Close… and Cigar

Seshfield Sunday 1 - 2 GPR

Our first chance to shake loose some of the mince pies and roast dinners accumulating in our bellies ultimately amounted to victory, as a clinical brace from Joel saw the Salads reach their first ever quarter final on a dour Sunday morning in Feltham.

There’s always a bit of rustiness upon the season restart in January, but both sides began the game with an intensity that suggested a mid-season clash.

Having looked at our oppo’s league position - third from bottom in the division below - we could have been forgiven for thinking we’d be coming in heavy favourites.

However, from the off, it was clear that this belied the quality of the team we were facing.

Some early attacks from Joel, Gavin and Jeff up front helped ease the nerves, while some brilliant defensive play from the defence shored up a physical attacking corps at the other end of the pitch.

Mike and Adam took special plaudits for their performance, breaking up threatening attacks and stepping into the middle of the pitch to start the counter.

Cal followed this up with a dominant performance, especially in the air, and must have surely set a record for headers won by a player in the black and blue.

Nevertheless, Seshfield had their fair share of good players, and an attack down the left-hand side caused stomachs on the sideline to drop.

Their forward put a looping ball into the box, and it travelled over everyone’s heads, including Oli’s, and into the net. 1-0 down.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The ref ran over to our sideline, where the linesman had been calling adamantly for offside - along with the rest of the team - and after a brief conversation, disallowed the goal.

The next officiating decision wasn’t as tough a decision to make. In an attempt to latch onto an overhit cross, their striker channelled his inner Maradona with an impressive handball that beat the keeper at his near post.

The game remained, unsurprisingly, at 0-0, and he was booked.

Despite this, the warning signs were there. There were few chances to go around for both teams in the first 45, and the defences sat deep to cover off any additional threat. The break arrived, and it was still all square.

We discussed a few areas to adapt, made a few changes, and got back to business. Almost immediately, Rory’s introduction paid dividends. He broke up play, shirked a tackle, and set Jeff through, who was unable to convert.

Both teams stepped up their efforts, but it was the Salads who got the eventual breakthrough. Andre, who’d been looking tidy in the middle of the park, found Joel making a run past the defence.

With a bit of luck, the through ball bobbled over the centre back’s outstretched leg, and Joel closed in on goal, before producing a smart finish against the keeper to score the first legal goal of the game.

The ref did his customary walk to the linesman, and our hearts sank, but he held firm (with the correct decision) and allowed it to stand.

This lit a fire in the boys, and we pressed on. But Seshfield knew they had to take the game to us to keep their cup hopes alive. We were equal to it, but they put together some good moves.

Football is a cruel game.

With 20 minutes left, a ball out of the back was closed down from nothing, and suddenly the game was 1-1 after their no. 9 held his nerve.

Luckily, we all picked ourselves up, and soon were on the march downfield. We won a free kick on the corner of the box, and with the clock ticking down, worried that it might take something special to avoid penalties.

Up stepped Joel. With a wicked curling effort, the ball rose high, before dipping into the danger zone. The keeper got one hand on it, but it wasn’t enough. The ball got stuck in the top corner. 2-1.

The final stage of the game was a slugging match, and at times unbearable from the tension. Shortly before the end, a sharp counter attack from Seshfield worked its way into the box.

Their winger crossed, and everything went into slow motion as the striker broke through for a tap in.

But he shanked it. The away side were already celebrating as the ball ran wide of the post.

We held our nerve, and held on to a hard-fought, but narrowly deserved victory to start the year right. Onto the quarter finals we go - our first cup run is officially in session.

I have no idea why Seshfield are where they are in the leagues. We weren’t at our best, but they still had signs of real quality. I wish them best of luck for the season.

Oh how I’ve missed this next part. COME ON YOU SALADS!!!

MOTM 💫 = Joel’s brace was emphatic and some of his attacks today makes him top dog this week. Adam was also brilliant for 90 minutes, and Andre’s last ditch tackle with minutes to go was a team highlight.

DOTD 👀 = With multiple foul throws, yellow cards and a close call with breaching the uniform code, the fines list takes the scalp.