Amateur Football Combination vs Cambridge University

played at Corinthian Casuals on Tuesday 2nd December 2008

Amateur Football Combination 1 Cambridge University 1.

Report courtesy of Dave Stanners

A.F.C coaches, Paul Rumley and Rory Vermeulen, expressed themselves as happy with this result against what both agreed was the best university side they had seen for a number of years. They were not complacent, however, seeing this game as a first step in rebuilding team confidence following the disappointing showing against the S.A.L. in last season’s biennial National League Systems Cup. As it happens the S.A.L went on to show why they won the right to represent England by just failing to make the finals in Italy, cruelly on goal difference, after being unbeaten in their mini league and therefore gave the A.F.C. a standard to aspire to. 

Cambridge University gave the A.F.C. plenty to think about, taming the ball from the outset, showing distinct signs of the results of good coaching, working the ball well out of defence, confidently supporting each other in midfield with smoothly timed one twos and generally keeping the ball. However, once he found his feet, debutant Richard Pilcher marshalled his forces at the back and the A.F.C. defence more than offset the slightly porous nature of their midfield, blunting the Varsity spearhead for much of the match. This was not before the undergraduates had taken the lead on twenty minutes somewhat against the run of play. It was the hosts who applied the early pressure winning a corner which came to nothing but then they were hit on the break when a defence splitting pass from the halfway line found a runner free in the inside left position and instant support inside saw the ball calmly burried from the edge of the area. Almost immediately Ed Glover who was otherwise outnumbered up front found space on the right to run onto Peter Eguae’s well judged pass only to see his lob shot just beat the bar. 

The second half saw the A.F.C. tightening their grip in all areas as the Varsity tired and, although the visitors still buzzed, their sting was drawn. Even so, the A.F.C. attack, despite increasingly asserting itself, in the build-up looked unlikely to produce results. It was left to Ian sawyer to conjure some magic, getting the ball up and over the wall and past the keeper’s despairing dive from a twenty-five yard free kick. In the end, for both sides, the result was not as important as the outing, with Cambridge showing that the A.F.C. management’s proposal to start monthly team training sessions after Xmas might not be a bad idea. 

The MoM award went to Richard Pilcher.

Amateur Football Combination: Rafak Jozwiac (Old Tenisonians), Mat O’Sullivan (Old Ignatians), Chris Thomas (Old Aloysians), Richard Pilcher (Old Meadonians), Innis Pirrie (UCL Academicals), John Butler (Bealonians), Eamonn Keane (Albanian), Peter Eguae (Old Meadonians), David Laird (Old Aloysians), Ian Sawyer (Bealonians). Subs: Damien Swann (Old Aloysians), Dave Harding (HAC)

Officials: David Simpson (referee), Ian Stemp, Chad Chaudhuri.