Match Reports
17/02/07
Herne Bay 2's 2-4 Men's 3rd XI
Scorers: Begs (3 - again!), Tosh (1 - wonder goal)
Herne Bay is located on the North Kent Coast just 8 miles north of the historic City of Canterbury. The town looks out on the North Sea and on clear days the Isle of Sheppy and Southend can be seen on the horizon. Also on the horizon are the now abandoned Army and Navy Sea Defenses built to defend London from sea attack during the war.
The 1980's took their toll on the area with the main shopping centre resembling a ghost town with many shops standing empty and the sea front having seen better days. In the early 90's however, things began to look up for the town with a multi-million pound investment to improve the sea front.
This is what the Herne Bay tourist office has to say about it’s lovely little town. Unfortunately due to schedule that almost had the precision of a BMF training session (according to Thompo) we didn’t get to do any sightseeing this year. But for a day that could have easily resemble a pensioners coach trip a good day was had for the away team.
Needless to say after an hour and a half’s traveling you wouldn’t have blamed us for feeling a touch lethargic. This however was not the case and after Prucey, Hehir and Tosh had finished warming up their lungs, and Beglin had applied the chemical warm up, the real warm up started. The team were rearing to go and the Captain’s team talk obviously inspired confidence in this, what should have been on paper, a weakened 3’s side.
Brighton started as expected for a team with some new blood, getting the feel off each other. But the away team gelled and very quickly threatened the Herne Bay defense in what was going to be a fast paced end to end game. The defense were working hard and the home team where struggling to penetrate, but after a poor sixteen yard hit that only made it as far as the home team’s forward (he kindly thanked us after the game - Ed) we where a goal down after ten minutes.
From then on there were very few defensive errors and the forwards continued to press the opposition’s defense finding plenty of holes but lacking that final killer pass. After two unconverted short corners the end of the half was drawing nigh and it looked as if we’d be going into the second half a goal down. Finally, great short accurate passing from Scopes, Mullens, Bondy, Prucey and Beglin resulted in Tosh having a bit of space on the top left of the ‘D’ with only two defenders to beat. Duncun had made a heroic effort to get to the back post and Bondy was backing up in the centre. However, Tosh took a shot to nothing that, had it not lobbed the keeper and found the back of the net, would have surely dropped for Bondy or Duncun to hit home. One all, just as the half time whistle blew.
The half time team talk called for more of the same but unfortunately it was Herne Bay who found the back of the net again to take the lead. Thankfully, Prucey, Bondy and Beglin decided this was going to be short lived and within less than a minute of re-starting Beglin had found the net (a lesson to us all to concentrate after scoring). The game continued to be fast and hard but with students, Scopes and Freshy, along with Fox Mullens finding great space and channels down the wings the opposition were struggling in midfield. With all the backs doing a tremendous job picking up their men Herne Bay where becoming frustrated and their toys were leaving their prams - where’s the Hand Bag when you need it? (oops - wrong team). The next goal to follow was without doubt the move of the match. In a great three pass set up that Scopes collected from the preceding sixteen, he then found Tosh in space down the right flank who then found a pin point cross to the back post which the opposition’s defenders kindly left alone for Beglin to clinically slot in behind the keeper as he so regularly does (Wappy couldn’t have demonstrated this goal any better in his training sessions - no matter how many times he hits the astro with his stick to create a lump of sand “player”). Was Beglin going to be stuck with jug avoidance? Time would tell. The Brighton defense continued to soak up Herne Bay pressure without incident, well almost! Legendary goal keeper Hehir who had done amazingly to keep us in the first half decided to randomly chase a Herne Bay attacker around his ‘D’ with no other explanation other than he had the ball. Thankfully, somehow, Hehir got away with his antics and no harm was done. With around five minutes to go and some exotic umpiring the game seemed to be sealed but Beglin again found the net to claim his hat-trick and the game. After some very cold showers (school budgets must have been cut again) and a warp speed journey home by Hehir a good pensioners’ day out was had by all. Final score 4-2 - a nice win!
SB (T)