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2006/07 Match ReportsHomerton vs ChristsSidney Sussex II vs Homerton IIHomerton III vs Trinity 'Bruces'
Homerton 2-8 ChristsOn a hot autumn day, on the glory fields of the mighty HCFC, Big Ben Tanner led the greatest first team the college has ever seen out onto the pitch with expectation high and confidence all but heaven bound. The boys had played one, won one, and were playing Christs, which is a bit of a big time name. After five minutes, the mighty Homertonians realised that it might not be the greatest day in their, to be, prolific history. Due to what must of been a striker fuelled on some banned substance, the defence soon saw wily E. Cayotes arch rival take human form, god was he sharp. It doesn't help of course, when Cambridge's greatest centre half pairing is split due to Tony 'the forester', limping tragically off after 15. So left was the might of Matt 'The mountain' Bulmer, to marshal a defence, thrown together after the swings and roundabouts of war had taken their toll. Marshalled brilliantly, this unbias spectator would like to say. And the fight back (after conceding 4), was on, a stunning 47 yard free kick (Bulmer once more) rattled the crossbar, leaving the Christs keeper somewhere between the dark side and Downing. The resulting corner saw the skipper rifle in from 10 yards. The whistle blew, there was hope, and on the restart the awesome HCFC were the best team within 50 miles, but, although dangerous Dan snared a goal, there could have been more. Then disaster struck, as sonic the hedgehog broke twenty minutes in, and made it 5-2, heads fell, wind left the sails, Homerton seemed broken. The trend continued, with early season injuries showering the park, 8-2, although somewhat flattering to the blasthemers was the final score. Dejected the team headed for the pub. The curry house and then the bar. By this time, HCFC realised the ref had robbed them, Christs were cheats and they had been well and truly done. But Oz is Matt Dawson, and Big Ben Tanners having a BBQ. PS. To any admirers
of HCFC players, especially fit fresher centre backs, post your details on the
web site, and we can go from there. In conclusion, HCFC forever, we may be
adequate, we might not care but come April, we will be cuppers champions. Peace
and love, and above all, football, football.....football. Oh, and special
mention the Swampy, Man of the match (Should have been Matt), brilliant. By Matt Bulmer
Sidney Sussex II 0-6 Homerton II "Funny old game" no laughing matter for Sidney as Homerton go mental They say in football that the best officials are the ones that you never notice. This was never more true on Sunday afternoon, when the twos game featured no linesmen. A more even match might have been won or lost by that sort of glaring disregard for association rules, but thankfully for Homerton, this was as one-sided as a piece of paper laid face-down. Had Sidney had a manager, and had he been asked to come out and face the cameras in a post-match interview, it is tempting to think that he would have stayed in his dressing room with his players until long into the night, so comprehensive was their defeat. But we all know that no such things exist in the nether regions of the Cambridge inter-college league. The reality is that, at the final whistle, their beleaguered players trooped back to their college to prepare for Monday's supervisions, or perhaps have a wank. Let's take nothing away from Homerton, who dominated from the first to last minute. Though, like the large boy who finally realises that all he has to do to win the fight is hold the smaller boy by the head at arm's length and let him flail away to no effect, it took until the second half for us to realise just how superior we were. Homerton's best chances in the first half (in fact pretty steadily throughout the whole game) came down the right, where all winger Bracey had to do to get past Sidney's hapless left-back was keep running forwards. He managed this with great distinction, though picking out a team-mate in the middle proved a tougher task. Nonetheless, Alex Vaughan latched on to a wayward goalkeeping clearance, rounded said goalkeeper, and found the net with a shot which had just enough pace to prevent Swarbrick tapping home and stealing the credit. The second half came at a bad time for Sidney, in that, after a short interval of around 10 or 15 minutes, it immediately followed the first half. Alex Vaugan strolled through a wince-makingly bad defence to add a second. Alex Mitchell's overhit free-kick found its way in for the third, Tom Knowles scored a fourth. After a brief lull in scoring (but not attacking, as Bracey continued to run riot on the right, and Swarbrick and Bigal did their best imitation of Shearer and Sheringham), Alex Mitchell struck again from the left-hand side, and Greg Simkins bundled home from close range. Homerton (4-4-2): Sarge, Oli (sub, Benjy HT), Alex R, Alex M, Joey, Knowlesy (sub Greg 2nd half), Alex Vaughan(y), Amar, Bracey, Bigal, Swarbs. Adam Bracey
A REMINDER THAT KIT AND A REFEREE ARE IMPORTANT IN AN ORGANISED FOOTBALL MATCH by Our Special Correspondent. Homerton picked up their first point in a match which bordered on the farcical and was always firmly rooted in the amateur. A side missing some of its bigger names in both defence and attack threw away the advantage twice, and were held only by Downing's 90th-minute penalty which secured a draw for the home team. As a precursor of what was to follow, no-one from Downing had thought to bring the key to the changing rooms, so both sets of players were forced to change on the pavillion balcony. It was at about this point that it was apparent that no-one from Downing had realised that the blue of their kit (notably the royal blue trim) was rather similar to the blue of Homerton's. Not even the quintessential Sunday-league solution of one team turning their shirts inside-out was going to solve this little riddle. Tanner neatly laid all the blame at Downing's door when he told them it was the home side's duty to ensure the players could distinguish between a team-mate and an opponent. 'What about the Downing second's kit?' someone said, but that was in the wash. A solution was found. Downing would wear red bibs. Downing's three supporters were talking among themselves rather less audibly once Phil Cleaves had struck twice early on. Credit should, and in this case, will go to Tom Knowles for good work in the build-up to both. For reasons unclear, Downing decided that the player they had selected to referee the game could not continue. Perhaps he preferred playing to officiating. Or perhaps no-one from Downing had realised that with him refereeing, they had only 9 outfield players, and as such were at an obvious disadvantage. Bracey, who had bought a whistle before the game and displayed the sort of foresight Downing were clearly lacking, was asked to referee. Downing forced their way back into the match shortly before half-time, scorer unknown, goal not really worthy of description. In the second period, Downing pressed hard for an equaliser, which arrived after a period of sustained pressure on Tom Lockyer's goal. The match remained locked at 2-2 until a breathless and non-sensical final act. The judicious Bracey was required in his playing capacity, so the whistle and jacket went to Homerton's full-back Bob. He was taken in by Phil Cleaves' thespianism and awarded Homerton a penalty, which Cleaves converted with ease. Three points in the bag then. Well it would have been, had Homerton not pushed the self-destruct button, or perhaps, fired the ejector seat only to realise they were sitting in it. Somebody handballed inside the box. Penalty given. Penalty converted. Final whistle blown.
Homerton (4-4-1-1): Lockyer, Hayes, Mitchell, Thomas, Dawson, Hunt, Tanner(c), Wilson, Bamber, Cleaves(y), Knowles(y). Trinity Hall III 1-4 Homerton III (SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER)The wounded troops from the central college founded by William Bateman, wont be rushing to play ‘adequate’ Homerton again. On a rainy day, Trinity Hall were submerged in the fluid like football of Homerton. Having just sunken down from the above division, Tit Hall were desperate to wave the white flag faster than you can say Stephen Eisenhammer; the central defender deservedly winning man of the match. Indeed the defence had its work to do but remained water tight in difficult conditions. They supervised the Tit Hall front line closer than their DoS! How Trinity Hall got their consolation remains beyond me! Flying tackles flew in and mud torn from the turf, staining the white of the Trinity Hall shirts. Physical was powerful and plentiful, with one exponent, No 8 Stacey, not Myles from a card in some 50:50’s! James Butterworth, neatly assisted by Greg Kuglitsch, scored the first goal. American import David Weigert raced away to net the second after being set up by midfield marvel Rob Dunmall. After scoring another himself, Greg Kuglitsch provided for David Weigert to put Homerton up by four goals to nil! Cosmopolitan was the composition of the team, and our valuable German player, Toby, bravely faced the storms to support us and put in a superb effort and performance as referee.
By Myles Stacey
After an unimpressive start including a home drubbing against Christs, Homerton stepped out to make sure the Stadium of Shite © a fortress once more. Again late team changes were enforced upon Skip Tanner and a patched Homerton took to the Arena. Had Matt Dawson’s posters worked magic? A capacity crowd was expected- unfortunately there were the usual 15! Price Reductions next time? Tanner adopted a 4-4-2 formation after the 4-5-1/4-3-3 had been unsuccessful against Christs and Homerton started well. Bamber’s endeavour down the left overlapped by Matty D brought much fruit down the left side. Homerton were on top, Wilson’s dynamic presence drove them on, Hunt got stuck in on the right and Tanner mopped up the pieces. Swampy made a good save punished by a painful groin. Then disaster struck, a bad ball (name!?) gave the ball away and Tit Hall broke down the left, their attack was left to run into the box and drilled the ball across to their unmarked winger on the far side who slotted away. However this was not Homerton of two weeks previous and the troops rallied. For the rest of the half they continued to dominate and the Tit Hall players breathed a sigh of relief when their begging resulted in the half time whistle. Half time brought no reprieve from the onslaught. Knowles bravely flicked a corner on (and was punished by a nasty blow to the head) and Wilson ‘bundled’ in (the goalkeeper that was) and the Homerton were level. The Homerton steam continued to boil and Knowles ran into the box, stumble over a challenge but didn’t go down- honest boy. He then had a stud on the leg for his pains. Then Tanner brought Williams on for Roberts and the continued harrying of the Tit Hall defence enabled him to break free down the right, drill in for Wilson, who played a scuffed shot to Knowles at the back post to bury. 2-1! More chances were in the game, Tit Hall scuffed one over, Bamber drilled at the keeper but the final whistle came and Homerton had 3 points. Ratings: Swampy- 8 – Commanding, good painful save, nothing could do with the goal. Thomas- 7 – Dealt with pretty much everything down the right Irene- 8 – Faultless apart from a challenge for their goal Rolfe- 8 – comfortable debut, slotted in well Dawson- 9 - Excellent attacking, competent in Defence. Shame got injured. Hunt – 8 – Much better game, good going forward down the right Wilson- 8 – unlucky to get booked. Was everywhere Bamber- 9- Awesome MOM, slotted in at left back and was a presence down the left all game Roberts- 7- worked hard, did well with ball to feet. Was a tough call who to take off. Knowles 9- Worked Tirelessly, capped with a goal and a few injuries! Williams- 7 – got stuck in, good demi-assist for second goal Dickie- 6 – struggled to make a real impact in time allowed.
By Ben Tanner
Comments on reports and ratings on messageboard On a crisp Sunday morning the mighty Homerton strolled out onto their home turf to meet the tough opposition of Clare. Homerton set the pace early on and soon after the start Bamber opened the scoring via a “dummy” from Cleaves. Homerton kept on pressing throughout the half with Swampy having to make his only save of the game half way through from a corner. After a number of successive corners Tony thumped in an awesome header to double the lead just before half time. Efforts from Tanner and Matty D also came close to adding to the lead. Homerton came out after half time and immedietly piled the pressure back on Clare and it was Tony again who scored the third with a pin-point 40 yard free kick into the top corner of the goal. After this it was all Homerton with the whole defensive line of Shaw, Bullmer, Russell and Mitchell playing superbly and Wilson and Tanner breaking up everything in midfield. Efforts again from Matty D, who hit the post, and Hunt came close but it was Cleaves who got the fourth with a well placed finish. Knowlesy came on in the last 10 only to miss a sitter and then Bamber scored a beautiful half volley that matched the free kick of Tony to seal the 5-0 victory.
Swampy – 8 – looked comfortable when called upon Shaw – 8 – solid performance at right back Bullmer – 8 – impressive return to the firsts Russell – 9 – rock in defence and two fantastic goals Mitchell – 8 – showed much endeavour from left back Hunt – 8 – provided great support from the right Tanner – 8 – tireless work as always, few good strikes as well Wilson – 8 – broke everything up in midfield superbly Matty D – 8 – great performance up front, unlucky not to score Cleaves – 7 – took goal well Knowles – 7 – missed a sitter (injured himself taking a penalty the day before!)
A plucky homerton 3rds side stepped out onto the clare college pitch looking to maintain their 100% record, making it 3 wins in 3. Even without the presence of big Dan Roberts, the team were confident of securing victory against Clare 3rds. The match started brilliantly with Paul running from our half and unleashing a ferocious shot which hit the underside of the bar and bounced out allowing Tom to tap in from 2 yards with little over 5 minutes gone. 10 minutes later, the pair linked up again with Paul skinning 2 players before hitting a beautiful diagonal through ball over the top of the Clare back four which Tom latched onto and buried into the top corner. Homerton maintained the pressure on the Clare defence with James running past three players only to be denied by the post while David found himself let loose behind the Clare back four, but he scuffed his shot allowing the Clare keeper to make the save. James eventually got the goal he deserved 10 minutes before half time, running from our half past two players before slotting the ball coolly past the Clare keeper. Bizarrely, the Clare linesman tried to claim offside but his ludicrous shouts were waved away by referee Tobias. The goalscorer then became provider, with James hitting a cross shot which the keeper fumbled allowing Tom to tap in the ball for his hatrick. With the Homerton up 4-0, the half time whistle couldn't come soon enough for Clare College - and unfortunately for them it didn't. Greg latched on to a David throw and turned his marker before burying the ball in the top corner before James latched onto a long ball over the top from Dunmall to knock in his second. Homerton went into half time with an emphatic lead and, amazingly, Clare had already made 5 substitutions despite only having 13 players in total with their ridiculous rolling substitution system letting their players have intermittent 10 minute breaks. Homerton started the second half in the same vein as the first, with last match's man of the match Stephen Eisenhammer grabbing a deserved goal tapping in a tobias corner. Lutz then produced a moment of magic taking the ball at the edge of the area and looping a shot over the goalkeeper into the top corner. Disaster then struck with Clare somehow managing to bundle in a goal. The Clare corner came in and was knocked in from one yard by one of the beer bellied Clare players. Homerton were noticeably down, mainly because this goal meant that all the defenders and midfielders who didn't get a goal or assist wouldn't get any fantasy football points. Homerton maintained the offensive though with Myles tapping in a Tobias cross, before Bob got in on the act of scoring, knocking in a tap in of his own off a Dunmall cross. Tobias then swung in a corner which took a minor deflection from a Clare defender past the Clare keeper to make it 11-1 before Stephen setup Tom McCabe, who smashed in Homerton's 12th of the match. In the dying moments of the match, after Stephen had been injured, Clare grabbed another goal but the game was undoubtedly an emphatic victory for the Homerton 3rds who now have a goal difference of +21. A great display from all 18 3d's players who all got a run out, and special mention goes to James Butterworth who was awarded man of the match.
On a chilly Sunday morning, Homerton made their way over to Grantchester Road to play Pembroke, who, with two wins and a draw from three games, looked to be tough opposition. After a 15 minute delay waiting for the referee to turn up, a Homerton team with four changes from the win over Clare started brightly. Having made a break down the left after Tanner’s lofted ball, Knowles' driven cross was handballed, giving Oz the chance to put Homerton ahead from the spot. Despite the referee making him retake it because he hadn't waited for the whistle, Oz tucked the ball away safely and Homerton took the lead 1-0. Five minutes later, however, it was all square. The ball made its way through to the Pembroke striker, who turned inside and then went down as if he had been shot. Penalty scored, 1-1. Instead of letting their heads drop, Homerton were spurred on by the harsh penalty decision, and soon after, they were ahead again. Tobias threw the ball in from the left, Tanner took a touch to control, one out of his feet then hit a rocket on the turn from the edge of the area which hit the crossbar and post before crossing the line. The score at half time meant that the game could have gone either way. With 10 minutes of the second half played, Homerton won a corner, which Tanner whipped to the far post, Mitchell drilled back across goal and Bamber finished with a Kanu-esque touch, backheeling it past the keeper. Pembroke pulled one back with a scrappy goal but Homerton kept their heads. Tobias played a searching ball from left to right across the Pembroke back line, which Sam latched on to and buried past the onrushing keeper. The scoring was wrapped up by Oz, who robbed the right back, rounded the keeper and somehow scored from the tightest of angles. A solid team performance by Homerton, who deserved their win. Dan, Mitchell and Oz were nominated for man of the match, Oz won for his two goals and all-round quality performance. Final Score: Homerton 5 vs 2 Pembroke Ratings: Swampy: 8 Solid when called upon Alwyn: 8 Kept their tricky left-winger at bay Rolfe: 8 One slip up, but a very solid performance Tobias: 8 Skilful and strong, superb pass to Sam Sam: 8 Well taken goal Tanner: 8 Energetic, great finish for his goal Bamber: 8 Managed to get another goal, great performance Oz: 9 Man of the Match, some great touches and two well-taken goals Dan: 8 Worked hard all day, deserved to get on the scoresheet Knowles: 8 Won the penalty, hard work for 70 minutes
Subs: Liam: 7 Came on and looked lively Bracey: 7 Worked hard for last 10
Match Report by Alex Mitchell
Sunday 19th November On a clear, fresh day, HCFC were forced to change locations for this crucial game in the league due to vandalism of the real theatre of dreams. It has been said that Homerton are one of the best travelling teams in Cambridge, but as the whistle went, the first 45 minutes tested them all over the pitch. With Jesus I’s having a free day, it wasn’t suprising to see some of their fringe players representing, although it did take them twenty minutes after the proposed kick off tim to actually show up. A slow start from the midfield meant pressure was on HCFC’s defence far too much with only occasional breaks relieving this pressure for brief spells. Wilson, Roberts, Bamber and Oracz all had chances in the first half but none of these could be considered as clear cut. The sun was at eye level and relentlessely unclouded every second of the first half which meant any ariel balls, and even a few low balls went into the back four and Swampy blind. Mitchell, Bulmer, Irene and Thomas played a deep line to counter the sun, which meant there was more space for the Jesus showboaters to attempt to play their game. From time to time they did exploit this space but they ran into a wall at the back, Irene cleaning up a good percentage of the ariel balls with Bulmer looking particlarly menacing, with any ball or player who got close to the 18-yard line swiftly dealt with. Swampy looks more reassured as a Keeper every game he plays, and with the handful of long range efforts he took cleanly every time. Even when Homerton’s right hand sides concentration slipped just the once, Swampy was there at the strikers feet before he could swing through. The second half brought Homerton back into the game across the pitch with the lack of the sun, and they began at times to play the football they can play. Bamber, who arguably so far is the firsts player of the season began to look dangerous linking with Mitchell and Oracz down the left, and the introduction of Knowles on the right started created problems for Jesus and changes began to fall. Bamber had a chance from two yards out, and somehow was done by the pitch after Knowles skined his man and pinged it on from the right wing. Roberts and Oracz both had a couple of chances and the pressure was beginning to swing. It seemed as this wouldn’t be Homertons day as Bulmer got involved and struck the post from a Tanner corner. The Jesus contingent did begin to regroup, and Bulmer was soon called upon at the back after some sloppy passing in the HCFC midfield, as the game went on though, the defence marshalled itself and Mitchell and Shaw looked particularly comfortable at either full back. In the 76th minute, Homertons balance of the scales told as they took a well deserved lead. After settting up a sold defence Bulmer began to carry his pressence upfield, and after his earlier chance the Jesus (by the way bit of a big time name) defence were scared of his presence. So when a free kick ten yeards from the right hand side corner came up, they showed him to much respect and space. Tanner caressingly rolled the ball into Bulmers path, and from 20-yards out he drove the ball home just inside the post and past the despairing dive of the Jesus keeper. Despite a possibly strong penalty shout in the dying seconds, Jesus were out of the game. Although he claims it was a professional foul, and he won the ball first, the referee might have owed Bulmer one after he booked him earlier on. At this point, it is fair to say the referee was shit (as pointed out by a member of the HCFC defence) and although he seemed to wear a red shirt for most of the game, he was shit equally to both sides. A dirty game at points, but physical all the way through, Homerton rose from being footballing boys to hard fighting men, this was by no means their most exquisite victory of the season but it was grafted for. Man of the Match Matt Bulmer, showed this from the back taking no prisnoners, creating as well as holding firm, and that golden boot came good to ensure the three points to lift HCFC to TOP OF THE LEAGUE!
Swampy – 8, clean sheet what more can you ask for, except for maybe better kicking Mitchell – 8, Slow start but soon showed his first team potential with solid defence and good attacking passing up the wing. Irene – 7, Strong in the air and vocally very good. Bulmer – 8, Physically involved throughout, set example from the back and looked dangerous going forward and proved that with a goal to contend with goal of the month. Should have given a penalty away in the last minute. Thomas – 7, Steady all through the first half, and hugged the line well. Bamber – 7, Not his most influencial game of the season but usual excellent work rate. Missed a sitter. Tanner – 7, Spent more time slagging off the ref than getting stuck in, but did claim an assist. Wilson – 8, Although a little lost in the first half, made the keeper open his eyes and hir some big, big tackles, which I like. Hunt – 6, Not too sure he is happy on the right.. Roberts – 7, In the last half an hour really worked hard playing midfield and striker. Looked a handful throughout. Oracz – 7 Can’t take a free kick, but his ability on the ball always made him dangerous. Shaw – 8, One half and, no mistakes with some solid defence and if him and Knowlsey are an item I wouldn’t be suprised looked like soulmates up the right. Knowles – 8, Should of bagged an assist, and turned the game around when he came on.
CUAFC Vase 1st Round: Homerton IIIs 3 – 1 Trinity Bruces Having started impressively in the league, Homerton IIIs were looking to take their unbeaten form into the 1st Round of the Vase. Being pitted against one of the top teams from rivals Division 7 North (even if they have a stupid name) gave this match an edge of two serious promotion candidates. Starting with a near full strength side, Dunmalls Barmy Army immediately stepped up the pace and took the game to Trinity. The first 20 minutes belonged to the home side, who applied great pressure, notably Dunmall and Trahearn controlling centre mid and pulling the strings of the side. Yet for all their pressure the Thirds could not find a goal at the Stadium of Shite ®. As the Bruces started to use their pace, Homerton looked to exploit the frailties in their opponents back line, and when Butterworth took a tumble in the box, Referee Tanner made no hesitation for pointing to the spot. Despite the arguments of Goalkeeping Debutant Tom Knowles in goal, an unlikely penalty hero stepped up to grab the lead with ten minutes to half time, with Roberts stepping up to slot the ball home despite the despairing dive of Trinity’s Keeper. A 1-0 half time lead was fully deserved, and Homerton looked to build on this after the break. However, a moment of hesitation let Trinity back into the game, when keeper Knowles feels he should have claimed the ball earlier allowed the ball to bounce, before it arguably was headed out of his hands and tapped in by an on-rushing Trinity striker. 1-1. But like all great Homerton sides, the Thirds battled back into the game and took a scrambled goal scored by (????) from a corner. It was no less than they deserved. With Trahearn having to leave the pitch with a knock, Homerton lost their MOM star. Replaced by Nobbs, this meant Miles could move into centre mid with Dunmall, and a good display by him (starting at left back) was capped off by a stunning free kick with 3 minutes to play. Despite pressure, the Thirds closed the game out and will advance to the next round.
Ratings: Knowles – Great debut in goal, should have kept a clean sheet but made some great saves and was vocal for his back line and the side (8) Lutz – Another solid performance from our German imported right back. Gets himself into great positions to block shots (7) Dan ‘Porky’ Roberts – A vocal and commanding performance and scored a penalty to boot. (8) Eisen – A truly magnificent game of football, how this man makes slide challenges without fouling is a mystery! (9) Miles – A solid game at left back, and moved into centre mid and scored an outrageous free kick (8) Suter – A truly workman like game down the right wing. Gets up and down that line all game long (7) Dunamll (C) – A captains performance from Robin, got stuck in and ran the game from midfield (8) Trahearn – MOM. Back to his best, this was a performance that reminded everyone what a good player this guy is (9) Butterworth – Another superb game from our left wing fresher. Skipped past people like there was not tomorrow and won a great penalty (8) Kuglitsch – A good game up front, full of his trademark twists and turns and should have scored (7) Weigurt – A fine performance up front, full of pace and energy. Worked hard for the team (7)
Subs: Nobbs – Came in at unfamiliar left back and was solid and even got forward to help the attack at stages (7) Brandt – Came on and helped close the game out, and almost scored with one effort at the end (7)
St Johns 1 Homerton 7 by Andy Wilson As the football season restarted after the Christmas break Homerton FC had to make the long journey across Cambridge to play a struggling St Johns seconds team looking for their first win of the season. Homerton fielded a strong team and proved that we have more strength and depth than Chelsea by filling out our gaps at centre back well. Homerton dominated the first half with a barrage of pressure on the St Johns defence and found a break through from the spot after a dubious challenge from their goalkeeper. Oz strolled up to the ball with a look of nonchalance on his face and sent the keeper the wrong way. 1-0 Homerton. Not long after Oz turned scorer again with a shot from 20 yards which the despairing keeper could only tip into his net. As half time struck Homerton were in their element playing the sort of football Mr Mourinho could only dream of.
St Johns found an unlikely goal at the beginning of the second half, but this was quickly answered by Roberts (W) who stabbed home from short range. This was then added to by Oz who got his first hat trick of the season with a stylish finish. The stage was then set for something special and it was none other than midfield dynamo Wilson who got on the end of a delicious free kick from Bamber. The 15 yard first time volley into the top corner really put the pressure on the rest of the team to match this in the Homerton goal of the season contest – it will take some beating. Roberts (W), who had dominated the oppositions back four all game found another two to complete not only his hat trick but also the rout of a shell shocked St Johns team. So Homerton bounce back to the top of the table and look strong. It’ll take something big to stop this team with strength all over the field and probably the best looking central midfielder in Cambridge. Swampy 7 – not a lot to do for big parts of the game Shaw 8 – added strength down the right hand side, some dubious shots Hunt 9 – man of the match, played out of position to a very high standard, was solid Thomas 7 – deputised well at centre back and looked strong Rolfe 7 – dealt well with everything down the left Oz 9 – a great performance, grabbing a hat trick and looking troublesome at all times Tanner 7 - troubled by an injury but put in a hard working captains performance Bamber 8 – looked as lively as ever down the left wing and in the middle of the park Knowles 7 – not his most influential game but great work rate Roberts (W) 9 – his best game of the season and three true strikers goals Subs: Williams 7 – looked sharp and put in some good challenges Butterworth 7 – worked hard down the right Eisenhammer 7 – didn’t get long but no mistakes at left back
Clare Hall v Homerton III by G Simkins After having blitzed through the league all season long, Homerton faced their toughest opposition yet in the form of Clare Hall 1st team, a match dubbed by many as ‘The most important game in footballing history’. Homerton started the better, to the delight of the fans who had braved the long journey to support their home team. They almost took the lead after only two minutes, when the two Greg’s combined upfront, resulting in a 20 yard strike from Simkins slamming against the upright. Dunmall and Trehearn were impervious in midfield; both halting the few Clare Hall attacks and acting as the catalyst for any Homerton attack. With 10 minutes played, Butterworth, (who a leading pundit later described as the answer to England’s left wing problem) beat his man down the left before sending the ball over the heads of the hapless centre-backs. Simkins collected the bouncing ball with three defenders around him, before lifting it over the head of the onrushing keeper and watching it nestle in the back of the net, a goal which Homerton fully deserved. Several frantic minutes later the lead was doubled; courtesy of another Simkins goal. Tom Sutter used his pace to get free of his man down the wing, before delivering a dangerous ball to the near post. Greg Kuglitsch initially saw his volley parried by the keeper, before Simkins bundled it home to scenes of mass euphoria. Not content with two, Homerton piled forward relentlessly; a flowing move involving Butterworth and Trehearn culminated in Dunmall shooting from 20 yards. The ball looked goal bound all the way, until the uninspiring Clare Hall keeper produced a good one handed save to tip the ball over the bar. Despite a number of dubious decisions from their referee Homerton still maintained the impetus, coming close again minutes later, when Kuglitsch was unlucky to see his half-volley soar wide following a Simkins through ball. It is a testament to the Homerton defence that Clare Hall had so few opportunities in the first half. However, with 15 minutes remaining until half-time, a moment of magic from the Clare Hall left-winger saw them halve the deficit. A mazy run saw him burst into our box, before he found the corner of the net well. Minutes later, Homerton were forced into making an unplanned substitution when Kuglitsch was quite literally kicked in the balls by the uncompromising Clare Hall centre back. Amar came on to replace the injured striker and barring a few Butterworth long-shots, this proved to be the last major action of the first half. Due to his rowing commitments, Sutter was replaced at Half time by Tobias, the second of three substitutions available to Homerton. During the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, Homerton were stuck on the back foot as Clare Hall began to show why they had also trounced their way through this division. Thanks to a display of strength and commitment from the Homerton defenders (in particularly Benji, Lutz and Chris Peirce), Homerton were able to repel the onslaught, aided by Littlewood’s willingness to sprint off his line and act as the sweeper. Homerton were strangely subdued in attack, although Butterworth was all over the Clare Hall right back and Tobias’ pace was worrying their huge Russian left back. Sadly, Homerton eventually capitulated to the incessant pressure from the Clare Hall strikers, a long ball allowed their striker to beat the offside trap and take the ball round the unfortunate Littlewood before slotting it into an empty net. After an impressive performance at left-back, Nobbs fell victim to violent excruciating cramp and Dunmall was forced to make his third and final change, replacing the injured left-back with the cult figure of Dan Roberts, much to the adulation of the travelling support. This seemed to spur Homerton onwards and they regained the drive that had made them so superior in the first half. Both Simkins and Butterworth were unlucky to see long range efforts go wide, before Peirce was unfortunate to miss the target from 25 yards. As Simkins saw a free-kick tipped over and Amar a close range effort well saved, it was clearly only a matter of time before Homerton regained the lead. Ten minutes from time, a clever short free kick from Tobias provided Simkins with a shooting opportunity. His low shot flashed across goal into the foot of the post, but unlike in the first half, the rebound fell kindly for Amar, who coolly slotted the ball under the diving body of the Clare Hall goalkeeper. Seconds later, Clare Hall signalled their renewed intent to pick up something from the game, with another long ball being spooned wide when through on goal by the imposing figure of their Russian midfielder. To the disappointment of thousands of fans watching the game on television, Homerton were unable to hang on to their slender advantage. Despite a Gordon Banks-esque save from Littlewood, Clare Hall restored parity with five minutes remaining, bundling the ball home from close range. Neither side were content with a draw, and in an unprecedented attacking move, Dan Roberts installed himself as a third striker and almost immediately made a dramatic impact, playing the ball across goal from a corner to Butterworth who was extremely unlucky to find his shot blocked on the line and then scrambled for another corner. Both sides had plenty of chances to win it, yet it was Homerton who nearly had the best of them, when the Clare Hall goalkeeper ensured that Trehearn was on the receiving end of his second rugby tackle in two weeks. However, as the referee had already given a free kick on the edge of the area, he was forced to rescind his initial award of a penalty. Amar’s free-kick was blocked by the wall, before Littlewood made another vital save to ensure Homerton took at least a point away, as the match bordered upon becoming a riot in the final few minutes. The peace loving Tobias was riled by the opposition, while Lutz showed his anger through a series of aggressive tackles and even more aggressive shouting. Although Homerton lost their 100% record, taking away a point from a Graduate College 1st team was no mean feat and the team now wait anxiously on Clare Hall’s final two matches of the season. Our next game is against the whining bastards that some call ‘Queens III’s’, led by the infamous ‘Tof’.
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