Match Report Saturday 4th November

City Of London I vs. Comets

Result 8 - 0

After last week's impressive performance, COL needed to cement their notable superiority on the league. They needed to prove they could perform as well against the lower teams as they can against the top ones... and prove it they did.

Not more than 5 minutes had gone by before Fitzy looped the ball across the box to an oncoming Peruvian.... Carlos rose like a phoenix and connected in style to loop his Mark-Hughes-replica header back over an approaching keeper. 1 - 0 and a rare headed goal for the Sanchez. COL were on top and with some excellent flowing football continued to dominate until the second goal came. Ten minutes on and our number 10 showed why he'd given himself the modest nickname of "Phenom"! J.K a.k.a "Put the ball away", put the ball away with a well taken strike as a Boydy free kick was mis-timed by the Comets defender and the striker was left with just the keeper to beat.

Half way through and City were far from finished. A Fitzy 25 yard pass saw J run through and slot home for his second goal in ten minutes... 3 - 0 City. Fitzy always the bridesmaid but never the bride!

As half time drew near though, Fitzy saw his chance and set off on a spellbinding run past three troubled defenders, leaving them shattered and crying in his wake... a cheeky nutmeg of the keeper and COL went into half time a comfortable 4 goals up.

The second half came and the goal of the match came with it. Ten minutes in saw the goal hungry Capo venturing forward for a corner. Cleared from the box but not far enough as the ball fell tantalising in front of the COL captain. After last week's critics claiming his strike was a one off, the goal rich defender needed to strike back in style. He acted on instinct and did what he does best. Leaping through the air like a svelte Russian gymnast, Frankum connected with another athletic volley and the ball flew powerfully into the top left corner. An 18 yard wonder strike. 5 - 0. To infinity and beyond....

The sixth came courtesy of the fresh legged Reevo and a hat trick of Fitzgerald assists. Reeves broke free from his struggling marker to send the ball home after a mesmerizing fitzy run and unselfish pass. Goal 7 came from JK, the hat trick hero and MOM after a Carlos through ball. A well taken goal saw the match ball going to JK, or more accurately, back in the kit bag.

Reevo went on a dazzling run for the 8th and returned Fitzy's earlier gift. An instinctive flick sealed an 8-0 win against a potential bogey team for the ever-dominant City.

MOM: JK

Result 6 - 4

Villains to heroes and back again. A rollercoaster of a game saw the 2's go down fighting to a strong Thorntonians 3's side 6-4 at the weekend.

The first challenge of the day was to find the ground for an early kick-off, which we all eventually did by various modes of transport and with varying success, Mikey Z arriving cross-country looking every inch the country squire. The ref's lateness gave us time for the full warm-up and then warm down and when the whistle finally went, we found ourselves two goals down with barely five minutes gone. The less said about the goals the better but suffice to say they came with bows on, Christmas come early for the home team.

A mountain to climb then but suddenly the energy of the midfield four of Robbie, Carl, Yappy and Dazza got us at least to base camp and a foothold in the game. One burst of skill and pace from Dazza took him clear of his two markers only for the goalbound shot to be blocked by a great recovery tackle. A couple of corners and set pieces showed that our aerial strength might get us something out of the game after all. Then a debatable free kick awarded on the edge of the area gave the home team a three goal cushion as it was expertly clipped round the wall and into the top corner.

Heads down? Not a bit of it. We needed one back before the break and it came from the Read-Yappy freekick combo, a shaft of light in the darkness and a quick revision of the half-time team talk. Also the first goal Thorntons have conceded this season in five outings, some pride restored.

Mystic Meg would have struggled to foresee the Bonfire Night afternoon fireworks that followed in the frenetic second period (apologies in advance if some of these are not in sequence).

The next goal was crucial, chalk it up to Thorntons, 4-1, job done.

Nope, two unanswered goals put us back in it, a smashed Kabbabe pen and then a dogged Kabbabe finish hooking it round the keeper after a punt over the top and shrugging off the attentions of the centre half. Tails up and looking for the equaliser but then another setback, the home midfield taking advantage of some half-hearted defence to bumble through and smash the fifth, followed by celebrations which said much about the pressure we were bringing to bear. 5-3

Again heads didn't go down and a further penalty was won, a brave but right decision by the ref for hands in the box after a throw in.Pressure pressure pressure. Ice cold Kabbabe again slotting home for a deserved hat-trick. 5-4 and back in with a sniff of a fantastic comeback.

Unfortunately the final denouement went the wrong way, another dubious freekick on the edge of our box swept in a knock down and a predator finish, 6-4 game, set and match, no tie break required.

Lots of pride and courage shown but in the final shakedown too much ground lost at the start of the game.

MoM - Simon Kabbabe - Hat trick hero

Result 3 - 5

City keen to bounce back from the Refgate scandal knew they had a serious match on from studying the oppo’s form – played 4 won 4 31 goals for and only 2 against. Undeterred a game plan was laid down – Win.

With key aerial stalwarts, Terry and Mig, missing from the defensive line up it was no surprise that the oppo’s first three goals came from long or over-the-top balls. Clapham struck two quick goals early in the first half. City lacked their usual ability to hold on to the ball and it wasn’t until mid way through the half that we constructed our first good move that we pulled one back through Richy Flint. Almost with their first attack Clapham were two up again.

Strong pressure from Clyson and Pier Giorgio paid off when the oppo were dispossessed deep in their own half and a well driven cross forced the desperate Clapham defender prod the ball into his own net.

Half time 2-3 down but City were back in it on the strength of taking our couple of chances. We started brightly in the second half carving out several good chances but it was the oppo who struck with a great edge of the box drive mid way through the half. City started to push harder. Pont’s drive and determination down the right and at times as the 3rd striker earn City a penalty. The oppo grumble and even made a substitution and forced the ref to hold up the pen. Mig, the stand in keeper, strolled the long way to the spot, waited for the farce to end and then drove a pen nearly right through the bottom right corner of the net. 4 -3. Ten minutes to go and a glimmer….blown away by the first attack from the kick off. Clapham celebrated like they had won the league, premature me thinks.

MOM Wes Banks