26.09.04 - Maze - The Great Chiesa Giveaway

Chiesa snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the previously impregnable Fortress Coopers on Sunday, a match that will be remembered as the day the nicest guy in football was shown a red card. After dominating for the first seventy five minutes, LC/DC commited footballing suicide in the last fifteen, with hapless referee Leonard Simpson standing accused of euthanasia.

With regular Centre Half John Riley an absentee, and Harris in goal, Chiesa were short on defenders, so it was skipper Darren Hodsoll that lined up alongside Warren Hardwick and Terry Soteriou at the back, as Gaffer Samuel Knowles was forced to persist with the controversial 3-5-2 system.

As usual, the home team started slowly. On a pitch still damp from an early morning shower, first time control of a football was no easy task, and many passes went astray as the ball skimmed off the greasy surface. Despite this, Chiesa were dictaing the tempo, the extra body in midfield giving the option of an easy ball when required. It was against the run of play then, when Maze took the lead on the half hour. A corner for the visitors was missed by Harris, and a far post header deflected in via Soteriou.

LC/DC stepped up the pace for the final fifteen minutes of the half, determined to reach half time on level terms, but despite playing their opponents off the park with some crisp passing, the were unable to create any genuine chances for strikers Jeffers and Trew. The opportunity for an equaliser finally arose five minutes before the interval, when midfielder Iain Gay was pulled to the floor and, despite the protests of Maze defenders, a penalty was awarded. Up stepped Knowles to take the kick and draw Chiesa level, via post and keeper.

All square at half time then, and Chiesa were scratching their heads in wonder of how they were not in the lead - they were moving the ball around as well as they had ever done, and the one-one scoreline was less than flattering.

The home team picked up the second half where they left the first, Colin Williams, Dean Jordan, Gay and Knowles were spraying the ball around with ease, while Matt Gillham was causing no end of havoc on the right wing. A Chiesa goal seemed inevitable, and when a poor goal kick returned by Knowles led to Jeffers being scythed down on the edge of the area, Chiesa had the chance to take the lead. Spread bettors who were long of bookings would have been shouting for a red card for a professional foul, but no one likes to see that kind of thing at amateur level...... or do they? In any case, Iain Gay's kick was too hot for Maze's keeper to handle and La Chiesa's record scorer Danny Trew showed the value of following up as he smashed home the rebound.

Time for an avalanche of goals then, but it was the Chiesa net that was next to bulge. A routine ball over the top caught Chiesa on the hop, and Danny Steel raced clear to fire an equaliser past Harris. This was a brief interuption in Chiesa dominance, and they almost took the lead again immediately when Matt Gillham unleashed a twenty five yard screamer with the outside of his right foot that was tipped onto the bar by the Maze keeper. Chiesa rang the changes with twenty five minutes left, Dennis Peck and Cy Taylor replacing Gillham and Soteriou, and it was Peck's flick to Trew that led to the third LC/DC goal, Trew's lay off setting up Knowles whose left foot shot went in off the post. Now it was time for the home side to wrap the game up.

Except it wasn't, and the Hornchurch Rossoneri were undone in the same manner for the third goal as they were for the second, a long ball catching the back three cold, and Steel again producing a carbon copy of his previous finish to make it 3-3. Peck had a chance to restore LC/DC's advantage, but his shot was saved , before referee Simpson made the monumental ricket that cost Chiesa the points.

Again, Steel was set free by a ball over the top but this time Harris was quick off his line to dive at his feet and divert the ball for a corner. Unbelievably, Simpson pointed to the spot, and, despite the Maze forward himself admitting it was no penalty, astounded all in attendance by showing the nicest guy in Sunday football a straight red for a professional foul. Last time Simpson was in town he shocked the football folk of Hornchurch when he allowed a blatantly offside equaliser to deny Chiesa their first ever win. An official complaint was made and he was lambasted on this website, maybe this latest howler was some twisted kind of retribution. Whatever the reasoning behind it all, it was a truly pathetic performance. Knowles took over the keepers jersey and his first duty was to pick the ball out of the net, only for the penalty to be retaken due to Maze encroachment. This time Steel put it in the other corner, and the visitors had a most unlikely lead. Within minutes, they were 5-3 up. Chiesa still hadn't learned their lesson from the previous three goals, and yet again Steel was set free to score his fourth goal of the game, a thirty yard lob over the stranded stand in keeper. The final five minutes were played out in almost total silence, the whole stadium in disbelief at the events that had unfolded in front of them.

Chiesa were left to reflect on just how they failed to win a game that they dominated for so long. At times they passed the ball around as well as they ever have, yet for the second consecutive week they failed to pick up any points despite scoring three goals. A season that started with high expectations in danger of going off the rails. LC/DC need a positive reaction to their mini crisis against London Cranes in the Cup next week to boost morale.

LCDC; (3-5-2) Harris; Soteriou (Taylor), W Hardwick, Hodsoll; Williams, Gay, Knowles, Jordan, M Gillham (Peck); Jeffers, Trew (B Gillham)

Gols - Knowles 2 (1pen), Trew

Tarjeta Rojo - Harris

Arbitro - L Simpson


				*lachiesa.co.uk* 26.09.04 - Maze - The Great Chiesa Giveaway



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		Heaven Knows We're Miserable Now writes Guillem Balague La Chiesa 3 vs Maze 5







		Chiesa snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the previously impregnable Fortress Coopers on Sunday, a match that will be remembered as the day the nicest guy in football was shown a red card. After dominating for the first seventy five minutes, LC/DC commited footballing suicide in the last fifteen, with hapless referee Leonard Simpson standing accused of euthanasia. With regular Centre Half John Riley an absentee, and Harris in goal, Chiesa were short on defenders, so it was skipper Darren Hodsoll that lined up alongside Warren Hardwick and Terry Soteriou at the back, as Gaffer Samuel Knowles was forced to persist with the controversial 3-5-2 system. As usual, the home team started slowly. On a pitch still damp from an early morning shower, first time control of a football was no easy task, and many passes went astray as the ball skimmed off the greasy surface. Despite this, Chiesa were dictaing the tempo, the extra body in midfield giving the option of an easy ball when required. It was against the run of play then, when Maze took the lead on the half hour. A corner for the visitors was missed by Harris, and a far post header deflected in via Soteriou. LC/DC stepped up the pace for the final fifteen minutes of the half, determined to reach half time on level terms, but despite playing their opponents off the park with some crisp passing, the were unable to create any genuine chances for strikers Jeffers and Trew. The opportunity for an equaliser finally arose five minutes before the interval, when midfielder Iain Gay was pulled to the floor and, despite the protests of Maze defenders, a penalty was awarded. Up stepped Knowles to take the kick and draw Chiesa level, via post and keeper. All square at half time then, and Chiesa were scratching their heads in wonder of how they were not in the lead - they were moving the ball around as well as they had ever done, and the one-one scoreline was less than flattering. The home team picked up the second half where they left the first, Colin Williams, Dean Jordan, Gay and Knowles were spraying the ball around with ease, while Matt Gillham was causing no end of havoc on the right wing. A Chiesa goal seemed inevitable, and when a poor goal kick returned by Knowles led to Jeffers being scythed down on the edge of the area, Chiesa had the chance to take the lead. Spread bettors who were long of bookings would have been shouting for a red card for a professional foul, but no one likes to see that kind of thing at amateur level...... or do they? In any case, Iain Gay's kick was too hot for Maze's keeper to handle and La Chiesa's record scorer Danny Trew showed the value of following up as he smashed home the rebound. Time for an avalanche of goals then, but it was the Chiesa net that was next to bulge. A routine ball over the top caught Chiesa on the hop, and Danny Steel raced clear to fire an equaliser past Harris. This was a brief interuption in Chiesa dominance, and they almost took the lead again immediately when Matt Gillham unleashed a twenty five yard screamer with the outside of his right foot that was tipped onto the bar by the Maze keeper. Chiesa rang the changes with twenty five minutes left, Dennis Peck and Cy Taylor replacing Gillham and Soteriou, and it was Peck's flick to Trew that led to the third LC/DC goal, Trew's lay off setting up Knowles whose left foot shot went in off the post. Now it was time for the home side to wrap the game up. Except it wasn't, and the Hornchurch Rossoneri were undone in the same manner for the third goal as they were for the second, a long ball catching the back three cold, and Steel again producing a carbon copy of his previous finish to make it 3-3. Peck had a chance to restore LC/DC's advantage, but his shot was saved , before referee Simpson made the monumental ricket that cost Chiesa the points. Again, Steel was set free by a ball over the top but this time Harris was quick off his line to dive at his feet and divert the ball for a corner. Unbelievably, Simpson pointed to the spot, and, despite the Maze forward himself admitting it was no penalty, astounded all in attendance by showing the nicest guy in Sunday football a straight red for a professional foul. Last time Simpson was in town he shocked the football folk of Hornchurch when he allowed a blatantly offside equaliser to deny Chiesa their first ever win. An official complaint was made and he was lambasted on this website, maybe this latest howler was some twisted kind of retribution. Whatever the reasoning behind it all, it was a truly pathetic performance. Knowles took over the keepers jersey and his first duty was to pick the ball out of the net, only for the penalty to be retaken due to Maze encroachment. This time Steel put it in the other corner, and the visitors had a most unlikely lead. Within minutes, they were 5-3 up. Chiesa still hadn't learned their lesson from the previous three goals, and yet again Steel was set free to score his fourth goal of the game, a thirty yard lob over the stranded stand in keeper. The final five minutes were played out in almost total silence, the whole stadium in disbelief at the events that had unfolded in front of them. Chiesa were left to reflect on just how they failed to win a game that they dominated for so long. At times they passed the ball around as well as they ever have, yet for the second consecutive week they failed to pick up any points despite scoring three goals. A season that started with high expectations in danger of going off the rails. LC/DC need a positive reaction to their mini crisis against London Cranes in the Cup next week to boost morale. LCDC; (3-5-2) Harris; Soteriou (Taylor), W Hardwick, Hodsoll; Williams, Gay, Knowles, Jordan, M Gillham (Peck); Jeffers, Trew (B Gillham) Gols - Knowles 2 (1pen), Trew Tarjeta Rojo - Harris Arbitro - L Simpson