Woodley Saints Lions 1 : 1 Binfield 

The second match of season and Binfield hoping to build on an impressive start. Today's opponents were Woodley Saints Lions, relegated from the 1st Division last and the team who put Binfield out of the cup in the quarter final stage where a much contested penalty resulted in the deciding goal. So much to play for on an unseasonably hot day..

Team selection was impacted by the absence of Joshua Tighe and George and with Josh SImmonds still troubled by a thigh strain, the starting 11 was an easy choice.  Though strains felt by Sam and Dan Kelf were a worry.

Binfield kicked off and seemed strangely tentative. The battling start of the previous week was not in evidence and Binfield were up against it for much of the first 10 minutes. All the early play was in the Binfield half and required the defence and midfield to keep alert. Sam & Luke were challenged on many occasions but managed to stay firm and with Robbie & Lewis commanding at the back, the only threats were long shots from outside the area.

At the other end Binfield worked hard but were up against a well organised defence who played a sweeper system leaving Kieran and Robbie fighting hard to get a chance on goal. 

The midfield battled but struggled against their Woodley counterparts. Dan and Chris in the middle battled for everything and Dan Kelf and Josh Kelleher out wide had to work up and down the line. 

Somewhat against the run of play it was Binfield who took the lead after 23 minutes. The ball played into the area was cleared by Woodley but the ball fell to Chris Edwards. His speculative effort seemed to confuse the Woodley goalkeeper who fumbled the ball over the line and into the net. 0-1

 The early pattern to the game continued with Woodley pressurising the Binfield goal. Brave defending held them at bay as shots were charged down. One well struck effort was goal bound until Lewis managed to get a deflection and turn it wide. Robbie Rumble continues to perform and many a time he was asked to clear the ball as the last man in defence. 

Half time: 0-1 

A tactical change at half time saw Binfield move to a 5-man midfield in an effort to hold on to the lead. Dan Kelf was rested after his efforts in the first half and  Simmo put into centre midfield to add tackling strength and combat the efforts from distance. Lewis was assigned a man-marking role to cut out the threat of the big Woodley forward. 

 The tactics worked and  Woodley struggled to regain their momentum. The extra man in midfield and the back four held firm and Woodley didn't look as if they were going to score.  Until that is, we had a situation of deja-vu. The slightest of touches in the penalty area, a forward falls down and a penalty award that would have had Alan Hanson laughing in the studio. A Nick managed to get a hand to the well struck penalty but was unable to prevent it going in as Woodley drew level. A final complaint to the referee from Nick saw his name go into the ref's book.

The reaction of the boys was immediate and positive as they increased the tempo and the physical level of the match.  Challenges were being won when  earlier they were being lost. Small battles developed and it was Binfield that were in the ascendancy.

The midfield took control and started feeding the ball through the middle to Robbie Cleveland  or out wide for Kieran & Josh Kelleher. Dan Bardon & Chris charged forward through the middle as Binfield tried to regain the lead. A cross from Josh Kelleher was helped on and over the defence to Kieran racing in from the right. He made good contact but he keeper managed to parry the ball up and on to the cross-bar and out for a corner.    

Robbie Rumble just missed out on what would have been goal of the season without doubt. Picking the ball up at left back in the Binfield half, he dribbled past two attackers and took the ball down the line, then  cutting inside past one midfielder , rounding another to get to the edge of the box and when faced with a final defender he made one extra surge to get past and put in a powerful shot from the edge of the area but it was straight at the keeper who held on well.

The Woodley team were obviously troubled by the size and strength of Robbie Rumble so in an effort to get the winner Binfield moved to a 3 man defence, pushing Robbie up front. With just Sam, Robbie & Lewis at the back with Simmo covering in front, the rest of the Binfield team camped out on the edge of the Woodley box.

There were plenty of attempts in the last 10 minutes that could have won the game. But the Woodley goal keeper stayed firm as they hung on for a draw.  

Final Score 1-1

It was a result that felt more like a loss than a draw. A disputed penalty and a dominance that should have brought a winner but didn't  meant it was a slightly disappointing outcome. But there were many positives to take from this performance. This was a strong team performance without either of our two main strikers. The improvement of players is plain to see and the whole team is contributing to good performances. The addition of Chris, Robbie & Dan has certainly enhanced the overall quality of the team.

What was most impressive was the response after conceding the equaliser. The anger and frustration was evident but rather than chins dropping, the boys turned it into positive energy as the team battled even harder in an effort to regain the lead. That it didn't come was disappointing, but this still augers well for the rest of the season.

A feature this season has been the defence, and again it has provided the man of the match. The award going to Sam Perry for his defensive efforts at right-back. Parents Man of the match awarded to Robbie Rumble.