Week 1 Review - 10th September 2016
Old Cholmeleians 1s 1 - 2 Old Wyks 1s
Goals: Essex, Wapshott; MoM: Goulding
The OWs started their season with a drizzly away fixture in Highgate against the Old Cholmeleians.
There was plenty of new blood in the team, and together we produced one of the most energetic and organised performances of recent memory. Staying in shape, we frustrated the opposition, and produced the first goal when James Essex dispossessed their centre back and slotted home the resulting one-on-one. For the next 50 minutes, we rigorously squeezed all joy from the game, as the Old Cholmeleians flapped around in front of our iron defences, and last year's newcomer of the season, Ben McCleery, bombarded their box with his mighty long throw.
It was a surprise, therefore, when the Cholms produced a move of real quality to open us up and level the scores. Unperturbed, we continued to pursue our Pulis-inspired gameplan, and were rewarded when Will Wapshott headed home from another McCleery rocket. We finished off the game 2-1 victors - an extremely promising performance on a difficult and often bad-tempered away day in North London. Special mentions go to a guileful forward display from Alex Portz, and a dogged stint in the centre from Patrick Lloyd, but MoM was awarded to Tom Goulding for showing both those qualities in equal measure at LB and CM.
-- Fuller (c) --
Old Merchant Taylor 1s 4 - 1 Old Wyks 2s
Goals: Opfermann; MoM: Elphick
A new season and with it new faces. OWFC handed out debuts to mssrs Haggard, Nicholson and Gheerbrant as they started the season away on a jauntily angled pitch at Merchant Taylors'.
However, it was a prodigal son, Nick Opfermann, back after a three-year sabbatical, who was to draw first blood, marking his return to the club with a fine free-kick goal to open the scoring.
From here, the OWs began to exert a measure of control in the game, with the centre-midfield partnership of Dave Prichard and Gabe Tiplady absorbing whatever the OMTs chose to throw at them. Special mention goes out to Dave for turning out the morning after his 30th birthday party, his usual enthusiasm for the scrap but slightly dimmed.
Billy Fitton was performing manfully up-front, offering for everything and linking the play well but it was the opposition who struck next with a well-worked move that unlocked the hitherto impermeable centre-back pairing of Zac Tiplady and Charlie Morgan, leaving even the gargantuan 'keeper Mercer unable to spread himself wide enough.
Tense exchanges characterised the play either side of half-time with man of the match Pete Elphick indefatigably and threateningly working up and down the left wing and the OWs looked comfortable, denying the oppo even a sniff at goal until midway into the second half.
However, eventually Merchant Taylors' first-XI status, indeed five substitutes, told. Wykehamist legs began to tire and OMTs took the lead with a firmly struck shot from the edge of the box.
As Bill Wykeham's men chased the game, so gaps appeared and, despite some stout application from Elphick in particular, they were unable to stop the opposition from adding two more goals' worth of gloss to the scoreline.
A disappointing result but a hugely encouraging performance from a pleasingly young squad. As G. Tiplady put it at full time, "Two teams will go up from this division. They'll be one of them; let's make sure we're the other."
Aux armes, citoyens!
-- Mercer (c) --