superb goal to open his account for the season, and the highlight of his impressive performance during this game.
Half time and after a sticky start, let the joy be unconfined. Barton had dragged themselves back into the game with a mixture of guts and good football.
Littleton fought back well in the second half filling the midfield. Sam Hadlington and James Brooke had their work cut out as Littleton repeatedly bashed against Barton’s back line, eventually equalising after 10 minutes. Charles Sherwood replaced Connor Jones and with ten minutes remaining raced in to the box to tap home a de Cani cross. For the remainder of the game Barton were hanging on, Oliver Richards kept his side in the game with a string of acrobatic saves, while Barton repeatedly conceded possession, heaping more and more pressure on their stretched back line. After a frantic finale and well into the afternoon the ref called time on an exciting and entertaining encounter between two well matched teams.
In the match report for 6th October it was stated that William de Cani had ruined a perfectly good frying pan while making an omelette. This allegation has since been proved to be false, for which I unreservedly apologise. Apparently it was a pancake.
