AWAY DAY JOY

Blackheath 2's turned up at the Old Williamsonians ground to find conditions very different to the previous week; with a warm sun, a completely defrosted pitchy.

The 2's enjoyed a lengthy warm up, all players, (even Clover) having arrived in good time and feeling confident that we could extend our bizarrely imperious away record!

The game started well for the away side, who didn't even look like conceding their trademark early goal or two! Ders and Eric controlled possession well at the back and were patient before pushing forward, creating plenty of space for Scott, Freddie and the forward line to enjoy quality possession.

BOEHC's first meaningful chance came when Scott, on a typically tenacious run, (now much improved from the husk of a man wHo sowed up in his place at College meadow)! Was fairly agriculturally stopped just inside the oppositions 25, allowing clover the opportunity to test out our new corner routines.... His low flick was very well stopped by the old willies keeper.

The rest of the half progressed in this patten, with old willies content to defend the half way line, doing just enough to keep blackheath from carving out a clear chance... In turn blackheath perhaps lost a touch of the patience that characterised the first twenty minutes and where guilty of forcing the ball and dribbling into too many tackles.

With words to that effect ringing in thier ears from Eric, blackheath, as is typical, started the second half by conceding a sloppy sort corner... But the flick was easy palmed away and unlike in previous weeks our lapse did not prove costly.

After this wake up call, blackheath established the excellent patterns of play that characterised first half, with Freddie, Morrie and Archie combining excellently down the left and (Mr angry) will Powell causing problems including a fine Gareth bale impersonation.

The blackheath pressure was rewarded when a slick penalty corner routine was stopped by the man on the posts foot.... After consultation a flick, was probably correctly, ruled out in a favour of a corner, an identical routine allowed Archie to slot in a diving finish at the back post. 1-0. Almost immediately BOEHC's corners began to click as Scott and ed both went close to turning in some precision moves. clover also cannoned a thunderous strike from close range off the slightly stunned looking keepers pads

Minutes later a rare old willies attack was expertly broken up by Freddie on the left who moved the ball forward quickly, combining with some slick passing from the forwards, before making a fine run into space on the right, drawing the keeper and flicking cooly in. 2-0

However at this stage BOE's nerves began to show, in what was becoming an increasingly tense game, cooler heads where needed, and a cheap goal was conceeded from close range, deflecting in off keeper James Florence's pads. However with time running out he was given the chance to redeem himself, when a close range deflection looked to be goal bound, he just managed to get glove across to send the ball wide and bring up he final whistle and a fine result to take us to the Xmas break.

Though there are still things to work on, we have every expectation of a significantly improved 2nd half, especially given our encouraging away form.