Barnstoneworth United AA2 v Heffron hawks
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Starting Line up:
Wynton
Paul
Nick
Ryan
Shaun
Davey ©
Steve
Dean
Damo
Matt
Stu
Subs: Duck, Hiro, Junior, Cosmo, Gerry, Sparks
Today the Barny AA2s travelled to Heffron Park to take on the Hawks on their own turf. Like Barny, they had a slower start to the campaign and both teams looking for all three points. It was a glorious winter morning and the sun was blazing, along with the hangovers. The Gaffer seemed to go with a more attacking midfield with Stevey and Dean holding the centre mid and the sorely missed captain back in the shape Davey to stretch his legs down the left.
The game kicked off and the hangovers looked evident, some of the first touches deserved a six-ten stretch down the road at long bay. The game started wide open, both teams looking nervy. After 20mins the game settled and Barny found their stride. Shaun and Davey linking up well down the left to produce a few openings, and without a few dodgy offside decisions Matty could have found himself clean through. Stu also with a header on target.
The frustration began to show, and with Barny still looking for their first win of the season, tempers began to fray. Feeling it more than anyone was the captain after having to sit out the last two games through injury. After overstretching for the ball on a run Davey collided with a Hawk. Seeing red he had a kick out at the player, and he was sent off. The Heffron players certainly made the most of it with at least one of their players deserving red for the reaction. Some say that it was just the scouse coming out in Davey and he couldn’t resist the opportunity to take some of the opposition home with him. Soon after Junior came on to fill the hole on the left and his pace caused just as many problems. The rest of the half passed by pretty uneventfully, except for the sending off of a Heffron player for two yellow cards to even up the numbers.
Half time 0-0.
The second half kicked off after a constructive team talk lead by big Niall and Billy calling on a wealth of experience between them. Barny were fired up and it showed. The passing game started and with Junior moving up top we began carving the Hawks apart. The back four became three, and that enabled us to control the midfield with Hiro and Duck coming on, spraying the ball left and right. Soon after the chances started coming thick and fast. Matt found himself clean through and managed to poke home to get Barny a 1-0 lead. The chances didn’t stop there and front two found themselves with the number of clear chances into double figures, unfortunately none of these could be converted. The whole second half the Hawks were dominated. The back three of Paul, Nick and Ryan were untroubled and dealt easily with everything Heffron had. With only a 1-0 lead though and chance after chance going begging the nerves came back, desperate for the three points. Frustration grew, along with tempers and perhaps Barny lost concentration. In the last minute of the game Heffron won a corner, they put all 10 men in the box and took it quickly before Barny could regroup. The cross came in and the big number 9 got his head on it to level the game 1-1. The final whistle blew.
All in all it was a great display from Barny, and you can see the improvement in the team week after week. The commitment and desire is there, and the first win can only be round the corner. On another day it could have finished 10-0, and it certainly felt like a loss for everyone involved. We’ll pick ourselves up, put our shooting boots on and don the old red and white next week against Sydney Uni. Surely to be another thriller.
‘Mon the Barny.