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Andrew Sheppard's hat-trick helped Woodhurst to a 4-2 win. |
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Billet Uplands |
2-4 |
Woodhurst |
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Sheppard 3, Souleyman |
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Power League Fairlop Oak, Forest Road |
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10.30pm, 27th February 2005 |
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Essex Sunday Corinthian League Division One |
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Referee: Andrew Sinclair |
It was never going to be easy for Woodhurst as only ten men arrived at the Power League centre to face a tough challenge from Billet Uplands.
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With freezing conditions, strong winds and a pitch more suited to naked lady mud-wrestling (if only), there were going to be no hiding places with three vital league points at stake. Roy Lawley's men needed the win to keep themselves in the thick of the title race, and as we've seen in the past with Woodhurst sides, they regularly raise themselves against adversity, and today was no different.
With no selection problems, Lawley's only headache was who would accompany the side's only two regular defenders at the back. Step forward Nigel Jordon who slotted into the back three, in front of Tom Gray, alongside Paul McShea and Jenssen Clifford.
A five-man midfield, half-fit Jan Souleyman, who played with a suspected fracture knee-cap, and Kofi Owusu on either flank, with Lawley himself, Jimmy Woodham and Jamie Bradbury in the muddy-mixer and the lone striker Andrew Sheppard in attack.
It was difficult to tell from the opening exchanges who had the man extra as Woodhurst battled and fought for everything and could have been two up very early on - had Sheppard been watching his Gary Lineker coaching videos the night before.
As it was, it took 15 minutes to break the deadlock. Woodhurst attacked quickly with an early pass out to the left and Jan Souleyman, who was murdering the Uplands defence all day, out-stripped two markers before pulling back to Sheppard for a simple side foot.
Woodhurst had something to hold onto now and were a little more reluctant to attack and risk too many men forward, but they continued to enjoy much of the possession keeping Billet away from the danger-zone.
But they did have a menace in their ranks, the number 14, whose wing play gave Owusu and Clifford much to ponder. It was his run and pass that set up the equaliser giving the home side some hope at the break.
After the turn-around, Woodhurst faced not only an extra man, but a strong wind, and were finding it difficult to clear their lines. When one hoisted goal-kick fell short to the feet of the number 14, his momentum allowed him a route through to goal and before a challenger reached him, he'd calmly slotted into the net from 18 yards.
But if Billet thought they were to take anything without a fight, they were much mistaken. And Woodhurst began once more to probe.
Then a moment that swung the balance in favour of the visitors. Jordon and Souleyman linked well on the left, and as the stand-in defender stood with his back to goal inside the box, he was unceremoniously felled by a clumsy Billet challenge and handed Woodhurst a penalty, much to the annoyance of an on-looking, ageing, and perhaps visual impaired, home defender.
The offender then voiced his concerns, too, aiming words only heard on the docks at the young referee. Red card, and it was 10 against 10. And as Souleyman levelled, firing home the rebound from his own saved spot-kick, it was game on. Who had the spirit to take the points?
Woodhurst were lifted and from that point bossed the remaining 20 minutes, turning every 50/50 challenge into a yellow ball - notably Roy 'happy as a pig in poo' Lawley, showed that he's lost none of his bite - despite knocking on a bit now.
Owusu and Clifford were now finding a lot more joy on the right-hand side and when Clifford sent in a decent ball towards the box, it looked an odds Billet clearance. But Bradbury was in first and helped the bouncing ball on with a backwards header for the arriving Sheppard to apply the final touch and give Woodhurst the lead.
A similar move made number four. This time Clifford's whipped cross was met by the head of Sheppard first time and guided well into the top corner of the net.
With just ten minutes left on the clock, Woodhurst had done the hard work of scoring and sat back to maintain their lead. Soaking up the little pressure that was sent their way, they even could have extended their lead further on the break.
But the job was done and Woodhurst's ten soldiers strode back to the dressing room, proud, with three well-earned points in the bag and 20 mud-caked boots.
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Team from
Tom Gray
Jenssen Clifford
Nigel Jordon
Roy Lawley
Paul McShea
Kofi Owusu
Jan Souleyman
Andrew Shepperd
Jamie Bradbury
Jimmy Woodham
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Tom Gray
