Match stats:

O.G
Gwilym Cox

The Vader’s second pre-season match was a much anticipated one which had been previously called off due to lack of pitch but with a local cabbage patch pitch available the team were in high spirits and ready to take on a local rival in the shape of the Bush Kangaroos.

With the Vader’s taking part in a good pre-match warm-up while the Bush nonchalantly hung around by their cars getting changed confidence was higher than the previous match. The possibility of beating a local team and the anticipation of actually playing on grass was nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time.

Straight from the off, Garth showed that they were well up for this game and were making a point in getting to the ball, this was shown when Rob Boydell immediately took no.10 out because of his eagerness to get to the ball.

The Bush did not seem organised but with the Vader’s team being changed around a bit to make up for missing players the game seemed well balanced. Garth put together a few chances in the opening 10 minutes but didn’t threaten the Bush’s goals and the Vader’s found themselves 1-0 down after 15 after being caught on the counter attack. This was a well made goal and Demporino in goals got a hand to it but the shot proved too powerful to hold for the keeper on his first start of the season.

Following the goal the Vader’s heads dropped for a few minutes but chances were coming and the balls were being whipped in from both wingers Rob Boydell and Rich Boydell.

Lee Isaac and the player/coach Steve Boydell were holding the middle well and orchestrating the moves when moving out of defence into attach.
The Vader’s defence only consisted of one real defender in Allan Thomas, however Matthew Evans proved to be an excellent centre half and might have just found himself a permanent position in the team.

Demporino’s lack of kicking power off the floor (or his bad leg as he likes to call it) left Lee Berkamp James to take all the goal kicks which were proving useful but an application has been made to the Guinness book of world records for the most moaning done in a game while taking goal kicks, corners and throw inn’s. The lack of pitch markings were also causing Lee to take foul throw’s and the application to the book of records was amended to “most moaning while taking goal kicks, corners and foul throws but it’s not my fault because there’s nobody moving and there’s no pitch markings”

With the Vader’s continued effort going forward Blackie was put in on goal only to get rid of the ball to Titch like it was a case of VD to sound of many shouts of “SHOOT” and then shouts of “NOB-HEAD” after he passed it.

Blackie however was slightly vindicated when a few minutes later he had a shot on goal (probably going wide) only for it to be deflected in by a Bush defender.

The Vader’s went into half time with the belief that the slight downhill in the second half and the lack of quality defence the Bush had would see them take the lead. It was therefore a shock when a corner to the Bush saw everyone in the Vader team ball watching only for the Bush to go 2-1 up only a few minutes into the second half.

The Vader’s though pushed forward with heads up believing that an equalizer would come and with Lee Isaac going off half time with an injury Gwilym Cox made an appearance up front while Titch dropped back to cover. Within a few minutes of this change Titch played a fantastic ball over the top which Cox gambled on and it paid off as he took it in his stride while stroking the ball past the Bush ‘s goal keeper.

Back on level terms some changes were made with Byron coming off the bench and Tom Evans replacing Rob Boydell at left back.

A few minutes later and with only 9 minutes remaining the Vader’s were caught short at the back on the counter attack and the Bush made it 3-2 with Demporino having no chance of saving Bloggis’s effort as he wanted to make a hole in the net.

With just 5 minutes left the Vader’s continued to push hard but then the two biggest heads on the field in Bloggis and Matthew Evans went into an aerial challenge only for Bloggis’s head to prove more effective and heavier and possibly slightly bigger than Evans’s head, and Evans came crashing to the floor and made Terry Butcher butchers head injury look like a flesh wound.

This came as a final blow for the Vader’s and Rob Boydell had to return to the pitch in midfield with only a few minutes left on the clock.
3-2 to the Bush at the final whistle but the Vader’s had plenty of positives to take from the game as well as some lessons learnt.

Going into next week’s final pre-season friendly against Tonyrefail hopefully the Vader’s will be back up to full strength team wise and get a few more goals to start the season with.

Post match Evans returned to the pub with a hefty hospital bill having used a full industrial tub of glue on the gash due to the size of his head. 🙂

Quote of the day: It’s not my fault I’m doing foul throws there’s no lines
Man of the match: Matthew Evans