Two second half strikes from Colin Williams were enough
to see off Barking Colts at Coopers Stadium this morning.
La Chiesa came into the match on the back of two matches
in which they scored three times but lost, and left them long on entertainment value, but short on Corinthian League
points. Changes had to be made, so Chiesa
switched from 3-5-2 to the 4-4-2 system that served them so well at the back end of last season. Home
supporters were pleased to see the return of Danny Hardwick and John Riley, while Dennis Peck partnered Adam Jeffers
up front. Player Manager Samuel Knowles chose to watch the game from the stands to try and identify where the Hornchurch
Rossoneri had been going wrong recently.
On a blustery day and a pitch as hard as rock, the football
was never going to be easy on the eye. Chiesa, playing against the wind in the first half, found themselves on the back foot
for the opening twenty minutes, although with four men at the back, there was none of the Keystone Cops defending of
the last three weeks. The first chance of the match came when the Colts breached the LC/DC offside trap on twenty two minutes.
Play was waved on despite protests from the home side's back line, and Danny Hardwick was relieved to see the ball rebound
back off his near post to safety. The Colt's number nine was the star man of the opening period, showing an array of tricks
as well as blinding pace, and when the offside trap was beaten again ten minutes later, it took a fantastic last ditch tackle
from Riley to deny him a certain goal.
LC/DC, on the other hand, were struggling to provide chances
for Peck and Jeffers up front. Most of their creative play was coming from Williams the left hand side, with Matt Gillham
having a quiet day on the right wing. Adam Jeffers had a shot on the turn that was deflected just past the post, while Chiesa
thought they had a claim for a penalty when Peck headed just wide under pressure from a Barking defender. Iain
Gay and Dean Jordan were as hard working as ever in midfield, but the ball was more often seen swirling over their heads
than at their feet, where they could do most damage. The main source of first half entertainment for the crowd was
the unique goal kicking style of the Colt's
keeper - A slow build up followed by two Michael Flatley style manoeuvres that had the boys on the line singing the Riverdance
tune every time a shot went wide!
A goalless, but satisfactory, first half for Chiesa. Although
they had less clear cut chances than the visitors, the defensive side of their game was far more solid than it had
been in recent weeks. Matt Gillham was unwell and replaced by Cy Taylor, but with the advantage of the wind
behind them, they approached the second half in confident mood.
The second forty five saw Chiesa play more in the manner we
are used to, with Jordan being particularly influential in the centre of the park. Taylor was making an impact on the right,
and it was his strong hold up play that led to the opening goal. Under pressure from the Colt left back, he laid the
ball off expertly to LC/DC skipper Darren Hodsoll, who swept a fantastic ball to Colin Williams on the far side of the
penalty area. The shaven headed midfielder took the ball in his stride and let rip with a thunderous left foot strike that
flew past the Colt's twinkle toed keeper into the far corner.
Chiesa's inability to hold on to a lead had been their undoing
in the last home fixture versus Maze. They were in front on three occasions that day before going down 5-3, and a repeat performance
was unthinkable.
That there was no repeat was down in no small part to keeper
Hardwick, who produced a magnificent fingertip save to deny the Colt's an equaliser when a break down the left had undone
the home defence. Williams was denied a second goal when another heatseeker from his left boot almost snapped
the keepers fingers in two as he tipped it wide. Chiesa then missed a golden opportunity to give themselves a two
goal cushion, when Peck, released by a slide rule pass from Jeffers, elected to try an extravagant chip rather than
a simple finish, and the ball sailed wide. The Chiesa number nine made up for his miss just minutes later though, when
he held the ball up well, before slipping a pass into the path of Williams who provided a calm finish for his second
of the match - LC/DC making the most of a fifteen minute spell in which they dominated.
In between the Williams double, Chiesa had given a debut to
Steve McCarthy, who replaced Iain Gay, while Mark Harris came on for Hodsoll at right back. There was more
hilarity on the touchline when Chiesa fan Danny Shoult attempted to catch the ball from a wayward Riverdance kick, and
fell backwards over twenty eight year old Dominic Wilson's BMX.
Colt's No.9 was still looking dangerous although mainly restricted
to long range efforts, while the visitors almost grabbed a consolation through a cheeky backheel, but Hardwick
was on hand to deny them. This would prove to be the Chiesa Number One's second clean sheet of the season (the other being
when he was playing for the other side - see banter). Adam Jeffers saw his well taken effort chalked off for
handball, but Chiesa were more than happy with the two goal lead they held, and at the final whistle the sigh of
relief was audible all the way down St Mary's Lane to Hornchurch.
Not a vintage LC/DC performance, the weather being the reason
for that, but three points, a clean sheet, and two superbly taken goals were just what the doctor ordered to ease
the gloom following the previous two matches. An ideal confidence booster ahead of next weeks visit to Stonewood.
LCDC; (4-4-2) D Hardwick; Hodsoll (Harris), Riley, W
Hardwick, Soteriou; M Gillham (Taylor), Gay, Jordan, Williams; Jeffers, Peck
Gols - Williams 2
Arbitro - L Francis
