LONG CRENDON 2-1 WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK: THE MATCH REPORT...

Sumas Peeled By Late Long Crendon Snipes

Long Crendon 2-1 Wokingham & Emmbrook

When Josh Harris’ penalty was slapped beyond home goalie Ben Taunton it really did look like Wokingham & Emmbrook would take three points from this encounter, despite the Greens’ plucky ‘hang on in there’ ethic. A fair amount of domination by the visitors appeared to have won the day until the previously fairly quiet James Hawkes sniped a late equaliser but when Scott Chappell rose unchallenged to head Christian Warwick’s centre into the net, the Sumas must have seethed, as their hosts snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat. The most thrilling moment of the game though belonged to Martin Griggs, the home forward who battled so hard, often alone against W&E defenders Callum Eagle and Joe Cummuskey. Griggs smashed a superb effort from 30 yards against the left angle of crossbar and upright which was quite spectacular and would lead to the equaliser. 

PETTINGELL PLAYS PAPER, SCISSORS, STONE WITH A LINESMAN...

Indeed, Warwick claimed two assists for the Greens on the day and his name was one of those which made the team sheets worth looking at. There were four places: Warwick, Taunton, Collingwood and Holland; there were religious references: Dean and Chappell and there were two Ways to go, on the home bench. However, when Eagle tackled Hawkes, I nearly laughed out loud… And what of Luke Scope? Would he really name a child Perry? Surely not, unless the lad became a submariner…

TAUNTON KEEPING WICKET?

A great welcome was found at Oxford City’s ground, where I was not charged for entry and I enjoyed a fine, strong cuppa from the refreshments hatch. I was even permitted to film from the gantry… Oh, we likes the gantries… However, after watching American College Football’s Boise State wear all blue on their blue artificial surface and struggle in a close win, 14-7 against Marshall during the morning on TV, it was odd to see Long Crendon struggle to a close win in all green on the green artificial surface at Oxford City during the afternoon… They didn’t start too well though, despite Warwick rapping an early shot wide and after being assisted twice by Chappell, the wide man fired two more blanks off target too, as did Chappell himself. Their contributions would increase in the latter stages of the contest…

"MY HIP'S SHIT, MY HAMSTRING'S SHIT BUT I'M HAVING THIS FREE-KICK, SO GET LOST..."

Hawkes nodded a deep free-kick wide, skipper Archie Pettingell leaned back and shot way too high but closer was a free-kick by the lean, mean Griggs which from 22 yards dipped just too late. Otherwise, the opening half was much to do with the busy, often neat, mainly influential Harris. He secured the ascendancy for his team, along with Nick Bateman in midfield but especially with skipper and right wingback Dan Carter, who was variously involved. Home right-back Ben Sykes, lacking Bill Sykes’ dog Bull’s-eye, used his own bullseye anticipation to head off his own goal-line from Suma Callum Eagle’s header, following Carter’s centre. Connor Holland received a pass by the offensive cog Scope but his chip from 18 yards dropped over the target, before Elliott Rushforth rushed, er, forth but shot at Taunton. Cummuskey’s free header flew wastefully over the crossbar from a few yards out and Scope drove a low delivery across the face of goal. 

YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT MEANS...

Harris though made three goal attempts but although the second shot flew wide, the first and third brought saves from the diving Taunton. Harris drove a curling 22 yard free-kick towards the right vertical from inside-right which the ‘keeper dived left for and palmed away for a corner, then a low cross-shot by the Suma midfielder was nudged wide by the gloveman’s right mitt. No goals at the break then but that would change after the recess and it would be no surprise that W&E took the lead. 

SUNLIGHT, SHADOW AND THE SECOND-HALF STARTS...

Apart from a shot wide by Sykes and another drive off target by Chappell, little offense was engendered by the Greens though, as the Sumas strove for the win which they must have felt they deserved. Only a bizarre incident involving Scope and a shot wide by Harris following his strong run, had emerged to endanger Long Crendon, however. A linesman had flagged for offside but Scope ran on towards the left byeline then squared the ball instead of shooting. Most folks had seen the flag but the referee appeared to ignore it and play was apparently allowed to continue… So, if Scope had found the net, what would have happened? 

CAUTION FOR HARRIS...

And then Tom White, white by name but orange by boot, got into a contortion as he tried to control the bouncing ball just inside his own penalty-box. W&E claimed hand-ball, the official hesitated, then awarded a penalty, which Harris fired past the helpless Taunton. Harris was hurt soon afterwards though and he would subsequently be replaced but in fact, by then there seemed little chance that the hosts might truly threaten Sean Woodward’s goal. Indeed, Holland really might have settled the outcome for the Sumas after a skied attempt by Scope had missed. Holland went clear at inside left onto two Scope passes, only to be foiled by the left boot of the advancing Taunton on the first sortie and the right boot of the ‘keeper on the second occasion, from the striker’s shot at the byeline.

HARRIS HAS SCORED A PENALTY...

LUCKY DIP?

WAITING FOR THE BUS...

Griggs then affected the outcome of the match with some gusto, first smashing that wondrous, no quibble drive against the goal-frame, then slipping the ball right to his central defender Tom Folley, whose pass fed Warwick on the right. Warwick’s low centre was rapped into goal by Hawkes and parity had been regained. It was Griggs himself who fed the assistant for the winning goal, again Warwick working dangerously on the right flank but his turn inside onto the left foot resulted in a smart centre which was nodded in far too easily by the ignored Chappell.

"WHAT? PRACTISE FIRST-AID ON HIM? BUGGER OFF..."

1-1 NOW...

HAWKES, RIGHT, HAS EQUALISED...

2-1 TO THE GREENS...

CHAPPELL THE HERO...

One could sense the frustration of W&E, maybe disbelief too, as the loss of Harris became crucial. He had been cautioned earlier in truth and Bateman joined him in the referee’s notebook late on but the Sumas were unable to threaten Taunton during the final moments, although one Long Crendon guy made a decisive interception as time ran out. White was evidently struggling with fitness it appeared, as evidenced by Holland’s two earlier sprints clear but his brave header from a Hail Mary free-kick by Wokingham’s replacement Ben Broadhurst safeguarded the lead…

CARTER PLEADS BATEMAN'S CAUSE...

...BUT FAILS...

Thus the game which had begun so sedately, had gradually built up to a busy and exciting finish, whereby the team which had looked the likely winner was mugged by the sheer will of the hosts, who capitalised upon the fine defending of Folley, Dino Bonwick, Sykes and White, also the determination of midfielder James Shrimpton but especially the important interventions of starved of service striker Griggs, to snatch three points, despite the absence of several regulars…  

ALL FINISHED...

Whoever descends the slim, metallic ladder from the gantry to the ground on dark evenings must be so careful but gods, what a view from up there…

THE GANTRY...

THE VIEW...

It’s, er, what I do…  

TEAMS:

LONG CRENDON:

BEN TAUNTON, BEN SYKES, DINO BONWICK, TOM WHITE, TOM FOLLEY, JAMES SHRIMPTON, MARTIN GRIGGS, ARCHIE PETTINGELL (CAPT), JAMES HAWKES, SCOTT CHAPPELL, CHRISTIAN WARWICK.

SUBS:

JAMES WAY, TYLER WAY, WILL HAWTHORNE, DAN REILLY, GEORGE COLLINGWOOD.

WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK:

SEAN WOODWARD, DAN CARTER (CAPT), CHRIS BYRNE, CALLUM EAGLE, JOE CUMMUSKEY, MARCUS GUEST, JOSH HARRIS, NICK BATEMAN, LUKE SCOPE, CONNOR HOLLAND, ELLIOTT RUSHFORTH.

SUBS:

WILL DAY, CHARLIE DEAN, ADAM EDWARDS, BEN BROADHURST, BEN WINSHIP.