Oxford University vs Amateur Football Combination

played at Iffley Road on Wednesday 9th January 2008

Oxford University 2 (Alex Toogood, Nico De Walden).

Amateur Football Combination 3 (Ian Sawyer, Leon Smith 2).

AFC managers Rory Vermeulen and Paul Rumley expressed themselves as satisfied that, ahead of their National League System cup match away to the Guernsey League on Saturday 19^th January, the team have continued their good form, taking their unbeaten run to eight since the new management took over by prising a narrow win from the grip of a skilful and currently successful Oxford University side by the simple expedient of pacing themselves and outstaying their hosts who faded and, finally, did not quite last the pace. Both sides did full justice to a near perfect playing surface, playing neat and supportive football but as the Oxford skipper was to admit later the AFC ultimately mastered the conditions better, including a bitter breeze blowing the length of the pitch, to reap a slight but telling advantage.

Oxford, on the back of a run of five wins, since the AFA beat them early in the season and, incidentally, Martin Keown took over as coach, set the early pace, taking full advantage of the visitors patched line up and setting free their speedy front runners who were soon tearing holes in a creaking defence which had yet to gel. The visitors, for their part began by contributing to their own discomfiture by giving the ball away in mid-field and relying too heavily on the skills of their paceman Peter Eguae who, early on, cut a lonely figure up front and was crowded out before he could inflict damage. However, all the hosts had to show for their efforts for the first twenty minutes of supremacy was a string of unproductive corners. Reward was in the offing as a clinically pin-pointed pass put Nico de Walden away on the right with enough time to measure his cross which was thunderously volleyed in from fifteen yards by Alex Toogood for Oxford’s deserved opener. By now the AFC were finding each other better and turning the tide to put on pressure. More than once Eguae, managed to turn with clever shielding of the ball and stretched his legs to work himself space to get in good but unproductive crosses. The inevitable and just equaliser came on thirty five minutes when Ian Sawyer got up and away from his marker to head in a Steve Watson corner. 

On the restart, with the wind, the AFC stamped their authority on the midfield and applied the screws by introducing the predatory Leon Smith up front. By now traffic was beginning to be one way as Oxford found themselves under the cosh and the visitors’ strikers found space. First, on the hour, Smith bust through the middle to score from close in and in rapid succession Eguae hit the bar and skipper for the day Dave Harding had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside. Almost immediately the hosts showed they could still sting by snatching an equaliser against the run when a touch of ball watching and inattention to near-post angles allowed de Walden to batter the ball in from ten yards off Simon Dean’s groping hands. The AFC soon reasserted themselves and their merited winner came with ten minutes to go from a short sharp weaving run by Smith. 

After the match the Varsity provided impeccable hospitality in ‘The Oxford Blue’ nearby, AFC President Alan Meyer thanked them for the warmth of their welcome and awarded league ties to Dave Harding and Ian Sawyer. For his part the Oxford skipper was sincere in thanking the AFC for providing competitive but fair opposition for them to hone their skills and to be able to withstand better the hurly burly of the Universities League, a view attested to by the fact that there had not been a single malicious foul for the admirable officials to attend to. Later the O.U. skipper was to confide privately that he was envious of the AFC’s off the field support, two coaches, an administrator (Fred Nuckey) and a crowd of a dozen Wise Old Owls (WOOs). For their part the Varsity players had had to deal with all the arrangements for the match without help. Finally the crowd split the AFC. MoM award between Leon Smith for his deadly finishing and Peter Eguae for his non-stop penetrative running. In the words of one of the Owls ‘When he had the ball there was always something electrifying likely’.

Amateur Football Combination: Simon Dean (Univ. of Hertford), Steave Watson (H.A.C.), Brian Hanley (Old Meadonians), John Butler (Bealonians), Nick Jones (Old Aloysians), Ian Sawyer (Bealonians), Dave Harding (H.A.C.), Peter Eguae (Old Meadonians), David Laird (Old Aloysians), Dwain Swan (Old Aloysians), Gary Bryson (Bealonians). Sub. Leon Smith (Old Meadonians).