05/10/2019 – REPORT – St Osyth FC versus Oyster FC

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

DIVISION THREE.

ST OSYTH FC: 3. OYSTER FC: 1.

Date: Saturday 05^th October 2019. Venue: Cowley Park, St Osyth.

A first visit to a Division Three match, this season, saw me travel locally to Cowley Park, St Osyth for the fourth placed home teams match against undefeated Oyster FC, who upon arrival were lying second in the table, after this result their relative places were reversed. St Osyth FC have re-joined the ESBFL after several years away and under the experienced stewardship of Russell Mead and Lee Sparrow have put together a blend of youth and seasoned campaigners however for this match several players were missing. Oyster FC joined the ESBFL two seasons ago finishing 6^th and 9^th respectively but seem to have a regular choice of players although Manager Ashley Gilbert was forced to don the goal-keepers jersey for this match and to me if your name is Barker or Scholes, you play, there were three of each for Oyster FC for this match, a reporter’s nightmare!

The match official for this match was young Jack McKechnie and I assured him that despite my notebook, I was writing a report on the match and not his performance although after the match had finished, I told him I thought he had handled situations very well, cautions, sin-bins and dismissals included, well done!

So, on a bright sunny afternoon that would turn colder later we witnessed the “Respect” handshake, and it was Sy Osyth FC who kicked-off in front of a gathering vocal support, that included many former players I have encountered over the years, good to see that players do go back and watch. I have to say that the pitch has changed very little, I played there for Weeley School as an eleven-year-old in 1963, and the same family of rabbits probably still give Ray Harmon a few headaches! Whilst I mention Ray, his son Jack was also watching and sporting a pair of crutches, unfortunately Jack broke his leg recently in the abandoned cup match at Cavendish FC, we wish him a speedy recovery, his “Crowd-Funding” site has now reached four figures, great work folks!

Oyster gained the first attacking initiative with Barker (M) gaining a throw-in taken by Birch, Raine used his knee to clear the ball away to the half-way line where the ball was lobbed back into the home half with Barker (S) seen running through, no off-side was flagged despite Birch retreating but taking no active role however his shot across goal cleared the far post as keeper Freeman advanced. Cowler made a decent run down the right side having been sent away by Panton but defender Barker (J) hacked clear from six-yards out. Barker (S) won a heavy challenge against O’Hara before sending a fierce dipping shot just over the cross-bar, the hedge and fence to smash into a black Vauxhall Zafira travelling adjacent to the wall of St Osyth Priory. A free-kick from Hulstrom was heading towards Harms who fouled Pacey inside the six-yard area and with five minutes gone the game was open as both teams tried to dominate. Brett fouled Birch on the half-way line, but the home team cleared the danger using a long ball towards Harms but both teams were calling for every decision, given or not as the case maybe! A throw-in from Newton found Panton who gained a corner off Clements, taken by Cowler but cleared for a throw-in, taken long by Hulstrom but again cleared by Scholes (Ja). Newton blocked a cross from Scholes (B) and from the throw-in Barker (S) ran through but once again failed to find the target with the keeper untroubled.

On fifteen minutes, Barker (J) and Brett clashed inside the centre-circle and when play resumed Raine, fouled Barker (M), perhaps a bit cynically, but at this early stage a warning was deemed, sufficient this time, and likewise Scholes (B) for a poor challenge from behind on Hulstrom who was going nowhere other than the corner flag! The free-kick taken by Newton was headed clear by Washington and just as Scholes (B) controlled the ball Raine fouled him on the half-way line, this somewhat scrappy game is heating up! Panton fouled Scholes (Ja) with both players being spoken too, play continued with Hulstrom making a fine tackle on Barker (S) who was running onto a low cross from Scholes (B), Harms was caught off-side from a long clearance by Austin and at the other end a cross from Pacey was headed clear by O’Hara to Scholes (B) who squandered the chance. Scholes (B) hassled Austin into conceding a throw-in and the game was going through a disjointed phase, players were getting frustrated with each other rather than the opposition and both teams should learn to play to the whistle and stop asking for decisions that in my opinion, did not need to be given, there is still something called advantage, it is how it is applied and understood that counts! Harms was again caught off-side, a player too keen off the mark when the through ball is to be played and when play returned to the other end Newton tried to shield the ball out of play but was clattered from behind by Scholes (Jo).

On thirty minutes Brett received the ball running across the centre-circle, he was clearly fouled by Scholes (Ja) and with the free-kick awarded Brett took umbrage to clearly slap the visiting player, a red card for Brett and a yellow, that had been coming, for Scholes (Ja). Cowler took the free-kick and keeper, Gilbert was forced to react quickly using his outstretched right foot to clear, as the ball failed to bounce in the bottom goalmouth, that does dip away slightly. On thirty-six minutes St Osyth FC scored, Panton won possession just on the half-way line and sent a long diagonal ball wide to the left side where BEN MANN, controlled the ball, running past the last defender and driving the ball home left-footed past keeper, Gilbert who was totally exposed. Scholes (Ja) played a long ball forward to Scholes (B) who gained a corner off Newton, Pacey took the corner kick finding Clements who leant back before firing high over the cross-bar, and the Priory Wall, but a decent chance though. Another moment of confusion followed when O’Hara fouled Pacey, a free-kick was correctly awarded and O’Hara was shown a yellow card, again that seemed correct, then O’Hara proceeded to run off the pitch apparently thinking he had been “sin-binned” only to reappear minutes later and re-enter the game after a home player asked the referee when the player could come back on! The use of “yellow cards” for “sin-bin” offences which are only for “dissent” this season, does confuse players and perhaps needs more clarity as it is not the first time I have been confused by its use and I went on the course!

HALF TIME: 1 – 0

Oyster restarted the match with the advantage of the slope and Scholes (B) tested keeper, Freeman who eagerly gathered the ball after initially parrying the shot from outside the penalty area, then Washington blasted the ball wide when well placed. Harms for St Osyth was playing as a lone striker but service to him could have been better, he has the control and pace to cause problems, it’s getting the ball that’s the problem. Barker (Ja) fouled Panton but Barker (Ja) defended well as Harms bore down on Scholes (Ja) who had plenty to say as usual, Austin for St Osyth dived into a challenge to deny Scholes (Jo) before conceding a corner when Pacey threatened to cross the ball. Pacey took the corner kick with keeper, Freeman punched clear towards Scholes (Jo) who lobbed the ball forward, keeper, freeman backpedalling to just tip the ball onto and over the cross-bar. Scholes (B) took on Newton and when his cross came over, keeper Freeman caught the high ball with ease.

On sixty minutes another moment of controversy, no, there was no doubt in my mind, Freeman sent a long ball forward, Harms gave chase with Scholes (Ja) who was beaten for pace and hauled Harms to the ground and being the last defender received a straight red card, to make it ten a side, unless anything else happens. Cowler took the free-kick thirty yards out just clearing the cross-bar with keeper, Gilbert struggling to cover the driven shot. Oyster replaced Scholes (B) with Bedingfield on sixty-three minutes and when play resumed Barker (Sa) hit a shot which keeper, Freeman held on his goal-line Scholes (Jo) had a strike himself which keeper, Freeman parried only for Birch to blast the ball wide of the almost empty net, wasteful! Mann was guilty of a high foot as Pacey challenged with his head, probably didn’t realise the player was there when he tried to control the ball, more heated words followed with Raine being spoken too by the referee. Keeper, Gilbert had to race out to the edge of his penalty area to clear the danger when Harms threatened and Raine had to leave the field after sustaining an injury, but he was able to return just as St Osyth replaced Mann with Lane. Birch and Scholes (Jo) had shots charged down before Oyster replaced Scholes (Jo) with new signing Sharp on seventy-two minutes.

St Osyth increased their lead on seventy-five minutes, a long throw-in from Hulstrom was headed home by THOMAS BIRCH for an OWN GOAL, that should settle things down, but Washington pressed forward for the visitors finding Bedingfield and then Birch whose cross was just a fraction shy of Washington’s run into the penalty area. With ten minutes remaining Newton was adjudged to have fouled Birch down by the corner of the goal-line and six-yard line, a penalty kick was awarded and duly despatched by DANNY CLEMENTS, who sent keeper, Freeman, diving the wrong way. St Osyth replaced Birch with Hosni and from his prompting the ball fell kindly to Pacey who looked up and lobbed keeper, Freeman from thirty yards out but the ball crashed against the cross-bar and bounced back into the arms of the grateful keeper, so close to an equaliser. A big clearance from Lane found Harms who rounded Bedingfield whose shot was saved by keeper, Gilbert, but the keepers next action saw him foul Cowler, really a defender should have cleared the ball into row “Z” but in dithering, hoping the ball would roll out of play it allowed Cowler to steal the ball with the unfortunate keeper, wrong-footed to gather the ball, impeding the player in possession. KALON HARMS stepped up to hammer home the ball for number three, home and hosed as they say whereupon Harms and Cowler were replaced by Luther and Price. In the last minute, Barker (Sa) showed dissent and was “sin-binned”, does that mean his minutes off the pitch get carried over, no it does not, only asking!

FULL TIME: 3 – 1.

Not a game of football for the purists amongst us, a gritty, disjointed game that had most things, four goals, one an own goal, two nailed on penalties, two cautions, two nailed on dismissals, a proper “sin-bin” and one bogus one! Other than that, the home team just managed to do enough to win and leap-frog the vanquished in the league table.

Now, for my Player-of-the-Match choice, Oyster FC, goal-scorer, Clements worked hard all game, Scholes (B) and Birch caused a few problem’s, but their team lacked better cohesion and lost possession too easily despite encouragement from Captain, Pacey. For St Osyth FC, Hulstrom and Cowler were creative with Harms also causing problems with his pace and control, Panton, to use a loose comment, put himself about a bit, a fine pass for the opening goal, but O’Hara was everywhere, defending, supporting the attack but leading through midfield especially after the early dismissal of Brett.

Teams:

ST OSYTH FC: Colours: Royal Blue, Royal Blue Shorts and Royal Blue Socks.

Mitchell Freeman., Tom Newton (C)., Dan Austin., Harry Hulstrom., Darren Raine., Jamie Brett., Oscar Cowler., Benn Mann., Ben O’Hara., Kalon Harms., Jack Panton.

Manager: Russell Mead & Lee Sparrow.

Used Substitutes: Billy Luther., Harry Price., Cameron Lane.

Unused Substitutes: Lee Sparrow.

OYSTER FC: Colours: Yellow Shirts, Black Shorts and Yellow Socks.

Ashley Gilbert., Alex Pacey (C)., Danny Clements., Jay Barker., Jack Scholes., Matt Barker., Ben Scholes., Joe Scholes., Alex Washington., Sam Barker., Thomas Birch

Manager: Ashley Gilbert

Used Substitutes: Aymen Hosni., Danny Sharp., William Bedingfield.

Unused Substitutes: Connor Eden

Referee: Jack McKechnie.

Player of the Match: Ben O’HARA (ST OSYTH FC)

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Additional Reporting:

YOU TUBE., FACEBOOK (x2) & TWITTER

Once again, this season the ESBFL is widening its match-day reporting coverage, in addition to a full report written by Brian Reed, our other roving reporter, Spencer Hume, has once again made himself known during the friendlies season and he will also attend games reporting via You Tube, Facebook and Twitter to communicate up-to-date information and replicate other match reports. In addition, John Campany, Vice Chairman will continue to provide a weekly summary, published in The Gazette.

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Kick-Off times for Essex County Football Association cup matches are published on the ECFA web-site.

( www.essexfa.com/competitions/county-cups )

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