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Jeffers In Quickie Shocker! writes Guillem Balague
La Chiesa 2 v Bryant Rovers 0
It's happened to all of us. You get all
wound up before the event, perhaps a little nervous, after all, you barely know the other party, you want to feel your way
around for a while before you get stuck in, there's a bit of squelching here and there, then, before you know it, BANG!...
it's all over - what a disappointment! That's just how Bryant Rovers must have felt on Sunday morning at Coopers Stadium
when, after arriving to see a pitch that resembled a speedway track in places and being kept hanging around while balls were
pumped and nets were put up, found themselves a goal down within fifteen seconds without even getting a touch.
La Chiesa were full of confidence, coming into
the game with a 100% record in 2004, and they were given a further boost when they scored the fastest goal in the Corinthian
League this season. Colin Williams received the ball from kick off, and played a thirty yard pass onto the head of Iain Gay,
who had charged down the right. Jon Gray helped the ball into the path of Adam Jeffers, who took the ball round the keeper
with his first touch, and hammered the ball into the net with his second. It was a dream start for LC/DC, and a demoralising one
for Bryant, but the visitors came back into the game, and had the majority of possession for the next ten minutes or so, before
La Chiesa struck again. Benny Gillham, given a deserved recall following two impressive cameo appearances in the previous
two games, was released on the left hand side of midfield, and as he approached the penalty area, unleashed a speculative
effort that caught Bryants keeper off his line. The ball was followed into the net by the ever alert Jeffers, but had already
crossed the line, and there was no doubt it was the first league goal for the player known as G-Man by LC/DC fans.
La Chiesa then peppered the Bryant goal for the
rest of the half, the stand in keeper being tested for all he was worth, and several shots flying just wide or over. Williams
and Sam Knowles were moving the ball well in the heart of midfield, while Gay, Gray and Jeffers were linking up well on the
Chiesa right. On the half hour it seemed certain to be 3-0 when Knowles was fed by Gray after some superb closing
down by Jeffers, but his 25 yard swerving shot was unbelievably turned round the post by the Bryant stopper, atoning for
any blame he may have been due for the second goal. Williams then came close with a right foot dipper that flew
just over, but, shortly after Gray had a 'Taxi!' moment on the quagmire that was the right hand side of Bryant's area, La
Chiesa almost had their lead cut in two.
Danny Hardwick has been in fine form lately, LC/DC
fans wouldn't swap 'The Monk' for anyone, but he had been complaining of 'smuggling peanuts', early on, and almost had
to be treated for rigormortis after 25 minutes, he had so little to do. It was all the more impressive then when
he produced a save that was the equal of, if not better than, the Bryant keepers effort from Knowles, with his first
touch in the 37th minute. When Bryant's No.10 let rip with a right foot volley from the edge of the area, he would have been
within his rights to have wheeled away in celebration, but he would have missed Hardwicks flying backward dive and tip over
the bar for a corner, which had both sets of players applauding.
At half time it was 2-0 to La Chiesa, but the
second half was not going to be easy. The gale force wind was with Bryant now, and the boggy penalty area that had almost
forced the referee to postpone the match was now LC/DC's to defend. If the forwards and goalkeeper had taken the plaudits
in the first half, it was now the defence's turn to stand up and be counted, and without the injured John Riley and suspended
Warren Hardwick, a new Centre Back pairing of skipper Darren Hodsoll and veteran Mark Ede were put to the test. They came
through it magnificently with Hodsoll marshalling his troops throughout and Ede winning every 50-50. Right Back Mark Harris
was back in the side for the first time in a month as was Terry Soteriou on the left, and both slotted back as if they'd never
been away, Harris swinging in some good crosses, Soteriou winning every tackle and supporting the attack when called upon. Matt
Gillham replaced his brother Benny on the hour mark and showed some good touches and wasn't afraid to try his luck from
distance. Adam Jeffers was defending from the front like man possessed, whilst Jonny Gray gave his usual non
stop energy display. He and the stylish Iain Gay have proved to be shrewd signings by manager Knowles
in the winter transfer window. Bryant applied some pressure in the last quarter of the match, two shots from the left
flying inches past Hardwick's far post, but La Chiesa saw it through and could have made it three late on when Gray's run
and cross presented Matt Gillham with an opportunity that he fired over the bar.
All in all, another good performance from
LC/DC, particularly in the opening forty five minutes. They may have tired in the second half, but defended staunchly
to claim their first ever clean sheet, and travel to Ilford next Sunday to take on Astra with the prospect of a fourth
consecutive victory taking them into an amazing sixth place in the league! Who would have put money on that at Christmas?
LCDC ;(4-4-2) D Hardwick; Harris, Ede,
Hodsoll, Soteriou; B Gillham (M Gillham), Williams, Knowles, Gay; Jeffers, Gray
Gols - Jeffers, B Gillham
Arbitro - R Cresswell
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