Click on back button to return...  back.gif

Civil Service 7s

 2  

Carshalton 6th XI

 4 Dave Jenvey, Dick Polley, Danny Berry 2

SAL – 17 January 2004

 We came we saw and we conquered!   One of the outstanding displays I have been involved in since joining Carshalton, matching that of Old Lyonians during the championship winnings season.  Speaking to the players from Civil Service after the game, they said they had not come up against such a well organised side who could deal with their long ball / long throw-in technique.  I now know what it must have been like to play Wimbledon during the 80's and 90's!!!   Civil Service were unbeaten.  In fact they had won every game this season until we turned up.  Quite quickly we worked out why.  They used the long ball and a player who couldn't half throw the ball a long way to constantly pound our penalty box.

The previous week against Polytechnic acted as a good practice!!  At every opportunity they launched the ball into our box.  God knows what it would have been like playing them on our 3rd team pitch at home.  When I saw them after the game they even muttered that they normally play on a smaller pitch - yes they even tried to blame the pitch.  I left them with the words "I am sure you'll still win the league".

Everybody defended their tactics superbly.  Messrs Vinson, Polley, Huffer, Boughton and Peter were outstanding defending their long throws - headaches all round I think!   Believe it or not I actually made the breakthrough, driving the ball home from Danny Berry's clever lay off.  We then went two nil up through a Dick Polley howitzer.  I was standing behind Dick when he unleashed the rocket, watching it dip into the far corner from  about 35 yards.  

We went three nil up through Mr Berry...a well taken goal.  The first couple of goals were extremely important because they came after they had attempted to 'pound our goal' and enabled us to set out our stall so to speak.  3-0 at half time.

In the second half, Danny Berry scored early on with a very well taken goal, making it 4-0.  It was then that Civil Service brought on their three substitutes, changing the midfield, pushing even taller players up front.  They did finally score from a set piece although I felt Dick had been clearly fouled.  Civil managed to get a second but by that time we had regained control of the midfield and should really have scored more ourselves through Mr Berry and Scott as well as Andy Bitmead, who incidentally did well to carry on playing through his injury.   

A big thanks to Luke Boughton for being sub but understanding why he wasn't brought on.  As I say, the whole team played their part.  Gareth Banton had a good game on the left on midfield.  Terry made a couple of saves from shots which would have just crept in.   

Well done to everyone - head ache pills all round.

 Dave Jenvey