28.05.06           LEAGUE RESULT MAY 28 – O’Carrolls 8 – 0 Kamarak

 

This week saw a return to league action with a home fixture against bottom side Kamarak. It was back to business having had last weeks fixture against Blazer postponed (their third postponement in as many rounds) and it was a cup round the previous week. Our usual playing surface, Seddon #1, was closed this week so the game was to be played on the somewhat sandier Seddon #2 – easy on the slide tackles lads! Just as well Andy packed it in…

 

After last weeks performance against Bay Olympic, the gaffer decided to stick with the same line up, and few that saw the game would argue with that decision. Richie started his first league game since being forced off at half time against City Fringe with a foot injury. A new look back four; Dave Walsh rejoined Tancy at the heart of the defence while Dan B and Biddy played right and left respectively. Nevchenko partnered Gus in the midfield; the ever-reliable Gibbo was on the left with Barry replacing Olly on the right hand side. Up front the highly prolific scoring partnership of Ash and Ziggy Stardust; 12 league goals between them so far this season. On the bench were Bundy and Maximus, joined by last weeks absentees Tom, Olly and Woody.

 

From the kick-off it would have to be said that OC’s looked the brighter team. We enjoyed a nice spell of early pressure, with perhaps our best chance to open the scoring falling to Biddy, a decent strike from about 20 yards out warming the hands of the Kamarak keeper. Despite this good start, it was Kamarak who found themselves in prime position to take the lead. A ball over the top found its way behind the back line and Kamarak’s forward raced through to poke the ball over the oncoming Richie. It was destined for the goal – the rumblings of a celebration could be heard from the Kamarak bench – but Tancy got back just in time to hook the ball clear off the line. This was a let off, and it spurred OC’s to go right up the other end of the pitch and take the lead. After some good play Barry found himself with the ball and plenty of time on the right side. He played the ball back to Dan B who had come forward in support, and it was Dan’s pinpoint cross that found his namesake, Dan G, at the backpost where the flame-haired forward finished with aplomb. 1-0. At this point Dan B was unfortunately forced off with a hamstring injury, replaced by Tom at right back. He had made his contribution though, setting up OC’s opening goal.

 

Following the goal, OC’s lost their shape a little and there was a 15-20 minute period of some very scrappy football. We were letting Kamarak come at us without putting too many challenges in. On more than one occasion some of their better players waltzed through our midfield and defence; Richie was making his feelings clear on this and there was a spot of squabbling going on between the keeper and the back line. Nonetheless we soon got our game heads back on and began to realize that there was unwillingness amongst some of the Kamarak players to pass the ball to each other. Once we got our heads around this and closed them down quicker the game swung back in our favour and soon after the lead was doubled by the Red Baron himself, Dan Green. It was some terrific individual play from our top scorer finishing clinically when it looked like the chance had possibly gone. 2-0. Soon after and we found ourselves 3-0 up following some interplay between the two forwards, this time Ash getting on the end of a Dan G pass for his 6th league goal of the season.

And so came half time, 3-0.

 

Second half and OC’s were dictating the pace of the game. We were enjoying the bulk share of possession Kamarak were limited to long balls over the top. OC’s were beginning to pass the ball around well and there was some terrific passing and movement down the left wing between Biddy, Gus and Gibbo. We were creating chance after chance and it was a matter of time before the lead was increased. This time it was Ash, and it came at the end of a fantastic passage of play involving at least four or five OC’s players; a great through ball from Nev, Ash cleverly cut inside and picked out the top corner of the goal. An outstanding finish for his second of the game; 4-0. At this point Kamarak were hemmed being into their own half and a few wayward kicks from their keeper didn’t help them to get out of there. Too many of his clearances fell to the feet of the OC’s forwards. Nevchenko had been heavily involved all game, winning crunching tackles and always looking to support the forwards. Therefore it was no surprise that he found himself bearing down on goal and after recovering from a slight mis-control he tucked the ball cleverly under the body of the oncoming keeper. 5-0. OC’s picked up another injury at this point, top scorer Dan G damaging his shoulder, Woody coming on to replace him. ‘A centre-half up front’ you might ask? Tancell was green! Barry, who had a fine game on the right, was replaced by Olly and OC’s poured forward in search of more goals.

 

Kamarak were pushing a lot of men forward by now, sometimes up to four players on the attack. One such attack found a Kamarak forward race in behind the defence and it looked like he might create a goal scoring opportunity – well he might have had Nev not been there to bundle him over – not worthy of a red card might I add, Tancy was back there as last man. Anyway, the resulting free kick was high, wide and handsome and that was probably Kamarak’s last attempt on the OC’s goal. OC’s certainly weren’t finished at the other end though. A trademark run down the left flank from Gibbo, this time the Brummie opted to use his right boot (just as deadly as his left) and he blasted a shot into the roof of the net to make it 6-0. Quality finish and one of the goals of the game for me. Substitute Olly then got in on the act and finished the scoring with a brace – it oh so nearly could have been three! His first was a cultured side footed finish after some great passing play up front, his second: the easiest of headers after a precise cross from Gibbo on the left.  It was only down to some awful finishing that the Scouser didn’t rack up a hat-trick, but he’s not done himself any harm coming off the bench and netting two. Speaking of awful finishing, Tancy’s 35-yard attempted volley is worthy of a mention, the centre-half finding himself on his ass with the ball in Row Z. Ambitious? Yes. Amusing? Definitely!

 

Late in the game an unfortunate tackle saw Nev go down and he looked to be quite an amount of pain. With only a few minutes left OC’s finished off with 10 men while Nev was carted off to the sideline. It’s a nasty looking bruise on his shin that will only get worse before it gets better. There was no malice in the tackle, it was just unfortunate for Nev that he came out worst. Man Of The Match on the day went to Ash, and well deserved. Nev ran him close, and for me Gus, Gibbo, Tancy and Dan G are all worthy of a mention, as are the whole squad, another emphatic victory under our belts.

 

Thanks to Kamarak for the game and best of luck for the rest of the season. Next week we resume our pursuit of the 3^rd/4^th/5^th Div cup away to Blazer. They are the only Division 4 side we have yet to meet so we don’t really know what to expect from them.

The Editor

 

        22.05.06           FRIENDLY RESULT MAY 21 – Bay Olympic 0 – 5 O’Carrolls

 

With both teams having to rest from league duties this week, OC's were relishing the prospect of pitting themselves against one of the ASFA’s premier clubs.

 

With some of the regulars i.e. Olly, Tom, Woody and Alfie missing through alcohol, women, and substance abuse (...and that was only Tom) it gave the gaffer the opportunity to look at the rest of the squad, and for them to make their mark. It was also an opportunity for Bay to give a couple of new players a look. Unfortunately Bay didn't have their full compliment of 10 until 10 minutes into the game; so a big thanks goes out to Max and Bundy who donned the green of Bay to balance the numbers.

 

The gaffer started with Richie between the sticks, Biddy and Rochdale Dan left and right and Dave and Paul reliving their glory days in the centre of defence. Midfield saw Gibbo and Bugsy (making his first start) on the flanks. Nevchenko and the inspirational Gus in the centre. Upfront saw Ash and Dan (sporting his new David Bowie haircut).

 

From the off OC's were moving the ball in neat patterns playing a possession game and fighting for every second ball. Each player was supported on the ball, play was switched from side to side with accuracy and invention. When the Bay did threaten the OC's defence, there was no way through, with some excellent tackles and positional play. Without being biased this is how it remained for the whole game, a master class of football and teamwork. The first goal arrived on the twenty-minute mark. Some excellent exchanges between Gus, Bugsy, Nev and Dan 'Ziggy Stardust' Green saw a ball played square to Ash who side stepped the keeper with an excellent finish. 0-1. The second goal was taking it's time coming. Gibbo tested the keeper with 3 thunderbolts; the Bay keeper did well to thwart. There was another off the crossbar and another off the post from Ash before Ziggy scored the goal of the game. With nothing really on he pushed the ball to the defender's left and unleashed a rocket that left the keeper motionless. 0-2. Ten minutes later, again from good simple passing and movement, the ball was fed to Ziggy who with time at his feet finished neatly. 0-3.

 

Bay had some good individual players who were stringing a few good moves on their own, but with the OC’s defence in such a mean mood Richie was only tested once in the first half... HT - 0-3.

 

The second half saw Lobster come on to partner Ziggy. OC's started where they left off and within 5 mins of the restart OC's won a corner that was smacked in by Gibbo. Nevchenko’s strong challenge saw him finish with both keeps and ball in the net. 0-4. Lobster was starting to enjoy himself upfront and was chasing around the front line like a March hare. The ball was neatly fed to him on the left side. He looked up to see Ziggy waiting in the box and with a pinpoint cross from lobster the man completed an excellent hat-trick. 0-5. He then made way for Jonesy... job done.

 

The game continued to the final whistle with no more goals, but with the flair and skill that had been there from the first whistle. Again Matt, who had worn the gloves for the second half, wasn't ever really tested. There were about 11 MOTM nominees with Biddy, Bugsy, Nevchenko, the whole back four, and the hat-trick spaceman all deserved of it... but it had to go to the skipper Gus who dictated the game from start to finish with his passing, winning of tackles, and his encouragement.

 

As coach this was the kind of teamwork that you dream of. When Trev thanked us for the lesson I knew I wasn't alone.

The Coach

 

        15.05.06           3^rd/4^th/5^th DIVISON CUP RESULT MAY 14 – City Socialists 0 – 2 O’Carrolls

 

We managed to get a bye in this round last year, so we were looking forward to our first cup game of this campaign. With one of the best finals of the FA Cup having been won just seven hours earlier, the gaffer was hoping that the dream of being in a final might rub off on some of the boys. Unfortunately the Liverpool contingent (of which there are a few) were still pissed from their earlier success. Then we had the Man Utd contingent (of which there are a few) who were really pissed that the cup they won was smaller than Liverpool’s. All in all, the gaffer had a job getting the focus back on the game.

 

The gaff had started with Matt in goal; Tancey, Rochedale Dan, Tom and Woody in defence (three Utd and one Scouse so, no passes to Woody). In midfield Biddy and Gibbo were on the flanks and Walshy and Captain Gus were in the centre; Olly and Ash were upfront (2 more Scouse). Alfie, Nev and Bugsy kept the touchline mucky.

 

City Socialists were up and ready 10 mins before kick-off and were looking eager. The lads were reminded that City were the only team to take a point off us in the league last year and that this was going to be their toughest start this year. As was the norm for the day... no one listened... and City took the game to OC's. For the first 10 minutes OC's were hardly out of their half, but for all City's possession they weren't really testing Matt. OC's were finding it hard to get their passing game going and to be fair the windy conditions did not help. A few chances came and went without testing the city keeper. This could have been attributed to everyone thinking that they were Stevie Gerrard and trying shots from... well... areas of the park only Gerrard should try shooting from. The end of the first half came with both teams sharing the laurels. 0-0.

 

The boys knew that this seasons cup exploits would come to a swift end unless they picked up their game in the second half and this they did. OC's were getting more ball at the start of the half and were pushing forward with more determination. At last in the 53rd minute (after a few more Gerrard-esque attempts) a patient build up with some good exchanges on the left between Biddy and Gibbo, resulted in a square ball to Ash who side footed neatly into the corner. 0-1.

 

City kept plugging away and were getting their fair share of corners, but just lacked the final touch on more than one occasion. The gaffer knew he needed another goal and made his changes. Alfie and Nev came on in midfield and Biddy went upfront. OC's started playing their best football of the game and were now looking more in control, but still having to fight for every ball. The gaffer made his final substitution bringing Bugsy on for Biddy. With 7 minutes left on the clock his decision paid off when Gibbo played a great ball to Bugsy's feet. This Scouser had seen the missed chances that went before him and although he could have taken on the shot himself, he unselfishly set it up for the captain. The Huddersfield terrier finished with aplomb. And so it finished 2-0 to OC's. Man Of The Match on the day went to Woody – a solid performance in the heart of the defence.

 

Good luck to the City who never fail to give us a good game; they have some excellent young players who will give the Villa a run for their money next week.

Thanks guys.

The Coach

 

        08.05.06           LEAGUE RESULT MAY 07 – Boca 60’s 1 – 5 O’Carrolls

 

This Sunday saw the OCFC travel to Simson Reserve to play the Boca 60’s boys. It was a cracking day with an excellent pitch (best so far)... so all conducive for a good game of ball. The OC were a tad lethargic going into the game having missed training due to a waterlogged pitch and having spent most of Friday night and Saturday morning partying around the gaffers. Adding to the gaffer’s worries was the sight of our number one fan (5 year old Ella) upend 15-stone Walshy in the warm-up.

 

Both teams were keen and ready 10 mins before the off, resplendent in their own versions of black and red. The game kicked off and for the first 10 mins possession was equally divided, with neither team taking the initiative. 16 mins gone and OC's put their first string of consecutive passes together resulting in Dan laying the ball off for Biddy who finished the move with a clinical finish. 0-1.

 

The B60’s were playing deep and were relying on quick breaks when at all possible. This gave OC's a fair bit of possession in the Boca half, but besides a few punts at goal and a few corners there was nothing the Boca defence couldn't deal with. However on 24 mins, one attack was cleared by the Boca defence straight to Biddy. With one touch to control and an excellent strike to finish it was 2-0 to OC's. Number.1 fan wasn't too impressed with her Dad's exploits and remained calm throughout the goal celebrations. The rest of the half was contested evenly with no further progress being made by either team. HT 0-2.

 

The start of the second half saw OC's bring the game to Boca. The Boca keeper was dealing with every effort on goal confidently. A couple of efforts from Walshy and Dan were well saved. Another blaster from Woody which had goal written all over it pinged off the crossbar. Boca soaked up the pressure well and whilst all the OC team piled forward for a corner the resultant clearance was an excellent ball to their lone striker. A good first touch saw him grappling with Gussy and a free kick was duly awarded. The ball was expertly despatched into the top corner to make it 1-2 with 55 mins played. OC's were struggling to get their passing game going and were losing too many second balls. The gaffer thought it time to make changes.

 

On the hour, Olly came on for Dan G and Alfie stepped into midfield for Walshy. 5 mins later the gaffer was delighted with his technical nous, when Olly laid it off for Man Of The Match Ash to relieve the pressure and make it 3-1. Another free kick and a few corners from Boca kept the pressure on the OC’s defence, but with 72 mins on the clock, OC's broke quickly. Ash laid it off for Gibbo who turned his man and finished in the bottom right hand corner. 4-1.

 

The ref, who had a good game and kept it moving throughout, had finished the first half a good 5 mins short. Realising his error, he was content to give us a 50 min second half. As we were edging to these extra few minutes a Boca attack saw an excellent effort smashing off the crossbar. It should have been 4-2, but football being the cruel game that we all know it can be... the ball was cleared... Ash picked it up on the halfway line, fed a superb ball to Olly who beat his man to finish and make it 5-1 instead.

 

A competitive game came to an end. A big thank you to Boca 60’s and their excellent facilities. We look forward to the return game and wish you the best for the season.

The Coach