Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches... Uppers, Downers, Inside Outers... The Birds, The Booze and
the Bubbly... Just three tabloid style headlines we could have used this week to describe the
physical and mental wrecks that turned up to wear the famous Red and Black shirts of La Chiesa in their game against Bryant
Rovers.
Missing skipper Darren Hodsoll and soul provider Cy Taylor, LC/DC reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with Adam Jeffers
partnering Danny Trew up front, and Chris Young at centre back in place of the tender 'Hornchurch Hatchet' Warren
Hardwick, a victim of Saturday night excess who could be trusted with nothing more than the linesman's flag.
Chiesa started sluggishly, with 31 year old (I cant bring myself to say veteran) midfielder Samuel Knowles
still suffering from FRIDAY nights exertions, and guilty of dithering on the ball on several occasions in the middle of the
park... well these things get worse with age so I am told...
Jeffers and Trew were Chiesa's two liveliest players in the opening quarter, no doubt relieved to have some company
in attack rather than plying the unforgiving lone striker role they have been more used to in recent games, and it was ' La
Stringa Della Chiesa' Jeffers that came closest to breaking the deadlock when he latched on to a bad back pass and rounded
the keeper, only to hit the post from an acute angle ( Wayne Rooney was obviously taking notes...). Good work from Trew set
Jeffers up for another chance but his volley flew wide of the near post as Chiesa turned up the heat on Rovers, but it was
only a superb last ditch tackle from the invisible shield that is Chris Young that prevented Bryant taking the lead after
a mix up in the Chiesa rearguard.
But in their second attack Rovers did open the scoring thanks to a howler from the generally tee total, but not
last night, Mark Harris. A free kick from the right was called for, but not claimed by Harris, and a Rovers forward
was on hand to tap in for one-nil. Now was that four diet cokes or five monkey???
Chiesa had only themselves to blame for being behind as they had been sloppy in possession and wasteful in front
of goal, but they were not to be down for long. Within a minute Jeffers had drawn them level, outpacing the Bryant defence
and clipping the ball past the onrushing keeper from a Williams through ball. Bryant were furious as Referee Dave Rivett ignored
the flagging Bryant linesman, and it has to be said that Chiesa have long been in favour of the man in black accepting his
assistants decision as final. This time the decision went in their favour... now to make the most of it.
With Jonny 'last one out of the Opium Lounge' Gray literally FLYING around the pitch contesting every tackle
and refereeing decision with the equal energy, Chiesa were looking the more likely to score the games third goal.
Jeffers was booked for a late tackle on the keeper ( who had to go to work on Monday in case anyone's interested), while Young
saw yellow for a rather cynical tackle on the edge of the Chiesa area. Iain Gay was playing through the alcohol haze but found
himself constantly pulled up for fouls on the giant Bryant midfielder when contesting goal kicks. For all their possession
though, Chiesa couldn't really say they were bossing the game, despite the occasional decent passing move, and it
took another contentious refereeing decision to save them from going into the interval a goal down.
Harris pulled off a great reflex save to deny Bryant, but when the rebound was stuck past him with Linesman Hardwick
looking the odds on to be ignored, only for Ref Riv to disallow the 'goal'... Phew! Remind me of this day when we feel cheated
out of a decision.
Half time came and the feeling in the Chisea dressing room was that they should have been in front on possession
and chances, but they were well aware that they could have been two down had decisions not gone their way.
Knowles had a glorious chance to give the Hornchurch Rossoneri the lead early in the second half when good work
from Peck left him just the keeper to beat, but his attempt at a nonchalant lobbed finish fell flat on its face... many of
the crowd assumed he was passing back to the keeper having been flagged offside! Peck then dummied past his man after a good
passing move from well inside the Chiesa half, but his shot was high and wide, and the home faithful began to wonder
whether this was to be one of those games.
When Jonny Gray volleyed narrowly wide from a magnificent cross field pass from Williams, that feeling could
only have increased, but from the goal kick Chiesa took the lead for the first time. A poor kick from the keeper hit his centre
half on the back to leave Jeffers in the clear, and he made no mistake in slotting the ball past the keeper he had so viciously
taken out in the first half (oooh you rotter AJ).
Both Trew and Jeffers had the chance to make the game safe but were denied by a combination of good goalkeeping
and poor finishing, but it was Bryant that finished the game stronger, though their most effective player, Midfielder No 10
Jon, curiously decided to sit in front of the back four when he would surely have caused more problems around the opposition
penalty area.
Gray was finally booked for uttering his millionth swearword of the game and a Bryant defender was booked for
arguing with a team mate before substituting himself in a typically eccentric Sunday morning football moment. Bryant's substitute
(No 7) was causing problems playing just behind the front two and Bryant forced several late corners as Chiesa nerves frayed.
One vicious in swinger looked destined for the top corner only for Harris to totally redeem himself with an Iker Casillas style
punch to safety. Chiesa were again grateful to Referee Rivett as he appeared to deny Bryant a penalty for a tackle on the
dangerous substitute by Young, but in all honesty, LC/DC should have been out of sight even without the help of the man
in black (not to mention tinted Pat Rice style specs).
A peculiarly unsatisfying game in which Chiesa had enough of possession and chances to win comfortably
but on the other hand could have lost if it were not for good goalkeeping and helpful refereeing. Things are never easy
at the home of Hornchurch football... in Romford. Even so, it keeps them in line for a highest ever finishing position
of fourth, following sixth and fifth in their opening two seasons... and they are still the Corinthian Cup!
LC/DC (4-4-2) - Harris; Kerly, Young, McCarthy, Williams; Gray,
Gay, Knowles, Peck; Jeffers, Trew
Gols - Jeffers 2
Tarjetas Amarillas - Jeffers Young Gray
Arbitro - D Rivett
