A Hard One To Take
GPR 2 - 2 PRO FA HAMMERSMITH
2-4 on penalties
Losing a semi final hurts. Losing on penalties after a last minute equaliser kills. The boys can, however, be incredibly proud of their achievements, and we walked away with heads held high after a day of ecstatic highs and heartbreaking lows in the Roger Perry Open.
We started the day earlier than usual to give ourselves the most time to prepare, knowing that our opponent would not be an easy one. PROFA had already beaten us twice in the league and on both occasions, deservedly so.
But, as we made our way to start the game, there was confidence in the air. We didn’t waste time in making the most of it. Joel had the first big chance just minutes into the game, getting past their back line, but couldn’t keep the shot down as his attempt fired over the bar.
After this, both teams scrambled for half chances. Our attacking threat was potent, with big man Dan providing aerial prowess, while the wing players took advantage of PROFA’s struggles to trap the ball at the back.
Going forward, they looked dangerous, but it’s fair to say that the game was a cagey affair, and the keepers were protected for the most part. We were dealing with balls into the box well, and our breaks had a cutting edge to them, compounded by Dan’s hold up play and Jeff’s tireless work down the wings.
It paid off. After 15 minutes, with no one pressuring him, Dan took the ball down from Andre’s pass and moved into a shooting position from 30 yards out. He let loose an absolute cannon of a shot, and the keeper was motionless as it fired into the top corner.
Side note: our goal of the season award is going to be tough. We may have a new front runner as of this weekend, and the touchline exploded as Dan reeled away in celebration.
In our excitement, we may have lost a bit of our concentration, and a through ball down the left flank quickly led to a levelling of scores.
The rest of the first half played out like a chess match, with both teams having half chances, including a disallowed goal for the away side that despite the protests, was very obviously offside.
Half time, and there wasn’t too much to say. We’d executed our game plan up to that point; it was a case of more of the same. On the return, however, that quickly came undone as the pitch entered the action.
Our friend and foe over the course of this year, an innocuous bobble led to a missed kick on the restart, and within a minute we were down 2-1 as their striker pounced on the loose ball.
Before the start of the match we highlighted that one of our strongest characteristics this season was our ability to come back from behind. It takes a lot of mental strength to go down in this fashion and continue to attack the game.
But that’s just what we did. Andre, Tim, Josh and Steeve rotated in midfield, and were aggressive on and off the ball. Mike and Alan were physically imposing, winning every challenge in the air, while Sina and Robin did brilliantly to contain the threat out wide, a key point of PROFA’s attack in previous games.
Both sides had a few pot shots, and the game lost some of its quality as nerves flared and the pitch cut up. With ten minutes to go, including 6 minutes of stoppage time, we stuck all our attacking options up top, and hoped.
Having been a workhorse in defence, and creative up front, Jeff hadn’t had many opportunities to score. The opposition manager was quick to mention as much after the game. But big players turn up in big moments.
At the death, the centre of the pitch opened up. Gavin, seeing the space in behind, put his body in the way of the ball as it bounced towards PROFA’s goal. Jeff took the ball in his stride, and with our hopes hanging by a thread, steeled himself to produce a moment of killer instinct.
We erupted. It was, comfortably, the best moment in the club’s history.
Penalties beckoned, but the lads had already done everything they could. It didn’t go our way, but the character and drive right to the last was a perfect encapsulation of the progress made this year.
We still have a lot to play for in the league, with top 3 now a distinct possibility, and only three games to go. What a wild ride it’s been in the cup. It’s heartbreaking not to go a step further, but that’s what next year is for.
What a team.
MOTM = Originally I had Dan down, but I think he and Jeff both deserve it, not just for their fantastic performances, but for turning up when it really mattered. If they hadn’t written themselves into GPR folklore by now (they have), this weekend insured it.
DOTD = PROFA’s manager for, amongst other things, spending ten minutes arguing with himself that Dan’s goal was a fluke and trying to convince himself that it wasn’t his fault.
