13 - Lucky for some!

MATCH REPORT BY DOMINIC WHITAKER

The first game of the new season for Old Boys saw the lads together for their first competitive game since the play-off final defeat last season to Century21.

There was a new addition to the squad, being the ‘summer signing’ of Bryan Hydes from division one side, Burger King.

Following a new kit deal with Adidas, who take over from Nike, Old Boys were sporting their (soon to be famous) black ‘home’ kit, and looked every bit the part… the mere sight of their ninja-like strip was enough to make the opponents, ‘Brickhouse’, start bricking it.

The first half kicked off, and there was a solid, if slightly nervous, start by OBs… possibly missing a touch of match fitness, and suffering from some schoolboy-like first day nerves. Indeed it took a good 10mins to open the scoring, ‘Big’ Des Chisholm netting a nice goal, and in doing so equalled his tally for the entirety of last season.

OB’s second came from defender-come-striker, Dom Whitaker, who scored in a now somewhat predictable fashion with a run down the left out of defence, with the shot beating the keeper all ends up. You can never keep a good man down, and ‘Captain fantastic’ Dan Cummings got in on the action with a rocket from his right boot. The ‘Buddha’ made it’s first appearance of the season, and no doubt not the last, as last season’s OBs top goal scorer opened his account.

OBs had now finally found their scoring boots, and maybe Brickhouse let their heads drop, as the fourth goal crossed the line… Jess ‘Shaky’ Shakespeare’s strike had just enough on it to beat the keeper. The dubious goals committee were convened, but it was adjudged that Jess’s left boot will be given the goal.  The team were having fun now, and Jess, sparked into action by his recent goal, was playing like a man possessed. Taking a nice pass from Joe Chiazza, Shaky picked the ball up just inside the opponent’s half and took it swiftly down the right… as the bench yelled “use your right!” Jess looked mournfully at his right foot and remembered it was only for standing on… he looked up and saw that Joe had continued his run and played a perfectly weighted ball into his path. Joe then unleashed what can only be described as an Exercet missile of a shot in to the top of the goal... “light the blue touch-paper and stand well back”. The keeper was, shall we say, slow to react, as the ball had already bounced back out of the goal before he even put his hands up. A contender for goal of the season in the very first game?

Stevie G continued his role as a goal-scoring midfielder and slotted the ball past the keeper for OB’s fifth, from it’s fifth different scorer. Rounding out a fluent half, Des ‘Goal machine’ Chisolm notched up a brace, as OBs went into the break 7-0 to the good.

With Wayne still very much a bystander, the second half got underway, and Dan grabbed another goal. Brickhouse, in all fairness to them, continued to push, but this was maybe not the most sensible thing they could have done. Stevie G also grabbed his second of the night. Last year’s third top goal scorer already well up to speed.

With the crowd cheering for ten, OBs happily obliged. Left-back Dom intercepted a pass, and chased the ball up the field, skipping down the right, just past the bench. Turning his body to take the shot on his left (we all knew that was going to happen!), Dom slotted the ball in at the front post. The word from the bench… “there’s no substitute for pace”.

But OBs weren’t finished yet. Chris Silvester weaved his way into a great position, and took the tally to 11 with a smart finish; a new record goal tally for OBs.

It was now the turn of the new boy. If Bryan had not already got himself noticed with his fine passes and intelligent play, he certainly did with his goal, a debut bullet past a now woeful keeper, making him the eighth scorer on a fine night.

With OBs revelling in the goal fest, and Brickhouse pushing forward regardless, a quick lapse in concentration left Ray with a 2-on-1, which is OK, as I hear Ray is quite into that. Anyway, two players ran forward for the opposition, with a quick shimmy, the Brickhouse attacker with the ball bought himself a half-yard of space and sent a hard shot low to the far corner… the bench took a collective sharp intake of breath as they watched the ball beaming towards goal… although Wayne ‘The Cat’ Sives had been a virtual spectator for much of the game, he went down faster than a cheap hooker who’d been hit in the stomach by a big guy with sores on his hand… and palmed away what would have been a certain goal. Cracking save.

But the fun was not over yet… Dan ‘MVP’ Cummings had a hat-trick on his mind…. He produced a calm finish to complete the set… three goals being ample return for his approximately 47 shots on goal!

Overall, a very nice and accomplished performance from the whole team. There were eight different goal scorers, and 13 goals. I think the message has been sent to the rest of the division, and that message is very simple… Old Boys are here, and we mean business.