THE BOSS IS COMING
WHEATSHEAF HEATHERSIDE FC
   Established 2000     

Sunninghill Carpenters 2 (0) vs 5 (1) Wheatsheaf Youth FC

Roarty 3
Laidler 1
Johnson 1

The youth team played their 4^th game in the Consolation Shield against the best opposition they had faced all season (on paper).  The Carpenters were riding high after finishing 3^rd in The Premier League, and had come off the back of a 3-2 victory over Spelthorne who had won Division 1.  It would be an interesting encounter and a hard fought game for both sides based on form and results. 

The team just about made it in time for kick off, with Robbie Harkness and Julian Sills returning from trips abroad to take the field.  Jules slotted back into his centre midfield role with Robbie returning to left back.  Reevo and Ryan started in the centre of defence, and Mike Stone was pushed out to the right wing.  Elsewhere Babs started up front with Terry.  The bench comprised Liam, Jordan and Nick which provided manager Tim Hughes with plenty of options.

In the build up to the game the opposition mentioned they would have preferred an opponent with slightly more quality, would he live to regret this over confidence?

The game started with Ric Jackson having won the toss and electing to play with the sun, but against the slope in the pitch.  The Carpenters Arms seemed to view the game as a matter of when they would score and not if, and so were shocked into action by the early interchanges of good quality football by the Sheaf.  Steve Laidler, Gav and Robbie were combining well on the left hand side, and some good chances fell to Jules and Steve as the Wheatsheaf started to sense this was their game for the taking.  The Carpenters keeper was having a solid game and dealt well with shots from range and was quick to snuff out any other danger the Youth team threw at him.

At the other end of the pitch Reevo was proving to be particularly dominant in the air, winning nearly every long ball played over the top, and with Ryan covering behind him to mop up anything that did get through the Youth team looked fairly confident in all aspect of their game.  Sunninghill did show occasional glimpses of why they have been challenging for honours in the Premier League, but they were few and far between, and as their long ball tactics were not working, they seemed a little devoid of ideas.  Frustration started to creep in, and the Youth team took full advantage. 

During the first half the majority of the attacking play had been down the left hand side for the Sheaf, with Stoney finding himself isolated on the right wing, despite being in acres of space and having pace advantage over their left back.  The Sheaf’s first goal came from this route however, as Reevo swung a ball over to Babs who knocked it back for Stoney, who in turn played a great ball into the channel for Babs to chase.  Babs didn’t give up and wrestled the ball of the defender and pulled the ball back for Terry.  He controlled, dummied past one man, and slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net, giving the keeper no chance at all. 

Shortly after the half time whistle blew.

At half time the team talk was focused on keeping our heads, with numerous dubious decisions going against both teams it has to be said.  The referee was tending to sway towards the team which gave him least grief, and as the first half ended the Wheatsheaf certainly were not that party.  Tim Hughes explained the game was there for the winning, but the lads would need to involve the right wing much more heavily, and also he asked Babs and Terry to play closer to each other, as they were finding themselves isolated at times.

The Sunninghill manager had clearly given his players a rocket up their arse at half time, as the team that took the field looked completely different to the first half side.  They were fighting for every ball, the forwards were buzzing around, and they were outnumbering the Sheaf in midfield every time they attacked.  Steve and Jules were getting swamped with the extra men, and Gav pushed inside to provide a little bit of support to the centre men. 

Chances were presenting themselves at both ends frequently now, and it was turning into one hell of a cup tie.  Sunninghill really should have got back on level terms earlier on, but Mark Tottle made a number of superb saves to deny them and coupled with a combination of poor finishing the scored remained at 1-0 for the first 20 minutes.

Jules almost doubled the Wheatsheaf’s lead after connecting with a beautifully swung in free kick from Robbie Harkness but the keeper pulled off a superb reaction save to divert the ball out of play.  Both teams could hardly believe the ball hadn’t ended up in the back of the net.

It was inevitable that The Carpenters would score, and it came from a poor piece of communication from the Wheatsheaf defence.  A long ball was pumped over the top and as Ryan and Tottle dallied about who was going to deal with it, the striker nipped in and tucked the ball into the bottom of the net.  Tottle and Ryan had words immediately after the incident, but this only proved how much both players were desperate to get a result from this massive game.

The Wheatsheaf are not particularly used to being tested in football games in the backend of the season, and it was becoming evident this would be the sternest examination of their quality they had faced for a long time.  The Carpenters were now rampant and looked the most likely to snatch another goal.  A Mark Tottle save from a free kick was nothing short of magnificent as he dived full length to turn the ball round the post when a goal looked almost a certainty. 

This sparked the Youth team into life, and from the resulting passage of play Mike Stone worked wonders down the right, and the ball fell to Babs Johnson who hit a wicked swerving shot which the beat the keepers despairing dive to rip into the bottom right corner of the net.  Could the Sheaf now hold onto this lead for the remaining 20 minutes.

Tiredness was starting to creep into both teams play and it was weary legs and judgment which led to the equaliser for The Carpenters Arms.  Ric misjudged a header, and the ball fell invitingly to their midfielder, who played a neat interchange with another player and drove the ball through Tottle into the net.  The Youth team looked despondent as they had worked so hard to regain the lead, only for it to be cruelly snatched from them.  The game was on a knife edge now, and both teams knew that a goal would win the game and break the other teams morale. 

A weapon the in Wheatsheaf’s arsenal is the long throw.  Numerous players on the team posses a good chuck, and Reevo is no exception.  After good play between Robbie and Gav on the left, Reevo was left with a throw in level with the 18 yard box.  He hurled it in, Jules flicked on but only for the defender to get a touch out to Terry.  The Sheaf’s striker showed perfect touch as he killed the ball dead, and guided it past the keeper to sent the travelling fans into ecstasy.  Sunninghill were now facing a mountain to climb, and their faces didn’t really show that they felt they had the petrol in the tank to do it.

Almost immediately after Terry chased a long ball over the top and beat the advancing keeper to make it 4-2 and secure the strikers hattrick. Terry has been a breath of fresh air since he came back and has popped up vital goals, as well as providing plenty for his team mates. 

The fifth goal for the Wheatsheaf really put the icing on the cake, Babs got on the end of a bouncing ball in the centre of midfield and used his explosive pace to surge past one defender, before taking on another.  As a covering man came across Babs produced a sublime backheel into the path of the on rushing Stevie Laidler who tokk a touch and slotted past the keeper. 

With only  a few minutes left to play there was little more incident apart from a ‘handbags’ match between Ryan and the opposition striker.  Liam, Jordan and Nick made it on for the final few minutes as players were given a rest after the gruelling game.

 As the final whistle blew there were scenes of great jubilation as the Wheatsheaf reached the first Consolation Cup Final ever. 

MOTM :  It is impossible to pick one man today, as the whole team dug in and grafted for the result. Terry was outstanding, Reevo very commanding, and Babs really showed what he can do.  Steve was superb in orchestrating the midfield, and covering every blade of grass on the pitch.  So this week, the award goes to the whole team!