SURREY SENIOR CUP FINAL
Att: 1100
WOKING – 2 [Foyweya 25. Ferguson 75]
SUTTON UNITED – 1 [Nurse 60]
Played @ Imber Court, Met Police FC
Having been seriously up for this game, it’s postponement on the Tuesday was a real downer. Then waiting 48 hours to see if the weather would hold off or not was a real pain in the arse. Everyone was looking forward to seeing just how far we’d come as a side. And also to see how we would fare against full-time oppo.
Having had that original game called off had also screwed up most of our plans with regards to time off or even seeing the game at all. Windy & Greek both have to work and make a dash to Thames Ditton much later than they’d like. Dave can’t make it all as he can’t get time off. I have to rely on the less than reliable SouthWest trains to get me there.
Thankfully, everything runs smoothly. And by 6, Windy, Greek, Myself, Oscar & Chalmers are safely in a pub playing Bar Billiards. And with ample transport, getting to the ground wouldn’t be a problem either!
Expecting a largish crowd, everyone rolls up at the ground disgracefully early. The side is announced by a very doddery sounding old bloke, who fails to get most of our players names wrong. But we manage to decipher his dour ramblings & work out that our line up remains unchanged from last saturdays tonking of Basingstok.
We gather behind the goal and a few yellow balloons are tied up to the perimeter fence to give the place a bit of colour. Greek is in a slightly mischievieous mood and borrows some of Gareth’s water, putting some into a balloon before tying it to the fence.
“Someone’s getting wet!” he sniggers.
Very childish Mr Greek bloke. Funny, but very very childish….
Unfortunately, our guess of which end the U’s would be shooting towards is wrong & we have to battle our way down the very narrow side terracing to get to the far end. As we wind our way round, we get an exaple of how well our oppo have done their homework. A ball down the left touch-line is aimed at Nurse. It gets a touch from a Woking player before it gets to him and looks to be running out of play. JN looks to see it out of play, but without having even touched the ball, he’s rather crudely clattered from behind.
The ref instantly gives an indication of his level of bottle by simply giving a finger wagging warning to the assailant. Yeah, cheers mate. Very strong willed. Twat.
We finally take our place behind the goal and get the flag up, before settling in to watch the game.
Sutton start brightly and on 9 minutes, Bailey plays a ball across the edge of the 18 yard box. It evades the attention of two defenders & runs onto Gray on the far side. Probably a bit surprised that the ball has got that far, he drives his shot well wide.
On 15 minutes, Gray swings a first time ball into the box from deep on the right, picking out Nurse on the 18 yard line, but his powering header lands just the wrong side of the near post. A couple of minutes later a deep free-kick from the right isn’t convincingly dealt with and falls to Jinadu just inside the area. His hooked effort is blocked and Nurse’s shot from the rebound is across goal & wide.
Woking finally feature at the far end on 22 minutes. A free-kick from our right is cut out at the near post, with Honey nipping in to clear the danger.
Barely a couple of minutes later, a Sutton raid forwards breaks down on the edge of the box. A quick ball is swept down the U’s left flank. With Akuamouah out of position upfield it allows the attacker a free run at Jinadu. The Woking man outpaces the big defender and pulls the ball across the box from the byeline finding Amos Foweya all alone at the back post & he has the simple task of sidefooting home.
Bugger. Not really done much have they?
The U’s get their heads down and set about trying to get the goal back. Their response is swift and soon after going behind Bailey is running onto a ball down the right. He puts the cross into the box, but Bayes in the Woking goal manages to cnatch the ball just ahead of Nurse arriving in the centre.
Our best chance comes late in the half. A corner is won and swung in from the left. Again, the Woking defence doesn’t deal with a set piece very convincingly and the ball drops on the edge of the box where Matt Gray is loitering. He connects with a blistering volley that Bayes doesn’t see until it’s smashed off the underside of his crossbar. The rebound falls to Matt Fowler, but under pressure, he hooks the shot over the bar with Bayes still a little unsteady.
With time running out before the break, the ref who has already failed to endear himself to the U’s faithful behind the goal then really upsets us. A deep free-kick is swung into the box and again the defence fails to clear their lines. The ball gets nodded out to the opposite corner of the box where a defender can be clearly seen to control the ball with his hand. Of course, everyone sees this and everyone appeals. Loudly.
But Mr Melin decides this is perfectly ok and ignores all protests.
Please feel free to use your own obscenity to describe this gentlemen. We’ve opted for ‘Fuckwit’.
So, despite being 1 down at the break, we still cheer the lads off. We’ll get it back……..
One spiderman act later in getting the flag up again and it’s time for the action to restart. The U’s again start brightly and look to take the game to the oppo. Our first chance of the half falls to Fowler. Nurse chases down a ball on the left & gets a cross into the box. It runs to Matty on the 18 yard line, he controls, turns & whips a shot just wide of the left upright with Bayes a little stranded.
Woking take a shoert while to respond but on 56 minutes, another lightning raid down the left catches us out. The end result is another low ball into the box, but fortunately there’s no one i nred & white lurking to apply the killer touch.
We keep plugging away and a few minutes later, we finally get our just reward with a lovely bit of play. A neat exchange in the centre ends with a ball being swept out left. Boosey chases down and swings a deep ball towards the box, finding Fowler out on the far corner of the 18 yard box. He drops inside, exchanges passes with Honey on the edge of the box before sliding a lovely pass into the path of Nurse who gleefully smashes the ball under Bayes to level the scores and send us lot behind the goal a bit potty.
The goal undoubtedly lifts the lads and they set about trying to get their noses in front. But it’s a frustrating task. Boosey is making those runs we’re starting to become accustomed to from midfield, but unfortunately, the defence doesn’t back off like he’s used to, they’re stepping up to meet him and it’s denying him the space he’s used to. One great run ends with a fierce drive being blocked and the rebound falling to Fowler, only to see his effort charged down as well.
Nurse heads a right sided free-kick over the bar when well placed on 67 minutes & Boosey makes a good charge from deep before cutting in. But again denied that little bit of time, he drags his shot wide on 74 minutes.
Around this time, a Woking man goes in for a challenge with Paul Honey on the right touchline. Their man comes off worse and is left prostrate on the turf. There then follows a lengthy stoppage as he’s treated before being stretchered away. The 5 minute lull sees the end of our little purple patch as it gives the full-timers chance to get their breath back and re-organise.
This fact is shown just a few minutes later when the U’s conceded possession midway inside the Woking half. Quickly a direct diagonal ball out to the left finds Foweya. He uses his pace to take him past a slightly exposed Jinadu before pulling the ball back across the box to the near post where Ferguson slides in with Palmer but tucks the ball past Iga for 2-1.
Bollocks.
2 bloody shots, 2 bloody goals. Just sodding typical!
Again the lads try to step up, but you just get a feeling that now they’re back in front and having had thier little ‘scare’, you don’t think they’re going to let it slip again.
Another flying raid down our left again exposes our lack of pace down that side. The ball is once more pulled back across the box, but the shot from the edge of the box is well held by Iga at the foot of his near post.
With things looking bleak and time running out fast, Nursey decides to see if he can rescue something. Picking up the ball out on the right he makes a charge for goal and for once, the defence backs off conceeding ground. But his blistering drive from the corner of the box whizzes a shade wide of the far post.
Woking look to finish us off before the end and it’s only thanks to Mr Iga that the scoreline retains it’s realistic look. A free-kick from our left picks out Foweya about 5 yards out in the centre of goal, but Big Andy makes a brilliant reaction save from his bullet header, somehow shovelling the ball over the bar too boot!
Sutton keep battling, but the tired legs are starting to show and chances are becoming harder & harder to fashion. But with the 5 minutes of injury time almost up, a chance drops to Paul Honey 15 yards out after a cross from the right, but he can’t quite keep the shot down and Bayes snatches it out of the air right under the bar.
Rats cocks. Times two.
Soon after, the ref brings proceedings to a close and those big nasty horrible full time Conference boys have nicked our cup. Bastards.
Flippin’ big bullies.
We deservedly give the lads a standing ovation from their efforts tonight before they go and collect their medals. Before again recieving another ovation. Andy Iga makes a point of coming over and shaking hands with many of the supporters before we finally head off into the night to drown our sorrows back at the Hood.
Right, when do we start again?
MAN OF THE MATCH : Ryan Palmer. Superbly composed performance at the back.
ENTERTAINMENT : 8. A very entertaining 90 minutes. Not bad for a fiver.
TEAM : Iga, Gray, Palmer, Jinadu, Quinton, Akuamouah, Honey, Bailey, Boosey, Fowler, J.Nurse
SUBS : Cole-Bolt, C.Nurse, Hanlan,
THE REFEREE………was shite. Missed the handball in the first half and generally spent most of the 90 minutes driving us insane with petty fucking stupid free-kicks. The fact that this guy has been promoted to the Football Lleague list for next season is embarrassing.