Author: thomhoops

Claremont AFC 1-0 AFC Cubo 2nd XI

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Date: Saturday 14th January 2012

Starting Line-up: Fake Clarky, Luke, Alan, Joe, Noodle, Trev, Salty, Burt (Seb Brain), Pete Hill, Stevie T, Jim Dennison

Sub: Seb Brain

Cubo travelled to the Clapham region of Siberia to honour their away fixture against Claremont in the most inhospitable of conditions. Cubo were seeking to secure a double over their mid-table opponents following a hard fought 1-0 victory at The Theatre of Elms in the second game of the season and simultaneously lift themselves away from the relegation zone and raise spirits before the cup semi-final next week.

The boys in baby blue sought to impose their superiority on the game in the opening stages, but were increasingly frustrated by a lack of fluency in possession, no doubt not helped by a thawing bobbling mud bath of a surface. In spite of this, the away side was increasingly dominant in the first half.

When Cubo were able to get the ball down, some impressive attacking down the left and interplay between Mr T and Jim Dennison up front were causing the Claremont central defenders problems. Half way through the first half, Jim did excellently to wriggle away from his marker to bear down on goal, his shot rolling mere inches past the post.

Minutes later a flick from Stevie sent Jim through again. This time the keeper made an excellent save only to see the rebound fall invitingly to Mr Peter Hill inside the six-yard box. Inexplicably, almost certainly in an attempt to prove his self-styled tag of being ‘great in the air for a small man’, Peter Hill tapped the ball up and headed it towards the net as the Claremont defender swept the ball clear. Whilst replays showed that the ball was clearly over the line, it was unlikely that the referee or the Claremont linesman was going to give it.

Following a half-time break that saw Seb replace the injured Burt, Fake Clarky demonstrate his usual petulance towards the official and a stirring barking of orders from Field-Marshall Salty, Cubo came out seeking the all important goal. However, with Cubo increasingly taking the aerial approach, Claremont centre half and Pascal Cygan lookalike was able to clear convincingly in the air.

Chances were of a premium in the second period with some flowing Claremont football fashioning the best of those that were created, despite excellent performances at the heart of defence from Joe and a less clumsy looking Alan. With only seconds left and the referee opting to play-on with Claremont having been flagged offside, the home side broke through with the striker applying a cool finish to take all three points. In the angry exchanges that ensued, Cubo’s skipper was reprimanded by the referee and a supporter was ejected, in a scene reminiscent of the SPL at any game at any time of the year.

It was a cruel ending to a game that Cubo on balance had not deserved to lose and where both teams had struggled to play their passing games on a difficult pitch. However, Cubo can take a positive performance in many areas into their game next weekend as they seek London Cup glory.

Final Score: Claremont AFC 1-0 AFC Cubo 2nd XI

Man of the Match:

Match Report: Real Clarkey

AFC Cubo 2nd XI 3-4 PWCA

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Date: Saturday 7th January, 2012

Starting XI: Clark, Denno, Pete Hill, Watkins, Keegan, Antonio, Moody, Salty, Burt, Steve T, MTM

Subs: SMDLF, Seb Brain

Cubo 2s entered 2012 in positive mood and with a fresh striking partnership resembling Demba Ba and Ameobi, there was reason to be so. The 2s have developed somewhat of a maverick status of late, both within the club and the Wimbledon and District Premier League, with inconsistent form interspersed with some gritty performances and an eventful cup run. The arrival of a well organised PWCA  side to Barn Elms would no doubt prove an obstacle in shaking this tag.

Buoyed by the new partnership up front and an attacking formation, Cubo began confidently, moving the ball about well and getting good numbers forward. The pressure eventually told with MTM holding the ball up well, laying off for Moody who cleverly disguised his shot and played it in to the feet of a beefed up Stevie T. Big T made no mistake and duly opened his account for 2012.

Cubo had the better of the first half chances and were marginally winning the battle in midfield, even with a heavily wounded Saltdog being restricted to patrolling the centre circle rather than the box to box style usually associated with the skipper. A second goal was on the cards which may have put the game to bed, but a quick break and a well taken PWCA goal meant that the teams went in to the break all square.

The second half characterised the 2s season. Changes in personnel, notably the loss of Salty through injury and the influential Oli Watkins, and subsequent changes in formation unsettled the side, providing the opposition with opportunities at crucial points in the game.

Cubo took the lead for the second time early in the second half, good build up play resulted in Denno teeing up Terrence for his second. An emotional moment for our talented winger who was returning to the line up after recently becoming a proud father. We salute you. From what should have been a good platform to push on from, a touch of complacency and lapses in concentration across the park allowed PWCA to not only get back in to the game but also take the lead. A disappointing twenty minutes resulted in three goals conceded, PWCA breaking well on a couple of occasions and taking advantage of poor organisation.

Cubo managed to pull one back, MTM turning provider this time which he duly deserved after a ranging bull type performance throughout. Tel was on hand to cap a brilliant debut cooly dispatching a third for a well deserved hat trick. Take a bow, son. The second half also saw the return of Seb ‘how’s your face’ Brain, who looked dangerous immediately, throwing himself in to some daring headers! Unfortunately Cubo’s late surge wasn’t enough, but credit goes to a well organised and resilient PWCA side.

There was time for one more surprise (sort of), when Keegan had his Zizou moment. After producing a luscious, but unnecessary piece of skill, he tangled with the opposition striker, the PWCA CF took this opportunity to make his mark on Keegan’s calf whilst insulting the Boro – a Zidane on Materazzi moment was inevitable. Somehow only the Cubo legend saw red.

Cubo 2s will have mixed emotions about this game, promising passages of play and finally having two out and out strikers will be positives, but lapses in concentration and a lack of grit in the second half will need to be addressed. Ultimately it was a disappointing 4-3 loss and the 2s will need to respond well over the next few weeks to prevent what started as a very promising campaign turning in to a relegation battle.

Final Score: AFC Cubo 2nd XI 3-4 PWCA

Goals: Stevie T (3)

Man of the Match: Stevie T

Match Report: Trev Moody

AFC Cubo 3rd XI 2-1 South East London 2nd XI

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Date: Saturday 7th January 2012

Starting Line-up: Bush, Lye, Smith, Ingle, Dallamore, Field, Bennett, Turner, Pickett, Bradley, May

Subs: Laurence, Cucos

After a very continental Christmas break, including Wayne Rooney-styled festive party, Cubo 3s were back at Barnes ready to continue the form they concluded 2011 in.

Playing their penultimate home game of the season (on 7 January!), Cubo took the field, although a front lawn may be more appropriate given its size, against a South East London side sitting just above the relegation zone.

Cubo, in their changed strip of red and navy, lost the toss and were forced to play into a wind so strong that even Turner could record a sub-10 second 100m time if had it at his back.

SEL started strongly using the gale to their advantage. Their long ball tactics and basketball-style full-court press made it difficult for Cubo to get out of their own half for the opening 20 minutes.

It wasn’t long before the territorial pressure told and SEL broke through only to be denied by a superb stop from Bushy in the Cubo goal.

With the wind swirling above and a narrow pitch Cubo struggled to construct their usual passing game and five minutes later the away side broke through again, this time it was SEL’s other front man who was stopped by an outstretched Bushy, not once but twice.

As the half grew longer Cubo began to grow in confidence with Billers’ energy rivaling a Mascherano/springer spaniel lovechild. The striker’s chasing from the front allowed his side’s defence much needed respite.

With player/manager (you can pretty much remove the player part these days) Rob Jones’ half-time team talk fundamentally around the Wizard of Oz hurricane circling over Barn Elms, he was left with little to say as it was reduced to no more than a the force of a disappointed sigh. Fortunately, captain Matt (Tourette’s) Turner rallied the troops with his usual nonsensical, sweary, off-point, Any Given Sunday speech.

With Cubo confident of a positive result at the break they were hit with a surprise strike from SEL. A lack of pressure on the ball on the right hand side led to a hopeful ball being hooked over the top for their burly striker to run on to and lob the on-rushing keeper with aplomb.

Without a thought the home side brushed off this lapse in concentration and began to apply pressure of their own. Turner had a volley blocked from 20 yards out after winding it up from inside his own half.

The resulting corner led to the deserved equalizer. Lucas Pickett swung in a delicious left-footed delivery on to centre-back Mark Dallamore’s head, one of the countless headers he had won throughout the afternoon.

Not settling for a point though, Cubo began to win every tackle all over the pitch. Tim Field was beginning to profit from the space developing on the right hand side and Paul May was proving too much of handful for the opposing centre-backs.

With 15 minutes remaining Pickett received the ball level with the top of the area on the right touchline. A drag-back passed the full-back and a nutmeg through the covering centre-back left him with a only a half chance. The angle was tighter than his mum, but that was all he needed as he let fly and took Cubo to their 5th win in their unbeaten last seven matches.

Final Score: AFC CUbo 3rd XI 2-1 South East London 2nd XI

Goals: Dallamore, Pickett

Man of the Match: Six players received votes this week, but the winner with an assist and the deciding goal – Lucas Pickett.

Match Report: Lee Evans

AFC Cubo 2-2 Abbey Rangers

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Date: Saturday 7th January 2012

Starting Line-up: Gaz Stewart, Eddy Jackson, Goughy, Rob Sadler, Tom Hooper, James McGeown, Mark Bradley, J-Patterson, Ben McGeown, Andrew Noble, Simon Daunter

Subs: Chris Gray, Oli Watkins

Cubo started the New Year sitting in a very respectable 2nd place in the league (albeit having played quite a few games more than most of the sides around them in the league) and looked to continue their good form against mid-table Abbey Rangers.  The first fixture between these sides had ended 0-0 after a very even game which saw Cubo produce their best 45 minutes of football of the season in the first half before falling away in the second half where the home side probably felt they should have nicked it.  With skipper Oli Watkins returning from his mid-season vitamin D boosting session in Australia and Chrissy Gray getting a rare respite from babysitting duty Cubo were able to name a very strong bench.

With the pitch showing signs of wear and tear following the mickey mouse kickabout that the groundstaff had scheduled prior to Cubo’s game, a game of passing football was never going to materialise.  The early exchanges were testament to this as both sides struggled to get the ball down on the bumpy and sticky surface.  The first chance fell to the home side when Noble broke through a tackle to leave himself clean through on goal.  The Rangers keeper did well to get off his line to block Noble’s effort but the ball span up nicely for Ben McGeown though his blocked volley was never on target.  His subsequent efforts to pick up the loose ball led to him picking up a dead leg which he never recovered from and saw him replaced by Chrissy Gray after 25 minutes.

The change coincided with Cubo’s best patch of the game.  Having struggled to get the ball down on the deck in the opening period J-Pat and Bradders were beginning to find their range spreading the ball to Jim and Hooper on the flanks.  The first goal came soon afterwards when J-Pat picked out Daunter on the right touchline, who beat his man before delivering a peach of a cross to the back stick where Noble was at full stretch to direct his header past the Rangers keeper to make it 1-0 Cubo.

With their tails up Cubo added a second soon after, more good work down the right side involving Sadler and Hooper led to Chrissy Gray putting in a block which put Noble clean through on goal.  The big man made no mistake this time round, slotting his finish beneath the onrushing keeper, 2-0 Cubo.  The home side continued to dictate affairs with James and Hoops able to get forward with good effect.  The only threat to the home side appeared to be the Rangers keepers wind assisted kicks which were causing Cubo issues, leading to a couple of hairy incidents.  That being said, aside from some good takes from corners, Gaz Stewart had remained relatively untested in the first half, though unfortunately he was picking the ball out of his own net with the half time whistle approaching.  A well worked move by Rangers saw Cubo’s backline pulled out of position and a nicely weighted pass released their striker who steered his finish past Gaz to give Rangers the ideal fillip before half time.

The goal changed the dynamic of the game completely as Rangers emerged in the second half reinvigorated, whereas the home side looked a pale imitation of the side who had raced into a 2 goal lead.  With the festive period appearing to catch up on some of the Baby Blue Army the game was becoming increasingly stretched, leaving Noble and Daunter isolated up front and creating plenty of space for Rangers to play in.  Rangers were pushing their full backs on to good effect and the space being afforded to their big centre midfielder was allowing him to dictate affairs.

Cubo were playing a dangerous game and almost paid the price for it when the ball broke to a Rangers player whose effort had Gaz but not the post beaten.  With the away side pouring forward there were chances for Cubo to put the game to bed but time and again the ball was given away cheaply.  The introduction of Watkins to the backline helped to steady the ship, the skipper making his first touch a real statement of intent – going straight through the Rangers striker.  Despite this Cubo’s inability to hold on to the ball meant that the ball was continually coming back at the backline who were not being given the time to get out of their own third.

The goal had an air of inevitability about it when it came and was symptomatic of the second half.  Possession was given away cheaply allowing Rangers to work the ball into the box, and with Cubo failing to clear their lines Rangers levelled the score with a minute left on the watch.

A fair result overall given Rangers dominance of the second half.  Whilst the pitch made playing football difficult Rangers showed in the second half that it was possible to look after possession and Cubo will need to learn to protect leads better than that if they have any intention of maintaining their league position.  Despite the disappointment at throwing away a two goal lead, especially given the timing of the equiliser, there were some positives for the home side, particularly in the 20 minute period before half time where they looked threatening every time they got the ball down and they will hope to produce this in greater spells in next weeks fixture against in-form Reigate Priory.

Final Score: AFC Cubo 2 -2 Abbey Rangers

Goals: Noble (2)

Man of the Match: Noble

Match Report: Benny Mac

Battersea Lions 2-5 AFC Cubo 3rd XI

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Date: Saturday 10th December, 2011

Starting Line-Up: Stewart, Lye, Ingle, Dallamore, Adabadze, Tett (C), Jeph, Lucas, Field, May, Hennerz.

The baby blue army arrived at a chilly Raynes Park in buoyant mood following their confident victory over old foes Merton in their previous outing and the vibe was further heightened by the knowledge that they got to wear the new kit for the second match in succession.

It was also a team with a sense of unfamiliar familiarity as the previous attacking three of May, Field and Hennerz once again played ahead of the quickly gelling duo of Jeph and Lucas. The midfield welcomed back crowd favourite Greg “Hollywood” Tett who took the skippers armband and the defence was bolstered by Mark Dallamore who slipped in alongside Ingle at the heart of the defence.

Cubo started on the front foot and quickly found that passing rhythm which is fast becoming a hallmark of their play. With the midfield three easily creating space by using the extra man and finding Hennerz and Field who hugged the touchlines stretching the Battersea back four. This movement and speed of play was once again spearheaded by May up top by himself who was running the channels and causing problems early on.

A decent exchange of passes down the right flank involving Field, Lucas and May drew a foul in a dangerous area of the pitch for Cubo. Lucas whipped a left foot cross over which somehow evaded the melee of players attacking it, and as the ball rolled tantalisingly along the line May did what all good strikers do best, got a toe end to it and claimed the goal. 1-0 Cubo.

What followed however was not a re-ignited show of pressure from Battersea Lions as they chased down the lead, but instead more ‘Ole’ football from a confident Cubo. Field was finding space down the right and lollypopping past the hapless left back and Hennerz was pulling out some flamboyant turns of his own on the left. Jeph, Tett and Lucas were ticky-tacking the ball around the midfield and May came close with a curled right footed shot from the left of the box – “oooh what a bender”

The pressure told when the ball was held up down the left flank by Hennerz, who cut back and fed Lucas 20 yards out. The man rumoured to be named after the creator of the Star Wars dynasty sent the defender the wrong way, presumably by using Jedi mind tricks, and shifted the ball onto his less favoured right foot which suddenly became “more powerful than you could possibly imagine” as the ball flew past the Battersea keeper. 2-0 Cubo.

Lucas reflects on a tidy opening goal

At this the crowd (mainly subs of both sides, a few on-lookers and a group of Animal Rights activists who had turned up following a mis-print on the match day program and thinking they were confronting a gang called ‘Batter Sealions’) went crazy. And as the slick football continued, backed up by very assured defending from the Cubo backline, they broke into a samba style sing-song – appearing to personalize a version of the 1979 Gibson Brothers’ hit single “Cuba”.

Despite all of this, and with Gaz Stewart seing less of the action than Jim McGoewn after 10pm at a Cubo Christmas party, Battersea were suddenly granted a lifeline. With ten minutes to go in the first half a rare Lions corner seemed to have been dealt with at the near post when the ref inexplicably pointed to the spot claiming a push on the Battersea player. Both teams looked bemused by the decision, but the Battersea striker stepped up and side footed it home. Half time, 2-1.

A spirited half time team talk re-focused the minds of the Cubo boys who knew that a third goal would surely kill this contest. Despite this they had to weather an initial storm from the opposition who threw everything at them in the opening minutes of the half. Their Beowolf look-a-like central midfielder was suddenly getting on the ball and finding the tricky front men. But to their credit, the line of Lye, Dullamore, Ingle and Adabadze held firm, and but for a looped cross to the back post that forced a smart save from Stewart in goal, there were no scares.

The third goal killed the game as expected and it came from a likely source. Once again a ball down the left found Hennerz, who once again cut back and found Lucas who – if this was Pro Evo – was quite clearly “on a red” in this game. This time he opted for his favoured left foot and unleashed a strike, which dipped and swerved into the far top corner. Think David Silva for Valencia vs Chelsea at Stanford Bridge in the Champions League. A definite contender for goal of the season.”Tick a boo son, tick a boo.”

Cubo knew that the game as a contest was over, but the vast array of attacking talent on display started to smell blood. Jeph who had been a constant menace in the centre of the pitch all game began driving into the box with increasing regularity. Some more great play down the right from Field and May saw a ball crossed over and it was the newest addition to the Cubo ranks who soared highest to nod it in off the underside of the crossbar. 4-1 Cubo.

A  breakaway consolation by Battersea was quickly cancelled out as some more neat passing saw Jeph released again behind the defence, and after shrugging off the attentions of the centre back he steered the ball calmly home into the bottom right hand corner of the net. 5-2 Cubo.

The final whistle blew to jubilant scenes from the Cubo boys who had exhibited the perfect balance of work rate, structure, flair and finishing to punish the more than decent Battersea Lions team.

They go into the Christmas break two points off top spot and with every right to think they should be challenging for the title this year. If this side stays together, and continues to play this way the rest of the league should be worried.

Final Score: Battersea Lions 2-5 AFC Cubo 3rd XI

Goals: Lucas x2, Jeph x2, May

Man of the Match: Goes to Lukas who was obviously bouyed by Little Mix making it into the Xfactor live final and the prospect of a night out in Funky Buddha that night. He has settled into this team very well.

Match Report: Hennerz

AFC Cubo 2-0 Coulsdon Town

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Date: Saturday 3rd December, 2011

Starting Line-Up: Gaz Stewart, J-Pat, Sutton, Ben McG, Goughy, Joe Diamond, Northy, Bradders, Daunter, Every, Noble

Subs: Chris Gray, Eddy Jackson

Cubo entered this fixture on the back of a perfect November, and were looking to notch up their sixth win on the spin against a side who had given them a 3-0 tonking back in August.  Despite looking like title contenders on that day Coulsdon have enjoyed mixed fortunes since, suffering 5 defeats in a row shortly afterwards which has left them languishing in mid table.  However the previous week had seen them record an impressive 3-1 victory over table toppers Epsom Athletic in the Cup, the only defeat they have suffered so far this season.  The absence of skipper Oli Watkins and Hung Nguyen meant that Joe Diamond came in at centre half, with Ben McGeown stepping in at sweeper to inject a much needed dash of style and panache to the Cubo backline.  With last week’s two goal hero MTM out injured, club beefcake Andrew Noble made a first start since his injury and Chris Gray made it on to the bench.

In the pre-game chat the focus was on stopping the ball into the big Coulsdon no.10 and pressuring the Coulsdon backline when they were in possession.  The first 20 minutes saw Cubo implement this very effectively with Noble, Daunter and Every doing a great job harrying the Coulsdon back four, who were being forced into rushed clearances, which often gave Cubo possession of the ball in their opponents half.  At the other end Goughy was doing a great job on the no.10, preventing him from bringing any of the supporting runners from midfield into the game, whilst Joey D was ensuring the number 9 would have more impact with the stuff he was doing off the ball than anything he did with it.  Despite having the better of the early exchanges Cubo were served a reminder of the danger of any lapses in concentration when Ben McG was caught out of position and a cross into the box was nodded down by the 10 before being volleyed high over the bar by his strike partner.  A let off of sorts though, given his later heroics it would have had to be some strike to beat Gaz.

Cubo’s pressure was beginning to tell with only a superb block in the area preventing Northy from opening the scoring after a goalmouth scramble.  Cubo’s ability to keep the ball in the danger zone finally payed off when great pressure from Every and Northy led to the blonde bombshell tackling his man in the box, sending the ball flying past the keeper to make it 1-0 Cubo.  A well deserved lead for the boys in baby blue, who continued to look the side more likely to score with Goughy putting a header wide from a long throw.  As the half time whistle approached Cubo’s hitherto solidity started to look a little fragile with the Coulsdon right backs ability to get forward causing them issues.  As was the case last week, Cubo were given some practice defending corners and as with last week they stood up to the test, more impressive perhaps given Coulsdon’s aerial prowess.

The second half continued along much the same lines as the first with Cubo working hard to prevent their opponents from having any time on the ball, particularly in the middle of the park where Northy and Bradders were fighting a real battle of attrition against their opposing centre midfielders, and winning it.  With Coulsdon pressing and Cubo increasingly sitting deeper in their own half, Coulsdon thought they had drawn level when a shot from the edge of the box appeared destined for the top corner, only to be palmed over the bar by Gaz.  Fine save though that was he then made two even better ones.  The first saw him diving low to his left to stop a header, and, with two strikers bearing down on him for the rebound, somehow getting a big enough hand to it to bat it over their heads to safety….or so he thought until Ben McG shanked his clearance back towards the goal.  Managing to regain his feet and hurl himself across the grass he again got a big enough hand to the ball to push it away where it was cleared properly this time.  A lucky escape for goal shy McGeown.

Having seen a combination of skill and luck keep them in the lead at one end Cubo promptly went up the other end and took the game away from Coulsdon.  Chris Gray had only recently come onto the pitch, making his first appearance in six weeks, when he picked up the ball and released Noble who beat the offside trap and lobbed the keeper to make it 2-0 Cubo.  With Coulsdon bringing on another striker it was backs to the wall stuff for the home side who were forced into a couple of goal line clearances, most notably when Joey D put in a ‘For the Cameras’ diving header to put a goalbound (was it really Joe??) effort wide.  At the other end gaps were emerging and Cubo really should have added a third given the space available, though they were let down by some poor decision making.

A great win for the Baby Blue Army, making amends for the heavy defeat they suffered early in the season.  Coulsdon are a strong side who will no doubt be in the shake up at the end of the season.  Credit must go to an excellent defensive performance from all involved, the front men showed excellent work rate to pressure the Coulsdon backline, the midfield may only have passed to each other once all game but ensured that they kept their opposite numbers quiet, whilst Joey D and Goughy were uncompromising at the back.

Final Score: AFC Cubo 2 Coulsdon Town FC 0

Scorers: Northy, Noble

Man of the Match: Gaz Stewart – 3 superb saves at a crucial juncture of the game, ensuring Cubo could celebrate another 3 points.

Match Report: Benny Mac

AFC Sevenoaks 1-2 AFC Cubo 2nd XI

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Date: Saturday 3rd December, 2011, 1.15pm KO

Starting Line-Up: Sadler; Hooper, Lye, J. McGeown, Rushnall; Moody, Thethy (C), Burt, Hill; Griffith, Taylor.

Subs: Keegan, Palacio.

Back in 1836, Davy Crockett and his small group of heroes fought a battle for 5 days against the relentless onslaught thrown at them by an army 10x the size of his own.  They stood firm and battled hard, but unfortunately after the 5 day skirmish the mêlée was lost, but boy oh boy didn’t they go down with a good fight.  There were many parallels with this diminutive war and the game the 2’s found themselves in against AFC Sevenoaks, barring 2 obvious dissimilarities.

  1. The game was not going to last 5 days
  2. The main protagonist attacking Davy’s men wasn’t wearing a number 23 shirt who couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with an oversized banjo.

*there may be some massive factual inaccuracies in the above, as I know nothing about American military history.

Usually a flank offensive, Gatling gun wielding, Rob Sadler would be rallying the troops down the wings, but due to an injury from a previous battle he bit the bullet a took the number 1 shirt for the first time since impressive debut for our beloved baby blue battalion.  Corporal Hooper stepped in at full back and looked like he had brawled there all year long.

Young sniper Jordan Griffiths stepped up from the cadets to form our strike force with our veteran of many blood baths Stevie T, and didn’t it work well!  Comrade Moody mowed down their vulnerable left back and before you could say “tally ho chaps” Stevie T had fed a pass to Jordan, and kaboom… Cubo go 1-0 in the lead.  This was well deserved and a sucker blow to AFC as they felt they were on top.

“oh my gosh bruv, we were all over em, innit” AFC Sevenoaks Captain and number 99 

The oppo then re-grouped and forged a new offensive known as the school boy attack.  Not as paedophilic as it sounds, but a move which entails a midfielder getting the ball, then everyone else running ahead of him, shouting as loud as they can to get the ball.  This proved very affecting, and mixed with the long range punt from the back (aided by the wind and glaring sunlight) caused private Jez and McGowan many bouncy headaches down their right flank.

Sevenoaks found themselves within shooting range of our goal, and it was in the form of a free kick.  Standing eye to eye with their assailant our mighty wall stood firm, and did just enough to make their rifleman hit a strike against the post.

All of a sudden there was a serious problem, Corporal Hooper found a sneaky marksman in a trench between himself and Sads and then there was a thunderbolt from the blue.  A fierce strike, so sure and blistering that not even a real life superhero could save it – it soared into Rob Sadler’s top right hand side of the goal with true aplomb.

This is how it will stay in the history books, but if truth be told, a winger hit a lame effort mildly towards the goal and somehow it squirmed through our keepers legs.. but let’s not dwell on that.

Pete Hill was doing admiral work down the left wing, and on a number of different occasions caused their defence all manner of problems, and it was his free kick (or corner, I can’t remember—maybe it wasn’t even Pete.. (Hoops: I think it was Andy Burt) but hey ho) that set up a lovely attack with the ball slung over towards Corporal Hooper to side foot back across the 6 yard box to our Anzac battler Griffiths to convert at the back post.

As far as chances go, that was about it for the 2nd Fusiliers of Cubo.  Private Jez had a glorious chance from 40 yards out, but hit fresh air with his shot, Marine-Keegan also came on and struck the post, but really that was it..

Captain Salty and Field Marshal Burt did a sterling job in getting to grips with their midfielders but at times they were outnumbered and then the fight intensified.  I could go into details of every single shot that they missed but it would just take too long.

Not only did their number 23 put the ball over the bar from 2 yards, but he skewed another 2 open goals horribly wide.  He jinked into the box causing our defence many problem, but the only time Rob was brought into action he ended up getting a yellow card.  The ball was outside the box, so he tried to shepherd the ball out, and failed, then he tried to bring it back in the box, and failed, so he fell on the ball outside of the box, gave away a free kick and got a yellow card.  Many people would be upset at Rob, but due to the emotional distress he is going through at the minute (with the tragic loss of his brand new Cubo merch) I’m sure we can forgive him.

Their big number 99 also slammed Rob’s head against the post late on in the game, but he got up and threw himself right back into the battle.  It wasn’t just their number 23 who missed many chances, at least every outfield player on their team seemed to miss an open goal.

When the final whistle blew and the battle was over it was Cubo who progressed into the semi- final of the London Cup.  Where we will don our uniforms, strap on our bayonets and do battle again, for the next step is the final and the opportunity to become true warriors.  Jordan Griffiths picked up the Victorian cross for his offensive efforts, and well deserved it was.  This was our very own battle of the Alamo, but unlike Crockett we won – the sweet smell of victory is in the air, and we like it!

Final Score: AFC Sevenoaks 1-2 AFC Cubo 2nd XI

Goals: Griffith x2

Man of the Match: Griffith

Match Report: Steve Keegan

Oxted & District 2-5 AFC Cubo

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Date: Saturday 26th November, 2011

Starting Line-up: Neil Clark, Rob Sadler, Mark Sutton, Oli Watkins, Richard Gough, Hung Nguyen, Michael North, Ben McGeown, Paul Every, Michael Neal, Simon Daunter

Sub: Andrew Noble

Cubo’s tour of the lovely county that is Surrey continued with a trip out to leafy Oxted, where they were looking to extend their winning run to 5 games.  With only one change to side that secured a hard-fought victory over Tooting Bec this was the most settled side Cubo have been able to name in many weeks.  Despite this, Cubo were sloppy out of the blocks and it was the home side who took the early initiative winning a series of corners which kept Cubo penned in their own box.  With the pressure building it was only a matter of time before Cubo paid the price for their slow start.  Making a rare return to his own box to defend another Oxted corner, Daunter won a good challenge before his overly ambitious attempt to use his next touch to beat two men led to him hauling down the Oxted man for an obvious penalty.  Instead of finding themselves (deservedly) a goal down, Cubo had penalty saving beast Neil Clark to thank for adding another save to his CV, throwing himself to his left and then snaffling the rebound as well.

The penalty was perhaps the shot in the arm that the Baby Blue Army needed as they immediately went up the other end and scored.  The ball was sprayed out to Sutton on the left touchline whose cross into the infamous ‘corridor of uncertainty’ made its way all the way to the back post where MTM controlled well before firing past the keeper.  1-0 Cubo.  A second was added shortly after when great pressure by Every saw him block the Oxted keepers clearance before squaring to Sutton, steaming in from the left, and he fired an excellent finish in at the near post.  2-0 Cubo.

From being on the ropes for a majority of the half Cubo found themselves two goals to the good and the confidence from this allowed the away side to finally start playing some football.  However they couldn’t quite shake the early sloppiness and this was evident when they failed to clear their lines from a long clearance and the Oxted hooked a speculative volley from the edge of the box over the stranded Clarkie to make it 2-1.  As with Cubo’s goals Oxted’s came in quick succession.  A massive punt from the Oxted keeper sailed to the edge of the Cubo box where the big centre forward flicked a header over Clarkie who again was left stranded on his six yard line.  2-2.

In the space of a couple of minutes Cubo’s two goal cushion had been wiped out though encouragingly they had, in the same period, finally begun to play some football.  The backline were moving the ball with increasing confidence, and providing Oxted headaches with their ability to build attacks for Cubo, no more so than when Goughy carried the ball 40 yards before seeing his pot shot fly over the bar.  Cubo were rewarded for their efforts just before half time when Every picked the ball up on the edge of the box and fired in low off the post to give Cubo the lead going in at half time.  3-2 Cubo.

Emerging for the second half a goal to the good, knowing they had weathered a tough first 45 minutes clearly gave Cubo confidence as they began to look like the dominant side.  A neat move down the right hand side saw MTM slip a pass in behind the Oxted defence and Every was hauled down by the Oxted keeper.  Daunter stepped up and slotted away his penalty with trademark confidence.  4-2 Cubo.  Oxted came back strongly but Clarkie was rarely forced into action with the big striker shackled well by Goughy.  Cubo continued to look dangerous on the break with Sutton nearly adding to his tally if only he’d been able to keep his finish down.  The game was finally killed off when Northy’s great strike from outside the box struck the post and fell to the ever predatory MTM who added his second of the day.  5-2 Cubo.

Final Score: Oxted & District 2-5 AFC Cubo

Goals: MTM 2, Sutton, Every, Daunter

Man of the Match: Daunter / Every

Another good win for Cubo which sees them rise to 3rd in the table, albeit having played quite a few more games than some of the sides around them.  Strong displays by the front men complimented a defensive shape that is benefitting from consistent selection and the return of some important players all bode well for the season ahead.

Match Report: Benny Mac

AFC Cubo 2nd XI 0-3 Union FC

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Date: Saturday 26th November, 2011

Starting Line-Up: Stevie T, Jack, Darlington, A. Clark, Haddon, Hooper, Burt, Neil, Denno, Moody, O’Hara.

Sub: Pally (injured).

Football is a cruel mistress. After battling to a number of single goal victories at the start of the season, the 2nd XI are now finding life a little tougher. In fairness the side picked itself earlier in the campaign, but of late an injury epidemic has swept aside much of the resources and it’s been incredibly tough to scrape an XI, let alone a settled side.

Union arrived at Barn Elms bottom of the league and with the 2s confident of a victory, despite the reshuffled pack. Sadly for Cubo, Union (with hindsight) were able to field what was their strongest outfit of the season and they swept aside the hosts in convincing fashion.

Cubo could not be faulted for effort or application but, in truth, little went right for the Baby Blues. The deadlock was broken midway through the first half after a hopeful ball down the inside left channel was not dealt with, allowing the attacker to strike the ball across Stevie and into the far corner.

Hooper and Burt were struggling to get going in the centre of the park, and with Gaz and Trev both looking to come to the ball the Union defence were happy to push up the pitch and condense the space. This allowed the Union midfield to compete and use the ball better than their hosts.

The pick of the opposition was the number 7 who was very adept at dropping between the lines to create an extra man in midfield or pull one of the Cubo centre halves out of position. Although this didn’t necessarily contribute to any goals directly, it cause unrest and will be something Cubo need to deal with quickly in the return fixture.

With the home side struggling to both a) pass to a teammate and b) control the ball, clear cut chances were at a premium. However, with a 1 goal deficit things were still delicately poised. Sadly the killer blow game just before half time when Denno was robbed on the half way line and, quick as a flash, the Union player was able to spot the ‘keeper off his line and drill home a magnificent left footed effort from fully 50 yards.

Cubo switched Stevie into an advanced role in the second half with Luke taking the gloves. However despite Trev slotting into midfield and Andy trying to replicate his excellent set pieces from open play in a wide area, Union made it 3 when the striker rode a couple of challenges before side footing into the bottom right corner from just inside the box.

Cubo tried to reduce the arrears with Moody twice going close and Jack’s curler picking out the goalkeeper, but in reality it was one of those days.

Final Score: AFC Cubo 2nd XI 0-3 Union FC

Man of the Match: Vote abandoned!

A strong looking squad for Saturday’s London Cup assignment versus AFC Sevenoaks will be hopeful of getting back to winning ways. As the song goes: “Weeeeee are the Cubo….”

Match Report: Hoops