10/04/2004
RSV
Büblingshausen 2 West Bergholt 6
This week the club had no league fixtures as we travelled to Wetzlar in Germany
to play our twinned club, RSV Büblingshausen, in a biannual friendly fixture
which originally started back in 1976.
The game started slightly late as several of our lads were stranded in the town
centre, but the game eventually kicked off in perfect conditions.
Both teams kept good possession in the early stages as they sized up their opposite
numbers and the referee hardly needed to get involved. However when he did it
was usually to award a free kick for an innocuous challenge and turn his back
on our complaints.
There were few chances early on, but they usually went our way, with Scooby, Rocky
and Clackers all having shots from distance. At the other end, our volunteer keeper,
Marcus Smith wasn't called into action.
The first goal of the game came midway through the half as Clackers and Ashy exchanged
passes and Clackers burst through the back line to slot neatly past the RSV Keeper.
This was followed by a long period of keep ball across our back line with little
in the way of a forward pass. That was probably because Fish couldn't pass to
a green shirt unless it was alongside him, but one time the ball did find Nutty
in midfield, he could only slip over and leave two large knee sized trenches in
the pitch.
RSV however pressed and pressed hoping to win the ball back and eventually they
did when Oozy and Shane Farrow went for the same ball leaving the young RSV striker
"J.R." Rösch to drive a low shot into the corner from the edge
of the box.
There were a few good nutmegs in the game including a good one on Terry Farrow,
but there were no further goals in the first half and both sides made a few changes
at the interval.
We decided that showboating at the back was getting boring for the other 6 players
in our side as well as the opposition and the spectators so we came out with an
all attacking plan. Within minutes of the restart we could see that this was going
to pay dividends as Terry Bethell and Scooby had good chances.
Our second goal did not take long to arrive as indecision by the RSV keeper and
a defender allowed Ashy to take the ball around both, along the goal line, bounce
it off the opposite post then turn back and tap the ball in.
The third followed minutes later as a cross from the right found Terry Bethell
and he teed up Oozy to blast home from just inside the area. Then a forth was
added by Rocky when he finished off a nice piece of passing play.
RSV were finding it tough going, but Marcus kept them interested when, midway
through the half, he tried to volley clear a speculative shot instead of just
catching it. "J.R." looked quite embarrassed about his second goal of
the game and Marcus was replaced by Scooby between the sicks.
Ashy and Terry Bethell were set to take the restart, but instead of tapping the
ball, Ashy flicked it up and into Terry's face, sending most players and even
the usually unresponsive referee into fits of laughter.
When the game settled again Scooby was severely tested as he turned a low drive
from Sasha "Party boy" around the post at full stretch and at the other
end Shane Farrow and Pud shot over the bar. Marcus then hit one over the running
track, which was 40 yards behind the goal, before our pretend 'Welsh Wizard' Mark
Jones increased our lead. He burst clear and rounded the RSV keeper then, realising
he had loads of time, he decided to get down and head the ball in just to rub
salt into the wounds.
Our captain for the game, Tony Longhurst, had a really good effort on the turn
from a narrow angle that went inches over and minutes later he had another shooting
opportunity, which he drove across the goal. Fishy, who started the counter attack
in his own half, ended up in the right place to turn 'The Big Gay Bear's' wild
shot into the goal and make it 6-2.
That was the final score and we were happy to achieve our first away win in this
fixture since 1988, but our German friends will be keen to avenge this defeat
in two years time when they come to Bergholt.
THE
RIGHTER
Back
to Wetzlar....