FRIENDLY
Report from David Lederman
Three weeks after the Lloyds of London encounter a rather patched up Arthurian side travelled to Arkley in north London to take on the ISFA Under 17 side. A highly competitive meeting last season saw the schoolboys take the lead at Merchant Taylors before the As fought back to earn a dramatic 2-1 win in the dying minutes. Although this latest meeting lacked the same climactic ending, the pattern of the game – and the result – were remarkably similar. With the midweek afternoon kick-off denying manager Billy Jenkins several of his regulars, and injuries ruling out several more, the As adopted a rarely seen diamond formation in midfield, the lack of wide attackers providing a genuine conundrum. But as ever with the Rep side, one man’s loss is another man’s opportunity and there were plenty of players hoping to impress a healthy crowd that had gathered on the bank overlooking the artificial pitch. It’s doubtful, however, that those watching on would have been overly impressed with the first half display by the Arthurian League, who looked slower, more lethargic and, perhaps unsurprisingly, less organised than their younger opponents. It took the schoolboys just seven minutes to take the lead, a simple pass slipped through the middle of midfield that found the attacking midfielder with just enough time and space to cushion the ball before toe-poking it past the advancing Teddy Jefcoate and into the roof of the net. The A’s keeper was then called on to tip a free-kick over the bar from the Garnacho lookalike employed on the right of the ISFA side. Indeed, both ISFA wingers looked spritely in these opening stages, running aggressively at A’s full-backs Tayo Felsted and Ollie Shaw. Fortunately, no further damage was conceded and, as the half wore on, the men in white gradually began to find their feet. Undoubtedly hampered by the unusual formation and lack of attacking wide players, the side nevertheless began to find solutions and work their way forwards. Possession became more even, but clear-cut chances remained elusive, with service into the two front men George Hockey and 37 year-old debutant Justin Ford sporadic. It took just over half an hour for the As to record their first shot on target, Ford cutting in from the left and firing powerfully on goal, but the effort was parried and the resulting cross back into the danger area proved just too high for Sam Allam to connect with. Five minutes before the break the As then threatened down the right, Lancing old boy George Hockey dancing his way past several challenges before cutting the ball back from the goal line only for Harry Larke’s goal-bound effort to deflect to safety off Ford’s back. Half-time saw the Arthurians make changes to both the formation and the lineup with several Forest and Kimbolton schoolboys given the opportunity to impress in a far more familiar 4-2-3-1 set up. Initially it appeared as though these changes had little effect on the game with the ISFA side still competing well and holding onto the 1-0 lead with little trouble. Indeed, the first shot of the half only arrived just shy of the hour-mark, Larke driving in a low effort from the edge of the box. But from this point on the game opened up and that seemed to suit the As more. Substitute keeper Hugo Buchan, another Forest schoolboy, was forced into a superb save to his right, the rebound hacked clear off the line from covering defenders. But the next spell of possession brought the equaliser in rather fortunate circumstances. The ball was worked across the middle of the ISFA half from right to left, eventually arriving at the feet of Tayo Felsted ten yards in from the touchline. The attempted cross towards the far post was too straight and slightly over-hit, but that resulted in the ball sailing perfectly over the back-peddling keeper and just under the crossbar. Almost immediately the schoolboys hit back. Buchan was forced into another flying save as a cross from the right resulted in a first-time effort from point blank range. Hesitation under a high ball inside the penalty area then drew another save, this time from a spectacular volley reminiscent of David Platt’s dramatic winner for England against Belgium in Italia ’90. But the final quarter of an hour finally saw the As take control for virtually the first time in the match. As the ISFA side flagged, the men in white began to dominate and the match was won in superb style when the debutant Ford latched onto a delightful clipped pass over the top from Henry Langley to produce his own spectacular volley on the turn, the ball flying into the far top corner. Carthusian centre-back Louis Ward, just back on the pitch after a spell on the sidelines, then launched a powerful drive from over thirty yards out that was brilliantly tipped round the post by the ISFA keeper. And then, with two minutes remaining, the final chance of the game and a dramatic escape for the As. A superb cross to the far post from the ISFA left saw a galloping midfielder crash a header against the top of the post, the ball flying wide when an equaliser seemed almost inevitable. Huge credit must go to the ISFA side, who once again provided a stern test for an Arthurian League team out of sorts in the first half but much improved in the second. The As now have no second chances, with their season to be defined by the success or otherwise of their defence of the FA Inter League Cup. Competition for places is fierce, with manager Billy Jenkins tasked with naming a final squad of sixteen for the quarter-final in early March. Line-up
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