Lane
Cove 2, Lane Cove West 3.
13 May 2006, Blackman
This is what
they call a famous victory! Perhaps not famous in the sense of
And, funnily
enough, today is FA Cup Final day too, 27 years. And our 3-2 win had exactly
the pattern as Arsenal’s: 2-0 up, dragged back to 2-2, then a glorious last
goal to send the fans home singing. (Our most faithful fan this season,
Howard’s Dad, goes home this week: don’t feel that you have to sing all the way home!)
[I wrote
this on Saturday evening, little knowing that this year’s Cup Final would also
follow the same pattern of scoring, and half-time score, even; right up until
the 90th minute in Cardiff!]
And
all this against the old enemy, who started the day undefeated, and on top of
the table. We’ve seen nothing like it since we beat them
8-0 on the first day of a season long ago.
Especially
after last week’s disappointment, a good start was what we needed, and what we
got. (What is it that makes the difference?). Right from the start we attacked
with vigour, competed hard in mid-field, and looked secure at the back: and
everyone was firing was chasing hard. Eric ran hard all afternoon and tackled
hard; and Martin & Howard shrugged off the cares of last week, and often
cleared the line strongly when danger threatened. Steve B was again powerful
(until the batteries ran down and he limped off) and Jon B battled away despite
an injury that seems likely to keep him out next week. In midfield, Ernie
looked particularly telling in his new central role; and John S did Scottish
Terriers proud!
But Lane
Cove looked dangerous, too, and had a couple of particularly sharp mid-fielders
and forwards.
This week,
injured Tim got to play the Brian Clough role, and it was shortly after one of
his earliest changes that the oncoming player broke the deadlock. A corner on
the right flighted over by Brian was just slightly diverted by Bob (so he tell
us, so it must be true). This makes what happened next all the more remarkable:
Dave rose to meet this (slightly diverted) ball perfectly and, with his fourth
telling header in two weeks, sent the ball rocketing past the keeper, and just
under the bar:1-0.
But talk of
rockets! Ten minutes or so later we got a free-kick well outside Lane Cove’s
area. Peter’s shot fairly flew round the wall, and into the top corner: 2-0.
Still we
worried (those of us on the sideline at this point did, anyway) that it was
early days (an hour still to go) and you could see why Lane Cove are doing so
well this year: clever little passes, and lots of skill. The key, so the
sideline theory went, was getting to half-time with the two-goal lead intact. Which we almost did. The 40th minute came and
went, as did the 41st. But what didn’t come was the referee’s
whistle. Not, at least, until the lead had been halved. Those smart moves that
I told you about prophetically: well, one of them now unfurled up the field,
leaving a forward with a clear chance; and he left Tony with none: 1-2.
The start of
the second half saw us mostly back on our heels. Lane Cove looked ever
stronger, and it was no surprise when they drew level. Though
the build-up had a bit of luck. I intercepted an opponent’s pass just
outside our area at just the moment (as I then found out) that Ernie was about
to do the same. But the way he was facing would not have had the ball roll to
another forward (as my attempt at defending did) and he passed it, it was
crossed, and another excellent header brought them to 2-2.
There were
20 minutes to go (I know: I asked the ref) & I confess that I didn’t think
we would win from there. Indeed, the possibility of defeat was invading a
corner of my brain. But what can you do, but battle on? And this we all did
with great determination, and no less skill.
And, behold,
the tide turned! No longer were we camped in our own half, but were marauding
through that horrible dry and bumpy mid-field at the far end. On came Matt
(who, as Martin said, was an injured spectator, wrapped up like the Man from
Snowy River one minute, then on the field the next) to turn up the heat still
further.
Lane Cove
weren’t giving up, though. It was somewhere around here that Tony capped off a
fine afternoon with a really good save with his legs from a forward close-in,
and there were other scares too.
But it was
us more often attacking, and twice within a minute we seemed to blow our
chances of winning. First, Peter sent over a lovely cross from the right, and
there I was at the far post, all, all alone, just needing to nod it in. But I
didn’t: I nodded it wide. The ensuing
goal-kick was poorly struck by the ‘keeper. It made it only to me & I
lobbed it to Mark S, but he tripped as he went for it, and we cursed quietly
together.
But, no time
to stop: onward, onward! More poor clearances by them, much chasing by us,
great heart shown all round, and, for once, virtue was rewarded. Another
excellent Brian corner from the right; Peter rose at exactly the spot that I
missed from a little earlier, and showed us all how the far-post header should
be done: powerful, downwards and (and here’s the really important bit) - on
target!
3-2 to us
but still a while to go; and we’d seen enough by now to know that the ref would
do us no favours. But did we panic? Not a chance! We continued what we’d been
doing: running, encouraging, giving nothing away, and it was
us, rather than them, that looked more likely to score in the closing stages.
But it was a
relief to hear the final whistle that sealed a famous victory indeed: a
fantastic team effort that we can all be proud of. It’s a shame to single out
anyone, but the
When did we
last score at least 3 goals 3 games running, as we now have? And when did we
last win 3-2? Six years ago is the answer to both questions! But, more to the
point, as we think ahead, rather than back: the sad truth is that it’s almost 3
years since we’ve won two games in a row, and next week we need to fix that, by
carrying on as we were this week. We’re still only 7th, but just 3
points from 3rd.
Thanks to
Steve Walton for running the line for us, and to Brian for doing so at short
notice for the As; finally to Tim for being such a
successful manager, for bringing the beers, and for pointing out the error in
last week’s report. It wasn’t Martin Peters who turned away after the famous
did-the ball-cross the line-after the header? incident
in the 1966 World Cup final; it was Roger Hunt. (He - as I recall, but Tim will
correct me if I’m wrong - had kept the incomparable Jimmy Greaves out of the
side for the final). Of course, by turning away he signaled that he (the
nearest player) had no doubt that the ball had crossed the line, and if he’d
headed it (as surely he could have) but missed, that wouldn’t have been a good
look, would it?
And, as Tim
says, isn’t it wonderful when games stick in the mind for years? As ours today
will.
MARK BRYANT