OB through to QF

MATCH REPORT BY STEVE ROUGHEAD

Tuesday night saw the Old Boys find the missing ingredient to their play that had been lacking from the previous weeks when they took on Deloitte in the 1st round of the play offs.That missing ingredient being "fun". Yes, although this was potentially a tricky fixture the OBs seemed to approach this game in a different manner from the outset, with the gaffer emphasizing the need to go out and enjoy the game and have fun, during his pre match pep talk.

With the play off section of the competition requiring players to have taken part in 7 games or more during the league phase, the OBs had to make do without the like's of Steve Gaffing, Des Chisholm, Tim Ludford and Kenneth Ademekwe. Also unavailable on the night were Darren Stainrod, Ray Rogers and Chris Sylvester, leaving only 9 players available for this game.

The OBs made their intentions clear from the start when Sives, Comins, Whitaker, Ord, Chiazza and Cummings took to the field for the kick off, a meaner looking bunch you wouldn't like to meet. With strength and pace at the back, guile and steel in midfield and sheer power up front, the odds didn't look good for Deloitte. It was the pace of young Whitaker at the back that gave the Obs the lead, a typical surging run took him past two Deloitte players that opened up the chance to shoot, not being one to waste an opportunity to have a go, Whitaker’s left foot unleashed a rasping low drive into the bottom right hand corner of the Deloitte goal, the manner in which the goal was celebrated with high fives and back slapping, only went to underline the fun aspect that the OBs had introduced to their game.

After having to come from behind in previous games it was expected that the OBs would grow in stature having taken the lead, but disaster struck when keeper Sives and "Garrincha" Comins contrived to make a mess of some sloppy play between each other, when a harmless looking back pass managed to roll under Sives's foot while attempting to trap the ball, and over the line, once again instead of a verbal backlash as would have occurred in the past, I’m sure I saw smiles of amazement among the OB players at the shear comedy of the situation. Upon the re start the OBs went about restoring their lead in no uncertain fashion, with wave upon wave of attempts reigning down on the Deloitte goal, none more involved than the "gaffer" himself, unfortunately many of his shots ended up high or wide of the mark, the gun was loaded but the sights were off. Deloitte were glad to hear the half time whistle so that they could re group from the onslaught, 1-1.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with the OBs much in the ascendancy but still unable to convert one of their numerous chances. Cometh the hour cometh the man, and that man being Joe "the prince" Chiazza who showed the rest of his team mates the way with a dynamic powerhouse effort to give the OBs a well deserved lead, ( "the prince" tag being bestowed upon him for his later reintroduction to the game with a Naseem esq back flip and tucked roll onto the pitch, all be it unintentional, but surely worth an end of season award)

Back to the action of the game, the OBs were now in full flow as the activity around the Deloitte goal increased, at one stage several players were involved in a shooting frenzy as shot upon shot fired in, to the chants of "ole" from the OBs bench. The 'gaffer finally got onto the score sheet with a virtual tap in after some beaverish work by Matt "the wax" Gardner, who unnerved the Deloitte keeper on his own goal line, and being unable to score himself for being inside the goal area, played the ball back to the "gaffer" who gratefully stroked the ball into the unattended goal, proving the old adage "you don't have to take a sledge hammer to crack a walnut," 3 1 OBs. The game was well and truly there for the taking and the OBs sensed this, as what little resistance offered by Deloitte was snuffed out at the onset and none more so than by "inky" Ord, who put a few lung bursting shifts in during the night with his up and at em attitude.

A fourth goal looked inevitable and Jess "Baby Daddy" Shakespeare, who has had little trouble scoring of late, produced his now trademark left foot screamer to settle the tie once and for all. There was just enough time for "Ronaldo" Roughead to perform his step over routine, the difference being that Roughead's version looked like he had got chewing gum stuck to the bottom of his boots and by the time he'd made himself unstuck the ball was well and truly gone. The final minute saw Deloitte score a meaningless second while the OBs were making a late substitution, and so it ended OBs 4 Deloitte 2. And the fun was well and truly back in football.