La Chiesa were dragged kicking and screaming over the finishing line at Cottons Park this Sunday, a third successive
defeat to finish off the Hornchurch Rossoneri's season, and possibly their existence, on a flat note.
Sprint arrived at the ground having already beaten the divisions top two, Maze and AFC Dockside, in recent weeks,
and with Chiesa struggling for form and motivation, some East London bookmakers had the away side slight favourites for the
game.
Top scorer Dennis Peck was away on holiday, while Cy Taylor has quit the game to concentrate on Saturday nights out.
Iain Gay was unfit to play an outfield role, but took over the keepers jersey from Mark Harris, who was playing his last game
for the club having tired of having to don the said jersey. Chris Young started in midfield despite an ankle injury, as Chiesa
went 4-4-2 with Jeffers and Trew up front.
Although Chiesa had triumphed by four goals to one in the reverse fixture, Sprint had just ten men that day and
had shown enough to be a threat to the LC/DC, and they dominated the opening passage of play following an intense warm up
while the Chiesa boys were putting up those Godforsaken posts. Sprint took the lead after twenty minutes when a fine
one touch move ended with a first time shot being driven past Gay, and were good value for their lead.
Danny Trew moved to the left of midfield asChris Young had been slung upfront by now, having been unable to carry
on in midfield due to the ankle injury he was carrying, and Youngy had a great chance to equalise when Colin
Williams clipped a tremendous pass over the top to him, only to blast over from just inside the box. 'That's why
he's a holding midfielder' thought the rest of the Chiesa team, but minutes later he proved their was more to his game than
shielding the defence when he got on the end of another fantastic through ball, this time from Harris, and smashed it
into the roof of the net to level things up at one each.
Sprint were knocking the ball around with confidence and causing problems for Chiesa with their total football style
of play, a clever free kick routine almost brought them a second goal, while Ian Gay was coping well in his role between the
sticks. More trickery around the edge of the area forced a rash tackle from Steve McCarthy and referee Johnny Vaughan took
a break from laddish banter to award the visitors a penalty, which was converted in style to restore their lead.
Warren Hardwick was booked for kicking the ball away as Sprint were awarded an indirect free kick inside the area,
but it was at the other end that the final action of the half was developing. Mark Harris had a 'taxi' moment when he
seemed to sell himself a dummy... which he fell for... in the centre circle and ended up flat on his face, but soon after
that was forgotten when a long throw from Darren Hodsoll was flicked on at the near post by Young for Adam Jeffers to
nod home his fifteenth of the season. Two all now and Chiesa were pressing for a half time lead.
Samuel Knowles was first on to another flick from Young and seemed certain to score, only for the keeper
to pull off a great save from his first time shot, Jeffers just failing to beat the Sprint defender to the rebound. From
the corner that resulted however, LC/DC had the opportunity to take the lead. A Sprint defender deflecting
the ball toward his own goal and the man on the line stopping a certain own goal with his arm. Referee Vaughan pointed
to the spot for the second time in the game, though surprisingly didn't show a card of any description to the offender. Justice was
seen NOT to be done as Hardwick smashed the kick way over the bar and the score, as well as the number
of players on each side, were level at the interval.
Sprints boss laid into his side at the break as Chiesa reflected that they could have been in the lead despite being
second best for most of the opening forty five. As with most of the Rossoneri's games this season, the one thing you could
be sure of in the second half.... was goals.
Chiesa went three-two down early in the half, but bounced back almost immediately when another throw from Hodsoll caused
chaos in the Sprint six yard box and, after pressure on the keeper from Jeffers, Knowles was on hand at the far post to make
it 3-3.
It was end to end stuff for most of the second half as the game was becoming more like basketball than
football, and a Sprint counter attack led to them taking the lead for a fourth time not long after, but Chiesa hit right back
with a fourth equaliser from their favoured mode of attack recently - a long throw from Hodsoll. This time it was emergency
striker Young heading in to the far corner, and it seemed as though Chiesa just would not be beaten.
Colin Williams emulated Harris' earlier call for a Hackney Carriage tripping himself up in the Chiesa penalty area
much to his own embarrassment and Harris' delight but the light hearted mood of the Red and Blacks was contributing to their
downfall. Their attacking play was merely masking
their tendency to concede at the other end with the back four being afforded very little cover from the midfield
pairing of Gray and Knowles now that Young was in attack. Sprints lively breaks resulted in two more goals to wrap things
up for the side that are now looking to nick fourth place on goal difference from the mighty Chiesa... How dare they!
The whole game had a distinct 'end of season' feel to it, with even Chiesa's most capable moaners resisting the
need for a whinge up. Harris had an undignified end to his season/career as he spent the final five minutes prostrate on the
touchline following a late tackle from the invisible man,and with half of the team looking to spend the summer weighing
up whether to call time on their playing days or not, it begs the question whether there will be a La Chiesa in 06/07. Is
it better to have live fast/die young attitude and leave a good looking corpse? Kurt Cobains fans were never asking themselves
'Has he gone on for too long?' now were they? Could the most insular club in the South East open itself up to 'outsiders'
and shelve its 'mates only' policy in order to evolve? Surely not! Can the same old jokes be recycled on this website for
yet ANOTHER year without the readers falling (a) asleep, or, even worse, (b) in love with other teams and their more
professional sites? (Oh tell me that coudn't happen...) Or is this all just end of season weariness that four months
worth of nagging from the missus/Sundays spent with the inlaws could cure? Well let us hope that is the case, but for
now... Happy Holidays!
LC/DC (4-4-2) - Gay; Hodsoll, Hardwick, McCarthy, Williams; Gray, Young, Knowles, Harris; Jeffers, Trew
Gols - Young 2 Jeffers Knowles
Arbitro - Johnny Vaughan
