Do not refresh your screen, the above scoreline is not
a misprint. It is not pixel corruption. It is the result of a performance from La Chiesa del Corno that fell way below their
lofty expectations, and finishing of the highest standard from St Augustines Res.
La Chiesa's rotation of their forward line meant Adam Jeffers'
reward for his two goals against Barking Colts was a place on the bench alongside last seasons co-top scorer Jonny Gray, making
his comeback for LC/DC after missing the early part of the season. Dean Jordan was serving the last match of his suspension,
while Darren Hodsell and the brothers Gillham had been granted a week off by kindly boss Samuel Knowles.
Last season Chiesa took just one point from the six available
against St Augustines, and there was talk of putting the record straight at the ground formerly known as Fortress Coopers
this week. Oh how long ago that seems now...
As usual Chiesa started slowly, the extensive pre match routine
employed by St Augustines in sharp contrast to the Benson & Hedges/putting the nets up/fire shots at Harris approach favoured
by La Chiesa. Although St Augustines were the more impressive team, old head Andrew Rubery the inspiration behind most of
their attacking play, it was La Chiesa who took the lead with their first attack of the match. Colin Williams whipped a dangerous
free kick in from the left, and Danny Trew was on hand to guide a deft volley beyond the keeper and put the home team in the
lead.
St Augustines were winning an inordinate amount of free kicks
around the thirty yard mark, and it was from a scramble following one of these that they had a penalty claim turned down.
James Pararajan and Knowles challenged for the ball on the edge of the Chiesa area and the Augustine seemed to come off worse,
but referee Congdon chose to wave play on much to the relief of Chiesa fans. Then came fifteen minutes in which Chiesa had
the chance to stamp their authority on the game. After a quiet start, their midfield four were beginning to gain some rythm,
although the final ball was often overhit or blocked. Goalscorer Trew had a good chance to double the advantage, but slipped
as he shot over the bar, Warren Hardwick was trying his luck from all angles, but the best chance fell to Dennis Peck, who
was odds on to tap into an almost empty net after Knowles' shot had been parried, but slipped on the wet surface and sent
his shot wide.
Chiesa were punished for their wastefulness in front of goal
the very next time the visitors attacked. A through ball was cut out by keeper Mark Harris but his clearance rebounded against
an Augustine and he made no mistake in rolling the ball into the empty net for the equaliser.
Buyers of the bookings were rubbing their hands together when
Terry Soteriou clashed on the left touchline with Augustines right midfielder, who swung a right hander at 'The Stallion'.
He was lucky on two counts, one, that the referee showed extreme leniency in not brandishing a red card, and two that a
pumped up Teggsy was not allowed to get his hands on him. Although it probably was worthy of a sending off
in today's PC world of non contact sport, it was refreshing to see a brief flash of temper calmed down with a handshake
rather than a discipline card.
Demoralising as it was for the Hornchurch Rossinieri to go in
at half time all square, there can be no doubt that it was the least St Augustines deserved. Undoubtably this was the worst
forty five minutes of the season from La Chiesa and things could only get better in the second half....
How wrong can you be? The second forty five minutes were the
most apalling of LC/DC's history, three quarters of an hour when nothing went right for the boys in red and black. Right from
the off it was St Augustines that dominated and they took the lead when their left winger was allowed to cut in before slipping
a sublime pass between Chiesa centre backs that was finished off via Harris and the late flailing arm of Warren Hardwick.
There was some debate over whether the ball crossed the line - if it hadn't it was a penalty and a sending off, if it had,
a goal had to be given of course. After weighing up the pro's and con's of the situation, a sending off and athirty quid fine
against going a goal behind, Hardwick decided the ball HAD crossed the line, and Chiesa were 2-1 down, but still had eleven
men on the pitch.
Chiesa heads were dropping. Their fortuitous lead had now been
turned around, and there was nothing in their play that suggested a comeback was on the cards. Worse was to follow...
When a crossfield ball set an Augustine free everybody expected play to be stopped as the linesman was flagging
- but referee Congdon overuled from the other half of the pitch, and a fierce shot flew across Harris and into the net for
3-1. Congdon had handled two important decisions- the first half melee and the second Augustine goal - with
rare consideration, but how on earth a referee can disregard the opinion of his linesman when he is fifty yards away himself,
well, words fail me. Only once has this happened before in Chiesa history... for St Augustines' equaliser in this fixture
last year.
Knowles had a glorious opportunity to get Chiesa back
in the game when he played a one-two with Trew on the edge of the area but when he was denied by the legs of the
keeper, it seemed like a sign that today was not Chiesa's today.
Jeffers and Gray replaced Peck and Cy Taylor with half an hour
remaining, but the damage had been done and there was worse to follow, when the green and white hoops made it four with
a superb curling effort. Harris made a great reaction save from a header to prevent it being five, but he was merely delaying
the inevitable and the fifth came via an unfortunate fumble from the Chiesa stopper. Danny Trew saw a spectacular first
time effort fly just over the bar but the seal was put on a horrible morning for Chiesa when Knowles and Jeffers failed to
clear a corner and 'Ginge' at right back for St Aug Res fired an unstoppable shot into the far corner for six, his first goal
for two seasons.
Difficult to take any positives from this dismal display for
Chiesa, only that maybe it is better to take a hiding in this manner and use it as a wake up call, rather than lose by the
odd goal and consider yourself unlucky. LC/DC weren't unlucky today, just not at the races.
LCDC; (4-4-2) Harris; McCarthy, Riley, W Hardwick,
Soteriou; Taylor (Gray), Gay, Knowles, Williams; Trew, Peck (Jeffers)
Gol - Trew
Arbitro - D Congdon
