DOUBLE STING IN THE CANTERBURY TAIL

Canterbury Friars 2 BOEHC Men’s Vets 1

With weather as drab as a monk’s cowl, the visiting Vets from North Kent were once again unable to shake off the losing habit against another of their bogey teams, losing for the third time in four outings against the hosts from Canterbury. Even in the reverse fixture before Christmas the men in green had found themselves 2-0 to the good early on, only to succumb 3-2 to a spirited Club comeback, but the March fixture proved to be a mirror image of its autumn counterpart. With only 15 minutes remaining the visitors were narrowly leading 1-0 and looked comfortable, if anything other than convincing, in a game of few clear-cut chances. Had it remained thus, then the Club would have been heading into the end-of-season decider for the runners-up slot against Burnt Ash in second place. 15 minutes later, however, it now seems more likely that the boys in red will be in third place for the April 2 pushback, and therefore needing a win at all costs.

The team did have a bit of an unbalanced look about it, despite captain Stephen Gilbert having a squad of 14 at his disposal, as there were far more midfield options on view than either defensive or offensive alternatives. The returning Phil Goode was instrumental in all of the team’s better first-half moments, and with the ever-industrious Richard Cleall lining up alongside Mark Ainley and Peter Robinson, things were generally set fair. Steve Miller played part of the game as a left-sided midfielder, and ended up at right-back, showing just how flexible he can be in the new decade he entered earlier this year.

At the back Chris Barnard’s interceptions and marauding runs down the right were a constant source of menace for the home team, even if his team-mates then had an annoying habit of turning over possession and making him run back the 50 yards he had just covered in the opposite direction, albeit with a bit less enthusiasm. But the pick of the whole team was man-of-the-match Phil Kinch at the centre of defence, who held things together for the full 70-minutes and was only caught out once in the second half when keeper Keith Elliott came to the rescue and got his angles spot-on with a fine stop in the resulting one-on-one.

All three goals came from set-pieces, the first arriving after 20 minutes when BOEHC miraculously scored from their second short corner of the day, the evergreen Ravi Wickramasuriya crashing one against the backboards despite being hampered by an injury picked up two weeks ago, which clearly had not reacted sufficiently well to the ice-treatment administered in the bar at Gravesend. The Vets had to fend off a few more short corners than the hosts and were eventually undone by the third one conceded in the second half, after goal-bound shots had been blocked in the first two. The final short-corner against the hosts proved to be the most costly, however, as the second shot in the resulting melee – a brilliant reverse stick effort by the Friars’ youngest player, who was clearly no “novice” – thudded into Richard Cleall’s chest on the line. The same player converted the resultant penalty flick with aplomb to make it 2-1, as the last rites were read on another Vets’ away day defeat. Pat Gainey and Sammy Chana completed the attacking complement on a day when the visitors just could not keep hold of the ball for long enough in the second-half, their retention at times being more reminiscent of a 90-year-old’s bladder.

It could have been so different if the Club had made the most of their good first-half periods of play. When the ball was played quickly and wide, some of the resultant attacking sequences were breathtakingly good, but all too often ponderous moves broke down as possession was lost through aimless passing inside. In a game that was actually played in a really good atmosphere, however, it was perversely apt that the two umpires – both provided by the home team and both genuinely good officials – that actually bore the brunt of the players’ frustrations. At half-time both captains were warned as to their respective teams’ conduct, Canterbury for their Six Nations’ style shoulder charges, the Club for their running commentaries as to the decisions they felt the umpires should be giving. At any event, the second half was played in the equivalent of the Friars’ confessional box, with everybody owning up to absolutely everything. First off the home team’s “Scribbler” (that’s the name on the shirt) ruled out a potential equaliser for a “ball-on-foot” incident, before the away team’s “Scribe” made a similar admission when defending a short. (You can’t make this stuff up, can you?). In both instances the offences were not spotted by the umpires. Thereafter similar spontaneous confessions were made all across the field for fouls, ball height infractions and stick tackles, as well as for various driving offences, fashion crimes, drinking during Lent, and the likely whereabouts of Lord Lucan.

The statistics don’t lie, and the team has probably performed at its expected level since Christmas, rather than punching above its weight as it did in the autumn. The main concern is the current lack of goals, as – apart from the odd 4-4 draw at Old Bordenians in January and the 5-1 home demolition of a much weakened Maidstone side – the team has failed to score more than once in any other fixture, netting a mere three times in four games. The team still has its own destiny in its hands for the 2015-2016 season, but a few goals would not come amiss in the last two games, both at home, against the other two of the top three in Division 3. Canterbury were excellent and convivial hosts on Saturday, but the Club will need to be suitably inhospitable on the pitch for the next two games if they are to realise a deserved second-place finish, having spent 90% of the season firmly established in the top two.

Team:
Keith Elliott (GK), Chris Barnard, Steve Miller, Phil Kinch, Tim Walters, Peter Robinson, Ravi Wickramasuriya, Sammy Chana, Richard Cleall, Mark Ainley, Phil Goode, Pat Gainey and Stephen Gilbert (C).

Man-of-the-match:
Phil Kinch – another fine 70-minute shift from the big man, who has been a consistent and reliable presence in the back three or four all season.

Umpires:
Both from Canterbury, and everyone was friends at the end, which was only right and proper, as the two of them whistled well and gave what they saw with impartiality.

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