This game was a match-up for spectators and neutrals with a football purist attitude. By now you probably know enough about Vista to determine what we bring to the table but today we were up against one of our rivals in the mold of Kenningwell. Hatcham are a team with spectacular players all across the board. Hatcham like to play total football and have a variety of high ranked semi professionals as well as ex professional and even their center backs possess great playing ability.
The importance of this game was high and it was necessary that we won this game in order to have the best opportunity of claiming the OBDSFL league title. With 1 game left Vista was 1 point beyond Bickley so a win would give us a 2point advantage and mean that Bickley could have nothing short of a win next week in order to obtain the league.
Over the previous weeks Vista may have started slow but in this game no time was wasted. It took only two minutes for the game to see action. Between Vista and Hatcham both teams possess some of the quickest wingers available and it was a speed contest. Harrison Carnegie and Daryl Wheeler were impressive for Hatcham causing all sorts of problems but we were able to contain them in periods and create our own problems. On a few occasions we were fortunate that their final decisions weren’t great and Tyrus wasted that there best clear-cut opportunity. Kwabena Osei captained the side today and he battled away in the midfield immensely winning many tackles with high pressing and accurate tackling. Either team could have scored the 1st goal but it was Hatcham who got the 1st with Daryl Wheeler exposing our left flank and cutting the ball back for Tyrus to tap into a mostly empty net but we remained calm and composed. Many times this season we had come behind from losing positions so this wasn’t something that was unusual.
When you need a goal we need not look further than our prolific striker Andrew Thompson. Jordan Greaves had been up and down and should have had a penalty but excellent work from him found its way to Andrew Thompson who on his 2nd or 3rd opportunity of the game curled the ball low and hard into the bottom corner. The 1st half ended all square but changes had to be made in order to obtain control of the game.
5 minutes into the game we made the change of Ashley Josephs coming off for Andrew Dalhouse and Kwabena Osei moving to the left back position. With Kwabena being an extremely balanced defender we began to attack down the left side with threat and it wasn’t long before our fluent attack found its shape once again. Some pace fueled counter attacks pulled Hatcham out of their defensive shape and when influential assister and goal scorer Ashley Sheppard found his way into the box it was no surprise that he converted a chance on the half volley after a pass from Andrew Thompson. Our momentum carried us through the next 10 minutes and with Hatcham not being able to find a theory to contain us they gave away a free kick on the edge of the box. When things are going for you it just works expertly and it was exactly that for Ashley Sheppard. A free kick that was one of his most tame this season ricocheted off the keeper into an empty net and the 2-goal advantage meant that the game was in our control. Decisions were made to introduce Dominic Weston and Joshua Bonnet to freshen our ideas.
The final 10 minutes were quite scary but fortunately we held on. Vista also gave away a free kick on the edge of the box and we’re still undecided whether the free kick was meant but Tyrus struck the ball low into the bottom corner beating the sprawling Michael Williams.
Hatcham continued to threaten but Danny Doyle and Terry Boyle were rock solid all game and refused to be beaten and their excellence carried us over the finish line.
M.O.M – Terry Boyle
Its no longer in our hands but next week Bickley vs. Mildean will determine whether we win the title or not.