CSFC

 Fours' four earn them the points

Date: 06/03/10; Opposition: Polyechnic 4XI; Ground: Polytechnic Football Club; Competition: League; Score: 0-4; MotM: Paul Mazalov

Conditions could not have been better for an afternoon of football. The sun was shining, there was little wind and the squad was in high spirits as they looked to put an end to a recent losing streak. In our last encounter with Poly we produced an superb performance which saw us net seven goals. On that occasion we were able to achieve an emphatic victory by getting at them from the very start which meant their heads went down. Our game plan was more of the same for the away leg.

The opening exchanges were very even between the two sides with both teams producing some good attacking football down the flanks of the pitch. Poly produced an early opportunity which saw them hit the the cross bar as they made the most of a slightly sleeping defence. Following that though, the boys in red gained a little composure and were soon able to reply with excellent attacking play. Tom Jennings was able to produce several good runs down the left, Moira picked out some exacting passes which had the home side's defence floundering at times and Ben and Maz were able to forge a good understanding between the two of them which was proving exceptionally difficult to contain.

Our first goal came around twenty minutes into the first half. Some good play in the middle of the park saw Maz being released on goal by a great little pass from Ben. With only one man in his way, Maz was hacked down in a central position just outside the area. Moira stepped up to take the free kick which he placed masterfully into the bottom right hand corner by curling it around the Poly four man wall. Great composure, great strike, great goal which inspired good football thereafter.

Following the opener, we took our game up a notch. This time we began to switch the focus of attack from the left hand side of the pitch to the right where Jez, Wicko and Maz were linking up beautifully and turning their defence with almost every attack they produced. One such attack resulted in our second goal. Paul Ruscoe in nets who doesn't usually teake goal kicks side footed a little dribbler out to Jez who was just outside the box. In fact we realised why Paul doesn't take goal kicks because the ball barely made it out of the area! Under pressure by one of the oppsition's strikers, Jez was just about able to put the ball through to Wicko who drove it upfield for a few yards before releasing Maz in the final third of te pitch on the right hand side. Maz turned their left back and took the ball to base line before putting a ball across the face of the goal. Ben met it with great composure to slide it pas the keeper with relative ease and get his Fours account up and running.

With a 2-0 lead we saw the rest of the first half out with relative ease. Ben was unlucky not to get a second goal following a corner and Ross, despite an over zealous early celebration, was unlucky not to net a header from a free kick as the ball took a bounce in the wrong direction whilst on its way to the back of the net....or so that's what he told us. They too produced a few threatening attacks down their right flank where they had a lot of pace. However the back four were able to deal with those threats.

The second half started well for us, we were able to get out of the blocks relativley quickly and pick up where we left from in the first half. Wicko and Maz were able to link up successfully again early on and produce some threatening football which was obvious was going to be their achiles heal which we were to target thereon. Indeed it was about 20 minutes into the second half that Huw, on for Wicko, linked up very nicely with Maz who was through on goal and left with a one on one with the keeper which he made no mistake in converting. With the all important third goal in the bag we knew the game was firmly in our control.

Poly caused us very few problems at the back and despite a few long range shots and a couple of corners, they offered little else in attack. We continued to press and Jennings had some joy on the left producing some exquisite skill in rounding some of the defenders. With ten minuts to go, Milo who was on for Ben in attack, set off on one of his trademark runs past the majority of their defence only to be hacked down just outside the box which resulted in a free kick for us. Up steps the manager, Bert, witht the captain's blessing to unleash left footed hell on Poly. Bert relished the opportunity and went about the whole thing with the utmost business like clinical professionalism. Having placed the ball, his medium length run up saw him meet the ball with raw power. The ball flew off his left boot with the sort of power and speed more akin to a speeding bullet. There was no doubt where this wonder strike was headed....back of the net! There's only been one strike cleaner than Bert's free kick and that was Bert's volley from the edege of the box against Winchmore Hill earlier in the season. With 80,000 fans going wild for Bert's strike, the game came to an end with the Fours guaranteeing their three points with relative ease thanks to Bert's raw talent.

All in all, we got back to the sort of form in this game which we were producing earlier in the season. We played a good game and dealt with all threats very well with not one player guilty of having a poor game. Paul in nets didn't have much to do but when called upon didn't fail his team once and bossed his back four beilliantly. Fantastic display Paul. The two centre backs too worked very well together; James and Ross providing us with the sense of calm and reassurance that can so often make a huge difference to any team. Jennings too had one of his best games of the season with plenty of running football in him. However our man of the match went to Maz who was unstoppable all game. Not only did he bag himself a goal but you could see the fear in the defenders' eyes every time he got the ball. He completely dominated and was by far the star of the show. Nice one Maz and well done to all who played, an excellent performance.

Squad: Paul, Bert, James, Jez, Wicko (60 mins), Chris (60 Mins), Sanjay, Jennings, Ben (70 mins), Maz. Subs: Milo (70 mins on for Ben), Macca (60 mins on for Chris), Huw (60 mins on for Wicko).

February Man of the Month

February Man of the Month can only really go to one player, Wicko. Despite the fours not being able to record a win in their two February fixtures, he was the one stand out player in both games. Wicko had been out of football since October following an injury and came back to fantastic effect. Always cool on the ball and never making the wrong the decision he gave his team mates a much needed confidence boost when times were tough. His comeback has been astonishing given how little football he's played and quite frankly he's done nothing but impress. Well done Wicko, excellent football and great to have you back on the field!!

Civil Fours fail Winchmore Hill test  

Date: 20/02/10; Opposition: Winchmore Hill 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 1-2; MotM: Chris Wickson

Other than a boggy pitch, the conditions were perfect for football for our league encounter with Winchmore Hill. We had played the Hill as our opening game of the season and we were unlucky to come away with a draw. We had also come up against them in the cup and only a penalty shoot out after extra time was able to separate us on that occasion with the result going in our favour. So we were fully expecting a tight game as so far both sides had proved to be of a similar ability in previous fixtures. A good game was also to be expected as both sides like to play a positive, attacking style of football.

The game didn't disappoint on that front. In the first half there was nothing to separate the two sides. Winchmore Hill had several opportunities down the middle of the pitch and hit the post in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Service defence took a little while to get going but once they did they were able to nullify the attacking threats posed by the boys in purple.

In attack, the Fours also had numersous chances. Rel went through on a few occasions and was unlucky not to convert one of the opportunities , Bert came agonisingly close with a well struck free kick from just outside the area and with inch perfect deliveries from Huw at corners, we really should have made more of our chances. In the end the first half ended with honours even which was the fair result and both sides will have felt slightly frustrated that they weren't able to convert at least one of the opportunities they had created.

In the second half, both teams had everything to play for. For the first 20 minutes, the boys in red were the ones who looked the strongest. Comfortable in defence and full of running in midfield, we were able to pull together some nice moves one of which resulted in Dan fluffing a one-on-one with the Winchmore keeper. Further opportunities arose, with Sanjay's strike testing the keeper in one instance, Milo remaining planted on another occasion despite the ball practically hitting his feet the service was that good and finally Rel having a shot pushed wide by the keeper. Eventually though we broke the deadlock. Torres' free kick was cleared by the Hill only as far as James on the edges of the box who toe poked it back into to danger area to find Rel who put in a touch which saw the ball go into the back of the net.

After our goal, we lost our shape in the midfield which gave our opposition plenty of hope for an equaliser and our back four too much to deal with in terms of numbers. About ten minutes after our goal, the Hill spread it right and their wide man put in a cross which skimmed Ross's head and found their striker in the box. He took a swing at a volley and made a great connection which put the ball past the reaches of Tom in nets. At one all, our midfield still didn't react and for the last 15 minutes it was all Winchmore Hill producing several chances to settle the game. It was only in the last five minutes of the game that they were able to do so by making the most of an out-numbered defence and securing their second of the game.

As predicted, the game was a close one and on this occasion the visitors came out on top. However, there were some good performances on the park. Rel caused the purple defence no end of trouble by playing on the last man and making some excellent runs. Huw too proved to be solid at right midfield gaining territory pretty much every time he had the ball. The back four, despite the loss, also had a good game once the early nerves had settled with James in the centre having one of his better performances in the red shirt. Man of the match though has gone to our right back, Wicko, who had a stormer. Always an option in attack and solid in defence he barely put a foot wrong. An excellent display of football which gave his team mates plenty of confidence. Well done Wicko, more of the same please!!

Squad: Tom, Bert, James, Ross, WIcko, Huw (55 mins), Torres, Sanjay, Dan, Rel (75 mins), Ben. Subs: Milo (55 mins on for Huw), Ivan (75 mins on for Rel)

Service on the receiving end of Six of the best

Date: 13/02/10; Opposition: Nottsborough 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 0-6; MotM: n/a

Not much to say about this game really, the score says it all. With half the regular squad missing, two pulling out during the warm-up (leaving us with no subs) and a some of the remainder playing out of position Nottsborough could only beat what was in front of them. They were ruthless and took their chances well. We put up as much of a fight as we could but we simply weren't up to the task. We had a few early chances which could have made a small difference had they gone in but overall it was a very disappointing display from the Fours.

After the game we drew a big line underneath it with a few beers and we look forward to next week.

Squad: Paul, Bert, Jez, Nihal, Chris, Jennings, Sanjay, Neil, Tim, Ike, Milo.

December/January Man of the Month

It was tough to award the Man of the Month for December given as a team we only played one game in the entire month courtesy of the weather and Christmas break. So it was decided to merge the December and January award. Congratulations to Sanjay Ramdhonee who in the last couple of months has quite frankly been inspired. He's carried the team when times have been tough and won't have been too far away when times have been good. Thankfully, probably due to his performances, there have been more of the good times than there have been bad times. The heartbeat of the team, he has at times been likened to Gattuso but when we see him strike a ball from distance we realise the likeness is purely symbolic. Long may his excellent performances continue because he's proving to be worth his weight in gold. Congrats Sanj!! 

Service's seven puts them in Poly position

Date: 30/01/10; Opposition: Polytechnic 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 7-1; MotM: Toan Ravenscroft

With the sun shining and Service fresh off the back of a derby double against our very own fives, we relished the opportunity to play in a second Chiswick derby in as many weeks. There were some last minute changes made to the team due to some unavailability from our regulars but qulaity was not compromised when replacing them.

We took to a boggy pitch and got the game started in great style. We knew that if we pressured them throughout the game we'd chip away at them and break their defence. Well what better way to apply early pressure than with a goal? A long throw from Bert over the top of Macca's head down the left hand side found an eager Ike. With only one defender to beat and his blistering pace there was only ever going to be one winner and low and behold he was one on one with the keeper. He made absolutely no mistake and produced an excellent finish to give us the advantage.

After the first goal we carried on piling on the pressure and had numerous breaks down the middle of the pitch and also down the flanks. We had two goals disallowed. One from a Morgan freekick which Matt Kay allowed to sail over his head to successfully fool the keeper and letting the ball find the back of the net. However, the ref disallowed as he apparantly said the freekick was indirect. The second disllowed goal was very similar in every detail other than this time Matt connected with ball and tucked it under the cross bar. Disallowed again, this time for a dubious offside.

With so many opportunites we knew that it was a matter of time before more goals came from us and come they did! Within the first half, Maz and Toan were linking up nicely and causing their left-sided players no end of grief. Soon a ball was threaded through to Neil Rodgers who outpaced his marker comfortably and was left with a one on one which he made light work of to round the keeper and walk the ball into the back of the net. 2-0 at half time and we felt comfortable with our poerfomance having been asked very few questions defensively.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first half. We recognised that more pressure would break our opposition and so we went about lifting our game another notch. The pressure soon told and another Rodgers goal followed. This time he had a bit more work to do but having just got the better of his marker Neil still had a tight gap from which to score and with a keeper and a defender bearing down on him he timed his shot to perfection and was able to feed it past the keeper. 3-0.

Further good play by the Fours resulted in more telling attacks. Once again Ike outpaced the defence and with little option left their last defender hacked him down in the box. The ref was quick to point to the penalty spot and Macca made no mistake with a composed effort taking us to 4-0. It wasn't long after we were awarded a second penalty again won by Ike. This time the culprit was the Poly keeper with an uncerimonious shove in the back on the little fella. With the game practically wrapped up, the penalty duty was temprarily shifted to Ike who made no mistake slotting it away to take us to 5.

The show wasn't to end there. with 35 ninutes to go Milo came on for Maz and was able to pick up the partnership with Toan on the right with great aplomb. Toan fed him a ball just in our half and Milo was able to run it all the way to the opposition baseline with clever footwork, strength and moob bouncing. He then attempted to feed a clever ball across the face of the goal only for it to be parried away by the opposition keeper. The parry however wasn't enough as the ball found itslef at Sanjay's feet just outside the box and with the keeper out of position he hit it first time and almost burst the net. A great strike the likes of which we have enver seen from Sanjay or likely to see ever again which would lead us all to believe that luck played just a big a part as perceived skill in its making.

A goalfest wouldn't be complete without a Morgan contribution. With 15 minutes left on the clock some inteligent play from the midfield saw us in their box with any number of players in position to score. It was Tim who picked the ball up on the right hand side of the box and was able to create enough space to fire a shot which he did low and hard past the keeper. An excellent and collected finish which brought our tally to seven and our scoring to an end.

It was Poly though who had the last say in the game. A rare attack saw them beat our defence and get in behind us in the box. Alberto "Chopper" Landi as he was affectionatley but wrongly named in the bar follwoing th game, was deemed to have fouled their striker in the box. Having not touched him it was with slight confusion that he saw the ref point to the spot. A penalty they duly converted but it would have been scant concelation as far as our Chiswick neighbours were concerned.

Performances were solid across the Park. Ike had an excellent game up fron causing their defence all sorts of headaches. Sanjay once again proving to be the pivot and linchpin of the team with yet another inspiring performance. Matt Kay was incredibly assured at the back in what was one of our best defensive diaplays if not the best this season. However, he was pipped to the Man of the Match award by Toan Ravenscroft whose poise and patience proved to be masterful at right back. Well done Toan, a fantastic performance which will be hard to better this season.

Squad: Luke, Bert, Dan, Matt, Toan, Maz (55 mins), Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Ike, Neil. Subs: Milo (on for Maz 55 mins).

Derby Double...done!

Date: 23/01/10; Opposition: Civil Service 5XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 4-2; MotM: Paul Mazalov

After last week's rare defeat, the 4s got back to winning ways with a good win over the 5s. While they came at us well in the opening period, and made some half chances, it quickly became clear that they were short of pace and organisation at the back, and that balls over the top or round the back of them would create plenty of chances for us. Maz, promoted to striker on the morning of the match, had already flicked a good chance over the bar with the outside of his right boot, before he was put clean through after 20 minutes by a long ball from right midfield. Paul, a.k.a. Sammy - who, as Sanjay noted, put in a performance notably lacking in cymbal-ism - made a good save, but Maz tucked the rebound away neatly. 1-0. A few minutes later, Tom got round the back and pulled the ball back for Tim, whose smart snapshot was well saved. From the resulting corner, Macca found space, but was unable to get a firm connection. Then it was back to Maz, clean through again, but this time deciding to go with a innovative "scoop shot", and lifting the ball over the keeper, but also, unfortunately, the bar (and the fence, and some low-flying aircraft). A second goal was coming, though, and it duly arrived. Neil was given the freedom of Chiswick on the edge of box, and he produced a marvellous chip into the far corner. It was a great finish, and he followed it with a rock-a-bye-baby goal celebration, to mark the arrival of his little one in the week. Ahhhh...

2-0 up at half-time, we looked to be cruising. But early in the second half an over-optimistic ball out of defence by Bert was intercepted by Tom Pynn, who showed his big brother how it's done with a good run and cool finish. And at that point, the 5s might have fancied their chances at getting back into the game. But then came a moment of controversy, as the ref awarded us a throw in, on the right, when the ball hadn't gone out. While the 5s were (justifiably) complaining, Tom got round the back of them yet again and set up Maz to bag his second. And a few minutes later it was all over, as Maz, put though by a neat reverse pass from Macca this time, finished emphatically to complete his hat-trick. He is the 5th player, amazingly, to score a hat-trick for the 4s this season. 

There was still time for Paul Ruscoe to make a fantastic save from a free kick, whipped in from wide on the right, and for the better of the 5s strikers to score a consolation goal after an improbably perfect through ball caught the defence square, but we were never in any danger of not taking all the points. 4-2 was the least we deserved.

We can learn some lessons from this game. Torres's strength and movement in midfield caught us out on occasions, with Macca, Sanjay and Mark all guilty of diving in on him on occasions, either giving away free kicks in dangerous positions or letting him get clear to cause us problems. We need to get tight, but then stay on our feet. That's also the message for Tim, who gave Juan too much time early on to use his pace and strength to good effect. But we coped well with their strikers - shepherding them away from goal, out of the danger zones; Tom Jennings coped well with the dangerous Tom Pynn (and mostly avoided his horror tackles!); and Neil and Maz harassed their back line superbly, where Billy looked a fish out of water at right back, and the normally reliable Steve Evison was left horribly exposed in the centre.

As for man of the match, special mentions should go to James, who won endless headers, and Sanjay, who played the holding midfield position superbly. However, it eventually went to Maz, who showed a new side to his game with 3 sharp finishes and plenty of dangerous forward running. Good stuff, sir - more of the same please!  

Squad: Paul, Bert, James, Ross, Jez (45 mins), Jennings, Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Maz, Neil (70 mins). Subs: Milo (70 mins on for Neil), Mark (45 mins on for Jez)

Cup run comes to an end for Civil

Date: 16/01/10; Opposition: Old Hamptonians 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: AFA Minor Cup; Score: 0-3; MotM: Paul Ruscoe

It was back to cup duty for the Fours and after an extended absence from footballing activities courtesy of a prolonged period of inclement weather, the boys were eager to don the famous red shirt for the first time in the new decade. Our opponents were Old Hamptonians, who are strangers to us given they play in a different league. Having said that though, we were fully aware of how good a team they are.

Despite heavy rainfall in the hours leading up to the kick off, we kicked proceedings off on a soggy pitch. Early encounters were characterised by counter-attacking football from both sides. It is fair to say that Civil probably had the upper hand in terms of opportunities on goal. Our ever consistent Tim Morgan had an early effort on goal from range after having spotted the keeper off his line go agonisingly wide of the far post. Ike too came close following a trademark mazey run and James also had a wild swipe at the ball from distance which ended up in Wales.

Two thirds into the first half, Old Hamptonians had a couple of good opportunties but were unable to convert any of their efforts. On one of their attacks their left winnger put a clever cross into the box which was met by attacking and defending heads and apparantly a defending hand. The ref awarded a contraversial penalty which was saved spectacularly by Paul but the follow up was tucked away by the visiting side. Service found themsleves a goal down.

Not to be outdone, we mounted several more attacks many of which were inches away from putting us level with our opponents. None closer than when we hit the crossbar from a well delivered Morgan corner. The half time whistle blew and we had plenty of work to do in the second half.

The second half got underway and a determined service took the game to Old Hamptonians. We started well and pieced together some excellent attacking moves. Unfortunately in the last third we lacked accuracy and composure with yet further chances going begging. Ross Gilder guided a header just over the bar from a Hain-Cole flick on. Neil was inches away from tapping in a Morgan slider accross the face of the goal and Jennings too couldn't convert from the same passage of play. Our biggest chance to equalise came when we were awarded a penalty (again another dubious decision by the ref) only for Macca to blast wide of the right post. Tim's freekicks challenged their keeper on a couple of occasions and James was contraversially deemed off-side when slotting the ball in the bottom left hand corner. It wasn't our day.

In defence we were able to deal with their threats relatively well up until the 65th minute. Again they were awarded a dubious penalty which was once again saved by Paul in nets. This time the follow-up was dealt with by the boys in red. With 10 minutes on the clock, Bert gambled and decided to put three up front with three at the back and unfrotunately this didn't pay off. In that period Old Hamptonians were able to find two extra goals. One came from the left hand side which Bert had vacated to go up front. A cute finish by their winger which lobbed Paul put them two up. Soon after they added a third with some nice play down the middle and again accurate finishing with a curled shot around our keeper.

The game ended soon after and it was disappointing to go out of the cup in that matter. We played well and the score line flattered the oppoition as we had created more chances and dominated for large parts of the game. Our lack of preceision up front and some hot headed management decisions cost us in the end but we learnt some valuable lessons.

There were some good performances on the park from various players. James at centre back had one of his best games for the team this season and commanded the defence. Sanjay opnce again proved that he is the engine room of the team this season and Maz too had a lot of joy on the right wing with an excellent display of poise, pace and skill. Our man of the match award though went to our keeper, Paul who, on his debut, single handedly kept us in the game for as long as he could. Some great saves - two from penalties - were coupled with some great organisational chat to the defence which kept them in shape. A thoroughly deserved acclaim for Paul. Well done!

Squad: Paul, Bert, James, Ross, Jezinho, Maz (45 mins), Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Ike (55 mins), Neil. Subs: Jennings (45 mins on for Maz), Milo (55 mins on for Ike)

Service serve up a fourgone conclusion

Date: 05/12/09; Opposition: Old Owens 4XI; Ground: Old Owen's Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 3-4; MotM: Tim Morgan

The boys had the daunting task of travelling up to Old Owens in an attempt to earn an all important three points. Old Owens are a great club with a some excellent teams so we knew full well that nothing but a top performance would be adequate to pull off the desired result. Service had identified prior to the game that Owens were a team lacking in confidence given their last win in 90 minutes of football was back in October, so the game plan was to take the game to them and play an attacking style.

Following a good pre-match preparation, Service flew out of the starting blocks. It was in the second minute of the first half when, following some incisive play on the left hand side of the pitch, we found ourselves deep in the Owens' half with a throw in. Bert hurled one towards the near post looking for James but was unable to find him. Instead James' marker got his head to it but ended up doing James' job and flicking the ball towards the back post. An on-rushing Tim Morgan cpaitalised on this and put knee to ball to send us one nil up.

The lead inspired the boys in red to build on the excellent start. We carried on playing positively especially down the right hand side of the pitch. Jez often found Jennings in space who was able to carry the ball forward before releasing either Matt or Rel. Almost every attack we put together from the right ended up in a cross or a low ball across the face of the goal.

The constant pressure soon took its toll again on the Owens' defence. A ball from Macca in the middle of the field found Tim on the left. A nice few touches saw Tim round one opposing player and bring the ball slightly further in field. With a clear view on goal from around forty yards out, Tim could hear his manager's pre match instructions ringing in his ears; "Shoot on sight gents!!". And so he did. A fantastically clean strike saw the ball fly from the left of the pitch into the the top right hand corner of the goal. It was a shot that had absolutely everything on it; swerve, power and dip which would have troubled any keeper. A great goal that will live in Service Fours' memory for many years to come.

With a two goal cushion the boys wouldn't allow themselves to get too comfortable. Especially as the ten minutes that followed our second goal we allowed them to piece together one or two attacks. The defence dealt with them well, snuffing out most threats and dealing with corners well. James and Ross proving to be an excellent pairing as centre halves and playing superbly. Most of the oppositions' shots came from a long way out and were either off the mark or easy for Andy in nets to deal with.

Coming up to around 35 minutes into the game, Tim once again picked up the ball on the left. This time he was further up the pitch. He worked his way back towards the middle with some handy footwork leaving two or three defenders in his wake. From just inside the box, Tim produced a cute little dink with his unfavoured right foot which was judged to perfection. The ball sailed over the keeper who coudn't really do much and the ball was once again were it had been most of the afternoon, in the back of the Owens net.

With Tim's hat-trick sewn up in the first half of play, confidnece was high and it showed. Further pressing moves by the boys in red lead to numerous chances. Both Matt and Rel up front were proving invaluable and causing their defence no end of trouble with a blend of skill and pace. We were three nil up and yet we could have easily gone into half time with five or six.

The half time team talk was to keep things as they were and keep pressing. We needed to get a good start to the second half and get our next goal so as to kill the game off. Unfortunately though, in pretty much the opening exchanges of the second 45, we were ubnable to clear a corner effectively and the ball fell to one of their players on the edge of the box. He hit the ball true and straight and it was too much for Andy to deal with at full stretch. What we didn't want to happen had just happened and all of a sudden at 3-1 up we gave them a little confidence and let them back into the game.

I'm glad to say that after that our defensive display and ball retention improved. Once again were able to piece together some nice passages of play which applied further pressure to their defence. Rel and Matt had a few chances on goal and Sanjay too was able to swing a couple into Yorkshire. Some well struck free kicks from just outside their box also proved toublesome for them. Jennings had continued succes down the right putting in some nice deliveries as he had been in the first half. But Owens too were playing better at this stage and created some good chances of their own which rattled our woodwork on more than one occasion.

In about the 65th minute Sanjay, who once again was playing a spirited game, played an intelligent ball into Tim on the wide left. Tim forced their defender to make a challenge and we were awarded a throw in deep in their half. Bert this time found his Target - Ross in this instance - who flicked the ball expertly to the back post. Matt Shields was in prime position and made no mistake from close range with a perfectly executed header to put us four one up.

With a three goal lead a couple of changes were made with Mark replacing Bert and Milo on for Jennings. Despite having fresh legs on the pitch we looked a little out of puff in the last 15 minutes. We allowed them to play a little and they took full advantage of it. They took the game to us a little more and produced some excellent chances. Andy made a couple of immense saves to give the team a lift and Mark Edwardes made the goal line block of the year to deny them a second goal.

It looked like it would only be a matter of time before they scored their second and that proved to be the case. A well delivered cross from their right midfielder found their striker who outjumped our defence. He headed the ball well and initially Andy was able to push it onto the cross bar only for the ball to then bounce in off the back of his hands. 4-2 and we needed to gain control of the game again.

We settled again and were able to defend a bit better from there on in. Ross and James proving invaluable in the middle whilst Jez and Mark were doing the basics right once again on the extremities. Milo too was bedazzling his opposite man with some intricate footwork. However, a more confident Owens were looking for the draw and they kept pressing us hard. In the 85th minute they found themselves right of our penalty spot with a clear shot on goal. Their striker made no mistake by keeping it low and wide of our keeper. It was 4-3 but we didn't panic.

From there on in we saw the closing few minutes of the game out with relative ease and secured what we set out to do by taking the game to them. There were some excellent performances across the park. Tom on the right never stopped running and I can't think of a single mistake he made. Rel and Matt up front proved too much to handle and ran their defence ragged. Sanjay and Macca too controlled things nicely from the middle for the majority of the game. Once again though, Tim Morgan was on imperious form. Not only did he score a hat-trick which will include a goal of the season contender, but his ability to work the left wing like only he knows how meant that the opposiotion's right side was at odds as to how to stop him. An incredible performance fully deserving of the Man of the Match tag. Congratulations Tim!

Finally special mention has to be given to Ross for his astute anatomical observance when claiming a hand ball which wasn't given. His booming Borders tone will long be echoed on the Owens' pitches when he cried; "It came off his f*****g fat arm ref!". Sometimes the material just writes itself.

Squad: Andy, Bert (65 mins), James, Ross, Jez, Jennings (65 mins), Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Matt, Rel. Subs: Milo (65 mins on for Jennings), Mark (65 mins

November Man of the Month

Well done to Jez for winning the November edition of the Man of the Month award. In November Civil Service Fours have put in some excellent performances which have all been founded on a solid defence. Jez has been the heartbeat of that defence, putting in a string of outstanding performances which inspired the rest of his Fours chums to raise their game. Whether he was sniffing out any attacking threat or countering any aerial tirade Jez hasn't put a foot wrong. Well done Jezza, more of the same in December please!!

Service fours in seventh heaven

Date: 28/11/09; Opposition: Hale End Athletic 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: AFA Minor Cup; Score: 7-4; MotM: Relwyn Reffell

The last weekend of November saw Civil Service Fours return to AFA Minor Cup duties against an unknown quantity in the shape of Hale End Athletic 4XI. Our opposition play in a different league set up to our own so any insider information we had on them prior to kick off was limited to league statistics. With mid-week rallying cries of "I think our best bet plan would be to put out a good team, work really hard, and play them off the park!!" coming from Rear Admiral Morgan and good momentum from the two previous fixtures, we took to the field with great confidence.

The conditions were almost perfect barring a slightly boggy pitch and we felt confident that we were going to be able to execute our brand of football on the boys in green. Service got off to a sketchy start with some nervous passing which was  often inaccurate and there was also a lack of shape at the back. The opening exchanges were tentative to say the least as the boys tried to work out the opposition. There wasn't much incisiveness to begin with from either side and it looked like it was going to be a long afternoon.

Twenty or so minutes in and some excellent work down the right wing by Maz and Sanjay meant we found ourselves deep in their half. We won a throw in which was within Bert's almighty range which he duly proved by launching one into the box. An initial clearance attempt by the defence saw the ball skied thirty feet in the air and when it bounced next to Relwyn he saw an opportunity to put in a looping header on the second ball. The attempt on goal proved too much work for the opposing keeper who was unable to reach it as it floated over him. The ball was in the back of the net and consequently any early Service nerves were banished.

We started to find our rhythm after the opening goal. There was some good football being played across the park, but specifically by the midfield who were stringing together some great patient passing patterns in the build up to subsequent attacks. It was one of these passages of passing from which goal number two was borne. Tim Morgan on the wide left, who had received a pass from left back Mark, played it back in field to Bert at Centre Back. Bert spotted Rel up front running into space behind a static green defence and put in an inch perfect long ball into the opposing box. Rel's one touch was sublime and weighted to perfection as the ball sailed over the keeper for a second time and in the back of the net.

With a two nil lead, confidence was growing in the red camp. We continued to play some positive football and pressing the green defence at every opportunity. Some excellent play down the left again by Tim saw him put Ike into space who in turn fed Rel a delightful through-ball which allowed him to round the keeper. With an open goal staring at him, Rel could make no mistake.....yes he could. Somehow Rel didn't find the back of the net and it was an excellent goal line clearance from the Hale End defender which kept the score line at two nil.

That score line though was short lived. The corner that followed the goal line clearance was expertly delivered by Tim yet again. The delivery found a surging Dan Eamer who got enough of his forehead on the ball to send the keeper flapping. An excellent headed goal on the far post. Three nil and Service felt they were firmly strapped into the driving seat.

Concentration dropped a little thereafter and Hale End were allowed to put together a few attacks which gave them belief. They cleared their lines efficiently on one occasion allowing their midfielder put a through-ball in for one of their strikers. The defence, specifically Bert, left him unamrked in an attempt to play the offside. The ref didn't pick up on it and their forward had a simple one on one with the kepper to reduce the deficit to two goals which he converted. The half time whistle went soon after and it was not the way Service would have wanted to end the first half.

Service wanted to start the second half by scoring an early goal and upping the intensity. We knew that if we were able to that we could put the game to bed early. "Relentless" was the half time buzz-word and we were everything but in the opening twenty minutes. Some very sloppy defending early on saw their striker go through on goal yet again courtesy of a failed offside trap played by the defence. The one on one with the keeper was familiar territory for their striker who made no mistake once again. Suddenly we found oursleves with a one goal advantage which looked fragile to say the least.

And fragile it proved to be. Maz's eagerness to win the ball in the air in our box, saw him plant two hands firmly on the Hale Ender's back and extend at the elbows. This was deemed a push and a penalty was awarded. Three all. What was happening to the Service Fours?

Soon after, another penalty box calamity this time by centre back Bert who was already responsible for their first goal. Some clumsy footwork as he was shadowing their striker who adopted a chip and chase tactic, saw legs tangle nowhere near the ball and a penalty decision as obvious as as a tree was to Tiger Woods. Four three and we were in trouble.

Changes to the line up were made to try and remedy the situation. We took Mark off at left back off and went three at the back and brought Neil on up fornt to to add a third member to our strike force. Maz was also replaced by Milo at right midfield. The changes proved to be a turning point in the second half. Service were able to find their shape again and Hale End weren't quite sure how to deal with the new statement of intent.

Following the changes Rel was given his opportunity to seal his hat-trick and he did so with great aplomb. Some excellent inter-play by Ike and Neil up front saw the three musketeers run rings around the opposition's defence. Rel had an easy job of slotting home his third with just the keeper to beat and with that we felt the comeback within us following our decline.

Following Rel's goal Neil showed what a super-sub he was. My memory of this goal is a little hazy as I have had to remeber 11 of them. I believe it was an excellent run from the right to the middle of the pitch by Milo (juggling the ball no less) who then put Neil in some space. He fired a shot from the right hand side of the box which proved too powerful and wide for the keeper to reach. The ball flew into the bottom left hand corner to give us the one goal advantage.

Five minutes of Service pressure passed and the boys on the left pulled together a nice string of passes. Bert to Tim down the left. Tim and Dan with a nice little one-two. Tim then put a blind Ike into space down the left. Ike used his trademark pace to skip past one defender into the box. He tried the same tactic with the second defender, only to be mauled down inside the box. The penalty was awarded and up stepped Neil who went for my favoured power approach to penalty taking and made absolutely no mistake.

With a two goal lead the game was effectively over and both sides knew it. However there was time for one last flurry. Sanjay received the ball on the left and was brought down unfairly to win us a free kick just inside our half. Bert put in an inch perfect searching ball to the right hand side of the opposing box which cleared the defensive line and fell to Neil in space. One touch to control the ball, one touch to settle himself and one strike to secure his hat-trick. It was as simple as that. An extraordianry feat nonethelss, a hat-trick in 30 minutes of football! And that show stopping performance brought the game to a close with Service guaranteeing their spot in the fourth round of the cup with a resounding 7-4 win.

There were some outstanding performances across the park on Saturday despite a topsy turvy game. Dan Eamer in central midfield put in a strong debut performance competing for every ball that came his wasy and bagging himself a goal in the process. Neil for obvious reasons was well in contention for man of the match with a breathtaking 35 minutes on the pitch. Ike again proved troublesome as ever for the defence, but his strike partner Rel proved to be the man of the moment on Saturday. His pace, clever runs, selfelss passing and three goals meant he had a near perfect afternoon. Despite missing an open goal, he ressumed an old partnership with Ike which was too much for the opposition to handle. A very well deserved Man of the Match I feel. However I would like to say to everyone who played a massive congratulations for putting in yet another spirited perfomance even when the chips were down. Well done one and all!

Squad: Andy, Mark (60 mins), Bert, Jez, Martin, Maz (65 mins), Dan, Sanjay, Tim, Ike, Rel. Subs: Neil (60 mins on for Mark), Milo (65 mins on for Maz)

Service in imperious form as they sink league leaders

Date: 21/11/09; Opposition: Old Actonians Association 5XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 4-0; MotM: Sanjay Ramdhonee

Two weeks earlier Service drew level with Old Actonians 4th team. This week we were up against their 5th team who were joint league leaders. The task was one we relished on our home patch and although conditions weren't perfect we planned on playing a very simple game aimed at making sure we retained the ball in the right parts of the field and kept it as far away from our goal as we could manage. Needless to say that with three draws under our belts this season so far, a win was the only result we would have accepted.

The game started in good fashion by both teams. Old Acts produced some nice patterns of play to make headway in our half and we countered those with some handy work down both flanks to gain us some territory. With little in the way of shots on goal in the first 10 minutes the game was definitely being teed up to suit our playing style.

Twenty minutes in and some excellent play by Maz and Mark Edwardes got the boys in red deep into their half and they were forced to kick the ball out of play. Making the most of a slightly idle Old Actonian defence, Bert launched a trade-mark throw deep into their box to find Macca who glanced it superbly into the bottom left hand corner of their goal. An excellent move which has been threatening teams all season long which had finally paid off.

The goal provided the boys with wind in their sails. After the restart the midfield hounded their players and competed for everything both in the air and on the ground. Some nice little interplays between Joe and Tim down the left proved quite a handful for the opposioton who in their frustration gave away a free kick in their own half. Up steps Tim, who with his right foot made their keeper work hard to keep it out of the net. Another free kick soon after, also taken by Tim was floated into the box. It found Maz who had a go at goal but was well parried by the opposing keeper and Macca on the follow up burried it in the back of the net. 2-0. Not so!! For the second time in as many weeks, the same ref disallowed it for a dubious off side.

Not to be hard done by, the boys kept their heads up. The defence was made to work and we gave away a few corners which we dealt with well. We cleared our lines and were able to build numerous attacks from them. One of which lead to us winning a corner about 30 minutes into the half. Tim once again put in an excellent delivery which wasn't dealt with by the Old Actonian defence and consequently the ball found itself at the back post. Up steps Maz whose calm right-footed side foot put us 2-0 up with ease. Maz's first goal for the club done in style.

The first half ended with the Service boys playing with the bit firmly between their teeth. Nice passing out wide and in the middle of the park was unanswered by our adversaries. Couple that with no nonsense defending at the back, and they were struggling to put togehter any sort of meaningful attack. To top things off, Tom Hughes in goal was making sure that wouldn't change by coming off his line on a few occasions and dealing with any threat in a business like fashion.

At half time the boys were confident with the position they found themselves in and knew that an early goal in the second half would proabably prove too much for Old Actonians 5s to deal with. We decided to stick to the same plan for the second half, and what a wise decision that proved to be. We began the second 45 minutes the way we finished the first. We were in control and playing at our pace pieceing together some nice moves especially down the right hand side of the field. Dave Bishop was able to hold the ball up well whilst Maz and Mark provided him with options which ultimately allowed us to put Ike into space.

It wasn't long into the second half when we achieved what we set out to do at half time. Ike was able to pick up the ball on the right hand side and outsude the box. A quick turn and an electrifying turn of foot saw him beat the first defender. He then cut left to take a more direct route to goal which meant he was left with just the keeper to beat and a defence scrambling back to try and put him off the shot. A few touches more and then he pulled the trigger from an acute angle and curled it sublimely round the keeper to secure the third goal we needed to kill them off. Another stylish finish to add to the 4s collection for the 09/10 season and Ike's first goal of the season.

Firmly in control, the boys stuck to the game plan and did not allow the three goal advantage get to their heads. We kept on playing as if it were still nil all and that proved vital. Further attacks on goal resulted in corners and free kicks which kept chipping away at a deflated Old Actonians team. Following a long throw into the box which was cleared by the blue and whites, the ball found Sanjay on the edge of the box. He chested it past the man who was marking him which ultimately put him in a fantastic position to shoot from 20 yards. He did so, and following a gargantuan deflection from a defender's leg, the ball was well beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. 4-0 was the socreline with twenty minutes to go.

From then on Service knew that Old Actonians had too much to do and the onus changed to keeping a clean sheet. The defence had proved solid throughout the game. For the second consecutive fixture the back four didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon and Tom in nets had little to do as a result. Old Actonians to their credit went down swinging and in the last ten or twelve minutes made the most of some tired Service legs. They had their first real shot on goal which Tom saved and then three other chances which they couldn't get on toarget. The final whistle went and Service were crowned the victors able to keep hold of a clean sheet.

Once again, a multitude of players put their hands up for man of the match. Special mention has to go to the back four (especially Joe, who was drafted in at the last minute) who were nothing short of magnificent. A very efficient defensive display which proved to be the solid foundation for almost every attack Service produced. Tim Morgan once again proved his worthiness of October's man of the month award and Macca too had his best performance of the season. I have to also give special mention to Tom Hughes who didn't have a lot to do all afternoon but when he had to earn his keep he did a sterling job of keeping our clean sheet in tact. However it pains me to say that Sanjay proved invaluable on Saturday. He chased absolutely everything and created so many opportunities for us that I simply don't have enough time to type them up. On top of that he bagged himself a very lucky goal which will hopefully prove to be the first of many more this season. Well done to Sanjay and to the whole team for an excellent performance.

Squad: Tom, Joe, Bert, Jez, Mark, Maz, Macca, Sanjay, Tim, Ike (70), Dave. Sub: Bryson (70, on for Ike)

October Man of the Month

Congratulations to Tim Morgan for winning October's Man of the Month award. Two Man of the Mach awards backed by solid performances in the other October fixtures have made this month's award a very easy decision for CSFC 4XI management to make. On top of this, our veteran got himself to the top of goal scoring table which is no mean feat. I think it's richly deserved and I'm sure the entire 4s squad will join management in congratulating Tim. Well done gramps, and keep the outstanding performances coming!

Civil Service dealt cruel blow with reffing blunder

Date: 07/11/09; Opposition: Old Actonians Association 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 1-1; MotM: Jez Wyatt

Eight goal stalemate at Carshalton

Date: 31/10/09; Opposition: Carshalton 4XI; Ground: Beddington Park; Competition: League; Score: 4-4; MotM: Stephen McAnaney

Unlike our previous visit to Carshalton this season, the conditions were spot on for flowing football and stylish play. The squad turned up with every intention to play the good football we are capable of and score a few goals in the process.

With that mindset firmly in place it was a disappointing start to the game for the boys in red. There was a general lack of conviction and fight in the way we were playing in the first fifteen minutes and it showed when we gave away an incredibly soft goal 12 minutes in due to some very slack defending. However the goal served as a spur as shortly after we began to find our rhythm.

We began to start fighting and challenging for the ball which meant the tables turned somewhat. Soon we were camped in their half which made a welcome change to the opening quarter of an hour where the opposite was true. Our efforts were soon rewarded as we were awarded a penalty which Macca stepped to take. A great strike saw the ball drill into the bottom right hand corner. One all. Not so! An encroaching striker which was spotted by the ref meant that the penalty had to be retaken and we were all immediately taken back to the opening game of the season when exactly the same happened and Macca missed the retake. They say that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger and Macca slotted the second attempt home with out any fuss or signs of Winchmore Hill flashbacks. One all, no questions.

The first goal settled us and we found ourselves playing some excellent football. Short, sharp, crisp passes all over the filed were leaving the opposition frustrated. We came close on several occasions to scoring and were very unlucky not to put two or three in the back of the net. It wasn't long though when were able to get ahead. Some good play on the right meant that Jennings was able to Zack through into a good position. Zack took it to their defenders and got caught up in mish mash of legs which presented an excellent opportunity for Macca to poach the ball and drive deep into the box. A sublime dink with the outside of his right foot sailed over a rushing keeper to find the back of the net and cement another stylish goal in our 09/10 library of fabulous finishes.

The first half ended with Service taking their foot off the gas a little. Some sloppy marking at the back post from a set piece saw one of their midfielders gain enough space to strike the ball well from 12 yards out and find the back of the net. The half ended with Carshalton level but on top in terms of possession and field dominance. The fours had to step it up.

And step it up they did. The second half was an altogether different affair with 80% percent of it being played firmly in their half. But they made the 20% that wasn't count. It started very much as an all Civil armada, but some shoddy midfield play allowed them to break. Soon we found them within shooting distance and we forced a corner. The defending for the actual corner was well executed and the ball was cleared to outside the box. Unfortunately it found one of their defenders who took a wild swing at it which saw the ball skim beyond the reaches of anybody's legs and Tom Gilmour's hands. It was an unlucky goal to concede.

Soon after though it was all hands to the pump as we tried to make our dominance pay off. A kick out of hand from Tom in nets saw the ball fly well into their half. Their central defenders struggled to put in a clearing header (as they had been all afternoon) and Rel gambled. He found himself one on one with the keeper and a clever chip over the keeper and nod into the goal saw us level the scores. The ex 4s player had marked his come back in style.

Service, although level, were in the driving seat and were pushing for the three points when the unthinkable happened. A rare Carshalton break was well dealt with as plenty of bodies got behind the ball. This left Carshalton with little option other than to try their luck from distance with a well struck shot. Tom in goal was unable to keep a hold of the ball and parried it into our net. All of a sudden we found ourselves with five minutes to play and one goal down.

A series of corners were being won in their half as they struggled to deal with our persistent attacks. Good delivery after good delivery came in from Tim and we were unlucky not to convert one or two of those chances. Maz, who came on for Jennings after 65 minutes and terrorised their defence with his pace and close ball control, came close on a few occasion and was unlucky not score when he forced the Carshalton keeper to make a finger tip save to round the ball past the post.

As the final whistle loomed we won one final corner. We had to make it count. Tim put yet another good ball into the danger zone which was met by Rel who put in a good header making sure the ball was destined for one place, the back of the net. However a desperate left hand from their defender on the inside post lashed out and stopped the ball from going in. With that defender firmly on his way to the changing rooms following a red card, we had the final kick of the game in the form of a penalty to level the scores and come away with a point for our efforts. Macca stepped up with the expectation of the entire team resting on his shoulders. He made no mistake though and was decisive in placing the ball in the bottom right hand corner for the second time in the game and for his hat-trick. Four all and the final whistle was welcomed by all.

All in all, although we drew the game, there were times when we played our best football of the season so far with excellent patterns across the park. Distinguished performances came from Rel who kindly helped his old pals out for one week and also Jennings who put in some excellent runs down the right flank and backed those up with some searching passes. Maz too provided a threat that they couldn't answer to when he cam on in the second half. But man of the match has to go to Macca whose hat-trick heroics ensured that all of our excellent work over the afternoon did not go unrewarded.

Squad: Tom Gilmour, Mark Edwardes, Bert, James, Mark Ashcombe, Jennings (65 mins), Sanjay (45 mins), Macca, Tim, Rel, Zack. Subs: Paul (45 mins on for Sanjay), Maz (65 mins on for Jennings). 

Derby delight for Service fours

Date: 24/10/09; Opposition: Civil Service 5XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 3-1; MotM: Mark Edwardes

Derby games in recent years have been somewhat of a banana skin for the fours. Last season the fives came out on top in both encounters so the boys knew that the approach to this game had to change. The fives in their own right have been unlucky not to get a win so far this season and the previous week had proved what a good team they are by putting three goals past the league leaders.

The fours were the home team in this encounter and in the first half played like the home team. We got off to a good start playing some cute patterns down both flanks making sure we used the pace on offer from Jordan Mander and Tim Morgan. Some early opportunities lead to some promising shots on goal and a chance to stamp our authority. The most memorable opportunity came from Jez Wyatt, who after a trademark bullocking run took a swipe at the ball with wild abandon. The result of which is still uncertain as nobody has seen the ball touch down yet.

The deadlock was broken about 20 minutes into the first half. a good passage of play on the left hand side of the pitch saw Tim Morgan make a down the line pass to find fours debutant Zack. Zack's strength and pace saw him carry on his run and create enough space to feed Kirps on the near post who after a deft touch to beat the defender produced a composed finish to beat the keeper on the inside post.

A second goal followed about ten minutes after. Again the source of the flurry was Tim Morgan who latched onto a Mark Edwardes pass from left back. Tim then launched a searching, crossfield ball from the left wing to an unmarked Zack on the edge of the box on the right hand side who brought the ball down perfectly before volleying it over the keeper in spectacular style. The goal marked his first goal for the club and was yet another stunner to add to the stylish finishes the team have produced to date. 

The first half ended with the fours producing further chances and playing some excellent football. Some sloppy defence towards the middle of the first period marred what was in general a good display of football with the fives never really troubling us too much.

The second half was altogether a sloppier affair with the team unable to really capitalise on the good football produced in the first half. The fives were getting frustrated and put in one or two challenges which were uncalled for out of frustration rather than malice. However the opposition pressed forward in the opening twenty minutes producing some chances and hitting the woodwork on three occasions. Some poor discipline by Tim Morgan in the box earned them a penalty which they made no mistake in converting and from then on it was game on.

Two changes were made soon after with Amar replacing his cousin Kirps and Milo coming on for Zack who had run the fives defence ragged. After the changes were made there was renewed vigour in the football being played by the fours. Making the most of the extra pace on the flanks, we were able to press and create some good chances. Amar and Milo came close on a few occasions and there was a sense that we were looking to seal the game.

The third and final goal came 12 minutes from time and Milo picks up the commentary for this section of the report: "We were pressed back by route 1 territory based football. A long throw came into the fours' box, someone (sorry not sure who) cleared the ball to the left wing just inside the fours' half, MILO, playing up front, had drifted wide like Thierry in his prime, picked the ball up and started to travel, he jinked in and out of two midfielders with a poise and balance that belied his overweight and cumbersome appearance. he then skipped a tackle by the 5s desperate, lunging captain (taking a horrific whack on the ankle at the same time), he was now one on one with the last defender who looked as confident as Landi in a best hair style competition, MILO rounded him as though he wasn't there and slotted it past the onrushing keeper into the far bottom corner to send the army of home fans into raptures and home and away teams alike into stunned adoration."

With a third goal secured, the fives had nothing else to give and the game was soon over. Although not the best performance by the fours it was an efficient one which saw us get the job done in a unorthodox game. There were some excellent performances across the field. Zack's strength and pace would have been a handful for any defence and I was just glad he was on my side. Jordan too produced some excellent runs down the right wing and has to get a special mention for his pace which left his opposite number dumbstruck on more than one occasion. Greg Hadley in nets was bordering on heroic given pretty much every bone in his body was broken and if it wasn't before the game it would have broken during the game. 

However Mark Edwardes' performance at left back saw him win the man of the match award. His cool demeanour in times of frenzy and his uncanny talent of being the best header of the ball in our team despite being our shortest player came to the fore and provided much security. Not to mention he also gave us the mist memorable moment of the game when throttling their striker following a challenge that was made on him that can only be described as unsavoury. Well done Mr. Edwardes!

Squad: Greg, Simon, Jez, Bert, Mark, Jordan, Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Zack (65 mins), Kirps (60 Mins). Subs: Amar (60 mins on for Kirps), Milo (65 mins on for Zack) 

Cup classic sees Civil conqueur Winchmore

Date: 17/10/09; Opposition: Winchmore Hill 4XI; Ground: Civil Service Sports Ground; Competition: AFA Minor Cup; Score: 3-3 (FT, CSFC win 5-4 on pens); MotM: Tim Morgan

It had been a long time coming but the CSFC 4XI were relishing their first home game of the season and what a game it turned out to be. For the second time this season we were up against Winchmore Hill with nothing splitting the two sides in our previous league encounter. With a late drop out, CSFC were forced into making some last minute changes to the line up.

The game kicked off in good fashion for the boys in red who made a good start on their favoured pitch 4 at the Civil Service Sports Ground. A few testing shots were fired at the opposition goal keeper but to no avail and some cute patterns were being played out on the flanks. Winchmore Hill were allowed back into contention in the first half and they too pressed hard creating a few chances of their own. The first half ended with both sides all square at nil all but both teams were only just getting started.

At half time one change was made with Simon Cole being brought on to replace Ali Ahmad and Nick Massey pushed forward to partner Peter Henry up front. The second half kicked off and once again it was a high tempo affair. Winchmore Hill had the upper hand from the outset and fifteen minutes in were awarded a corner. Some sloppy marking gave them a golden opportunity to get ahead which they took with a well sized header at the back post.

Not to be outdone, Service fought back by creating several scoring opportunities. Some good play down the left side saw the boys work up the pitch before a Tim Morgan pass back inside to the edge of the box found Peter Henry whose shot was a couple of feet wide of the right post. Shortly after, a long throw from Bert found James on the near post who was able to flick the ball with his head over the keeper. The ball was all but in the back of the net if it wasn't for a rogue bump on the line which saw the ball take an unlucky bounce away from the goal.

Service's persistence finally came to fruition. A long throw from the right hand side of the pitch deep inside the Winchmore Hill half destined for James was cleared by the defence high in the air. Bert, coming back into play from taking the throw, ran to the edge of the box to meet the ball on the full volley with his left foot. It was a sweet connection which powered and dipped its way into the top left hand corner. This was two goals in two weeks for the left back whose strike will surely contend for goal of the season.

It wasn't long before the reds found the net once again. A Ben Rankin corner found a faint headed flick which saw the ball sail to the far post. Who was there to toe poke it in? None other than our old faithful friend, Tim Morgan. 2-1 and the boys could feel the victory coming.

Not so! Service lost their shape soon after the second goal and sat back in an attempt to protect their lead. Winchmore Hill seized the opportunity and produced numerous attacks to a tiring Service defence. A warning shot came when a Winchmore Hill corner was cleared off the line by Sanjay. However poor marking in open play a few moments later meant that the opposition's striker had a one-on-one with the keeper which, despite a good initial parry by Tom in nets, he did not squander when presented with the ball a second time. Two all. Full time.

Extra time was new territory for a battered and bruised Service side and it showed. Soon into the opening fifteen minutes, it was yet again poor marking in open play which allowed Winchmore Hill to put in a cross from the right wing. Their striker just about reached it with his head and it crept in off the post by the narrowest of margins. Tired Service bodies were trying desperately to stop Winchmore's attacks thereafter as the opposition kept piling on the pressure.

In the second half of extra time a few changes were made. A crook Nick Massey went in goal with Tom Hughes taking to the outfield and Bert pushing on up front to partner Peter. The changes paid off. Service ran wave after wave of attack with the Winchmore keeper earning his good reputation in nets. Tom Hughes was unlucky not to find the back of the net on two occasions.

With two minutes to spare Service won a corner. Ben Rankin put in yet another inch perfect delivery as he had been doing all afternoon, to the front post which found man of the moment Tim Morgan's head. Tim guided the ball with finesse into the back of the net which sparked off mass celebrations amongst squad. We knew then that the match would go to penalties and quickly put Tom Hughes back in nets for the imminent showdown.

With a poor penalty record this season so far (2 pens 2 misses), Service were justifiably nervous at the prospect of having to take five in a  row to guarantee them a spot in the next round of the cup. In reality though there was nothing to worry about as Bert, Jennings, Peter, Ben and Tim all slotted there attempts with reassuring, purposeful strikes. It was our keeper Tom who produced the heroics with a great save on a Winchmore penalty which denied them the victory and secured our spot in round 3 of the cup.

It's difficult to pick out individual performances as every player on the pitch gave the team absolutely everything and played brilliantly. Sanjay had an excellent game keeping the hunger and fight within the boys truly alive. His devoted clearance off the line and tussle in the midfield was nothing short of inspired. Jez too produced a solid, no nonsense performance with trademark grit and determination whilst Tom Hughes in goal gave the team every chance to stay well in contention. However it was Tim Morgan's persistence and last minute heroics which won him his second consecutive man of the match award. A truly incredible performance by the man. A truly Herculean performance by the team.

Squad: Tom, Nick, Jez, James, Bert, Jennings, Sanjay, Ben, Tim, Peter, Ali (45 mins). Subs: Simon (45 mins on for Ali)

 Classy Nottsborough outfit sink a spirited Service

Date: 10/10/09; Opposition: Nottsborough 4XI; Ground: Kingston University Sports Ground; Competition: League; Score: 3-2; MotM: Tim Morgan

For the fourth consecutive time this season the Service were once again away this time to Nottsborough's 4XI. With a line drawn under the horror show that was the week before coupled with excellent weather and probably the best playing surface in the league, the boys were ready to play good football against a notoriously good side.

And good football we did play. Service started off well creating numerous opportunities via both flanks but unable to convert any of them. At the back all was in order with Ross Gilder and Jez Wyatt looking strong and stopping early threats from the opposition's attack. Twenty minutes in however, a poor clearance from Bert failed to clear the ball sufficiently and found itself directly in the path of a Nottsborough midfielder who struck the ball brilliantly to put it beyond the reach of Tom in goal.

Undeterred, CSFC did not drop their heads and continued to apply pressure to a weakening Nottsborough defence. Soon the good work paid dividends with Tim latching on to a sublime through ball from Reece which he then struck from a very tight angle and found the back of the net in spectacular style.

Soon after the restart, another poor clearance from Bert this time found the Nottsborough right sided winger who put in a good cross to find their tall striker who made no mistake in finding the net from close range with a solid header. There the half ended and although Service were behind we were happy with the improved brand of football we were playing.

With a couple of changes made to the CSFC line up at half time the second half really was a game of two halves. For the first twenty minutes or so Nottsborough consistently produced good football through the middle of the park to pile the pressure on the defence. With our central midfield struggling to find their breath, the opposition was able to find a third goal.

Thereafter though the tables turned. For the remainder of the half Service played some excellent territorial football, finding themselves more often than not in the Nottsborough half. With wind in their sails the boys in red upped the ante and were extremely unlucky to to find the net on a few occasions. The best of which was a great volley from Macca just inside the box which forced the Nottsborough keeper to make an excellent save. On any other day against any other side that shot would have gone in.

The boys could feel another goal coming and eventually it did. A corner destined for Ross was just cleared by the Nottsborough defence only to find Bert 35 yards out. A touch was all he needed before pulling the trigger and despite a light deflection (which for the record would not have made a difference to the outcome of the shot!!) the ball scorched into the back of the net. The captain chalked his first of the season in fine style.

The final whistle went soon after and a classier, fitter Nottsborough came away with the three points but knew that they'd been in a tough game. Stand out performances came from Reece Mander whose strength in the first half provided the Nottsborough defence with many a headache. Ross Gilder's commanding presence at the back also pricked the ears of the Scotland selectors following the national side's 2-0 defeat to Japan. However it was Tim Morgan's endeavours down the left flank and excellent goal which won him the man of the match award. One final special mention has to go to Milo who tracked a player back all the way from inside their half to our box. Astonishing!

Squad: Tom, Jezinho, Ross, Steve, Bert, Huw (45 mins), Sanjay, Macca, Tim, Boycie (70mins), Reece (45 mins). Subs: Milo (45 mins on for Reece), Jennings (45 mins on for Huw), Jordan (70 mins on for Boycie)

September Man of the Month

Congratulations to Tom Jennings for winning the inaugural Man of the Month award. Tom's exemplary attendance and commitment to pre-season training coupled with excellent performances in pre-season games and competitive games paid dividends with the highest recognition in this highly sought after prize. In addition Tom has played in unfamiliar positions without any complaints or hesitation and acquitted himself very well. Once again Tom, congratulations!

Cup crisis at Carshalton

Date: 03/10/09; Opposition: Carshalton 5XI; Ground: Beddington Park; Competition: SAL Minor Cup; Score: 2-1; MotM: Ben Rankin

The conditions weren't exactly conducive to great football (tiny pitch, howling gale), but the Civil Service 4s played what decent football there was in this game, and should probably have won it. Playing into the wind in the first half, we gave away an early goal, in a goalmouth scramble following a corner. But after that we weathered the pressure well. While it was hard to clear our lines sometimes, Carshalton struggled with the conditions also, often knocking aimless balls over the top that the wind just carried out for goal kicks, and coming close only with a shot from distance that fizzed wide. Meanwhile, we managed to get the ball down and play at least sometimes, with Ben in the middle and Huw down the right seeing plenty of the ball. And we closed the half with our best move, Tom's excellent run and cross setting up Nick for a low shot that their keeper did well to push away for a corner.

So with the wind behind us, we looked in good shape to win the game in the second half. We certainly had enough chances - and none clearer than with a penalty, when the ever-lively Tom nipped on to Tim's neat through ball and was clearly tripped by the keeper. Unfortunately, though, Tim's penalty was too near the keeper, who got down well, and he then somehow managed to skew the rebound wide… D'oh! And that combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping became the theme for the half, as the keeper kept out James' powerful header from a free kick, and saved well at Nick's feet; and further chances for Nick, Huw and others came and went.

We did get a goal in the end, though. And what a goal it was. Milo, on at half time, had already exceeded expectations on the defensive front, having put in an excellent chase back and tackle. But his intervention at the other end was even more dramatic. Picking up the ball in central midfield, and skipping away from tackles with the agility of a mountain goat, he unleashed an unstoppable, 25-yard right-foot shot into the far top corner, a fantastic, Le Tissier-esque, Goal of the Month winner of a strike. Game on!  

At that point we looked likely to go on and win, but unfortunately we were then forced into yet another re-organisation, when the consistently influential Pav was forced off the pitch with an injury. Down to ten men for a while, and with our fourth different line-up of the game, we were suddenly vulnerable. And Carshalton, alas, made the most of it, their quick forward nipping in behind our back line to fire in the winner. That he was surely, plainly off-side was no consolation. Late efforts from Milo, Tim, and others missed the target, and we were out.

While I don't think we should feel too bad about how we played - especially given the personnel problems (missing Macca and the AWOL Courtney from the start, then losing Jez and Pav to injuries), it was still frustrating. Being free "to concentrate on the league", as they always say, is no consolation… 

Highly commended performances came from Lee Birch in goal who did an excellent job of keeping us in contention for as long as possibe. Also Huw Myles caused problems for the opposition's left back all afternoon but Ben Rankin in the centre of midfield put in an excellent performance to secure his man of the match status. Well done that man!

Squad: Lee, Dave, James, Jez (45 mins), Bert, Huw, Pav, Ben, Tim, Nick, Tom. Sub: Milo (45 mins for Jez) 

Four goal victory foray for the fours

Date: 19/09/09; Opposition: Old Parkonians 5XI; Ground: Oakfield playing fields; Competition: League; Score: 3-4; MotM: James Hain-Cole

As Kevin Keegan once said, "You can't do better than go away from home and get a draw".  And it was with this in mind that we set off on the long journey out to Essex for the early season fixture against Old Parkonians. With no fewer than 5 of the 13 lads named in the squad never having pulled on the famous red jersey before, this game had banana skin written all over it.

But the Civil Service 4s (2009/10 vintage) are made of sterner stuff. After going a goal down early on, the boys refused to buckle and a delightful curling effort from Joe McKay quickly brought us level. Just before half time there was an opportunity for Tom Jennings to demonstrate one again why he’s one of the SALs most prolific goalscoring midfielders with a trademark late run into the box and a clinical clipped finish past a despairing Parkonian’s keeper. Classic Jennings!

Parkonians did strike back to make it 2-2 (finer details lost in the mists of time) but in the second half there was only ever going to be one winner. Billy came on for Joe and scored his second goal in 2 league games with a lovely finish to make it 3-2 before the other substitute, Nick Massey, finished a nice move down the right by cutting inside and firing home from the edge of the box, 4-2. The one complaint on the day was that we didn’t kick on from there and finish them off. Some sloppiness in midfield and an unnecessary free kick allowed them back in the game late on. All in all though, a good days at the office for the 4s. 

Standout performances from James and Jez at the back and Courtney up front were reflected in the man of the match vote which was just edged by James.

 First game jitters cost CSFC 4XI two league points

Date: 12/09/09; Opposition: Winchmore Hill 4XI; Ground: Firs Farm; Competition: League; Score: 2-2; MotM: Tom Jennings

The journey to Winchmore Hill is one of the longer ones CSFC teams have to make but the fours were able to put in an excellent first performance of the new season. The first half was an entertaining encounter with some excellent counter attacking play by the CSFC fours and good work through the middle by WInchmore Hill culminating in numerous chances on goal for both sides. It was Winchmore Hill who broke the deadlock in the first half scoring their first goal of the season albeit under scrappy circumstances. It was a quick response by the CSFC fours to draw level when Billy Joel danced past an entranced defence and struck a wonder shot from 20 yards out to put it beyond the reaches of the helpless goal keeper in the top left corner. Shortly before half time Winchmore Hill cemented their good reputation by pressing forward on numerous attacks. Their efforts were rewarded with a corner which ultimately they were able to capitalise on by finding the back of the net (via a CSFC left back whose name will not be revealed but whose swinging left peg will live to haunt him another day).  At half time Winchmore Hll found themselves with a 2-1 lead.

Changes were made to the CSFC line-up at half time with Milo coming off (1 run up the wing in the first half proved a step too far for the lad), Kirps making his debut for the club as striker and Courtney moving to the left midfield . The second half was a different affair altogether. The CSFC fours pressed relentlessly and brought wave after wave of attacks to the Winchmore Hill defensive lines. The pressure showed when the boys in red won a penalty half way through the half. Macca stepped up and produced an excellent spot kick which almost burst the net only to be asked to take it again by the ref due to players encroaching the area. The second effort was good but the Winchmore Hill keeper produced a good save to keep them in the lead. Not to be outdone by a missed penalty, the Service kept pushing and a trademark Berty long throw into the box found Macca's head which drew the scores level. The game ended at two all with a feeling that Service had missed an opportunity to take the two extra points. Nonetheless, for a first performance the boys in red did themselves proud with plenty of encouraging performances across the park.

Stand out performances on the day came from Macca who commanded the central midfield and also from Greg who produced some excellent saves to keep his team firmly in contention. The Man of the Match award though went to Tom Jennings who produced an almost faultless performance at right back - a position he reluctantly took on but was able to master with great aplomb.

Squad: Greg, Bert, Tom, James, Pav, Huw, Billy, Macca, Milo (45 mins), Ali, Courtney. Subs: Kirps (45 mins on for Milo)