Date: Sat 17th January 2015

Venue: Barn Elms

Starting line-up: G. Stewart, D. Wall, N. Flower, S. Graves, R. Gough, E. Connolly, I. Clarke, J. Patterson, M. Ansell, O. Perkins, J. Flower

Subs: S. Thethy, B. McGeown

Goals: M. Ansell

MOTM: E. Connolly

Cubo’s bad run of form continued as they fell to a third consecutive loss against local rivals Tooting Bec. On a boggy pitch the home side played a majority of the football taking a deserved lead when Martin brought down a Jake Flower flick on before calmly slotting home across the keeper from twelve yards out.

Tooting were struggling to get into the game but were gifted an equaliser when a missed clearance gifted their frontman a clean run on goal and he beat Gaz to level the scores. The goal galvanised the visitors and they should have taken the lead when another error left Gaz one on one with the striker.  Despite a good initial stop from Gaz a goal seemed certain when the rebound dropped at the strikers feet 3 yards out but he somehow managed to trip over the ball allowing Sam to get back and clear.  A howler.

Tooting were more positive from a footballing perspective in the second half, attempting to get the ball down in what were difficult conditions for any tekkers-based baller.  The home side paid for their failure to take advantage of their first half dominance when a deep cross to the back post was dropped by Gaz under pressure, leaving the Tooting centre half with a simple tap in.

The home side pushed forward with Martin and Oli getting in behind on a couple of occasions only to find a well drilled Tooting back line defending their box well. The final minute almost saw Cuno level things when Martin beat his man and fired in a low cross which struck a tooting defender before hitting the post and rolling across the line before being cleared to safety to prevent a simple tap in for the on rushing Ben McGeown.

A disappointing result for Cubo who will be kicking themselves for not winning a game that they played the better football in and created a far greater number of chances than the visitors.   A more clinical performance will be required from Cubo to break the poor run against bogey side Reigate Priory next week.

Date: Sat 24^th January 2015

Venue: Reigate Priory FC

Starting Line-up: G. Stewart, D. Wall, N. Flower, S. Graves, R. Wensley, B. McGeown, E. Connolly, A. Clarke, M. Ansell, O. Perkins, H. Tulip

Sub: C. Pyke

Goals: Clarkey, M. Ansell, O. Perkins, H. Tulip

Cubo returned to form with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Reigate Priory.  Clarkey opened the scoring with a well struck shot from the edge of the box before two goals from Martin in quick succession gave the visitors a comfortable lead going into half time.  The game was put to bed when Oli Perkins bundled in at the back post halfway through the half following good work down the left by Harry Tulip.  The Geordie marksman then broke his recent scoring drought with a well-taken fifth in the final minutes of the game.

A reassuring return to form for the Cubans, albeit against opponents whose last game was over a month ago.  An additional bonus was the appearance off the bench of midfield enforcer DJ Pyke, making his first appearance following a gym/GF related lay-off.

Starting line-up: L. Arnold, A. Clarke, N. Flower, R. Wensley, H. Nguyen, B. McGeown, E. Connolly, I. Clarke, J. Patterson, D. Wall, O. Perkins

Subs: R. Sadler

Cubo returned to action following a weather enforced fortnight off against the side who had dumped them out of the 1^st round of the League Cup, Reigate Priory.  A litany of absences in the frontline meant that Dave Wall and utility man Jonny Patterson were pushed into unfamiliar attacking positions to support Oli Perkins.  A tad unfair on J-Pat who has been performing excellently in the centre of the park of late but much like other great British footballing talents such as Paul Warhurst, Phil Jones and Phil Neville, his versatility means he is often the first player to get pushed out of position.

The home side started well and should have taken the lead when J-Pat missed a header from the six-yard line when it looked easier to score.  With the home side playing the majority of the football Reigate looked to the threat posed by their top scored Byrne and he duly delivered twenty minutes in, eluding his marker from a corner to head home at the back post.  A bad goal to concede from Cubo’s point of view but testament to the predatory powers of the Reigate number 10 who always seems to get on the scoresheet against the Cubans.  In fairness, Reigate had looked very dangerous from both of the corners that preceded that one and only a goal line clearance had prevented them taking the lead previously.

The home side now faced an uphill battle against a side who were clearly content to batton down the hatches for the remainder of the game.  The second half continued much as the first had left off with Cubo dominating possession but letting themselves down with a lack of quality in the final third.  They almost found themselves two goals down when Byrne nicked the ball off the CUbo backline before racing through on goal on an angle.  Luckily for Cubo Arnie pulled off a superb save to push the strike over the bar.  As tension built in the game it proved to be too much for the newly introduced Reigate sub.  Spoiling for a row from the moment he walked on the pitch he got himself entangled with Hung and pushed the Cubo veteran to the ground.  The referee decided that this constituted raised hands and sent the Reigate man off.  A long way to come for a ten minute run out.

With the extra man, Cubo poured forward and would have equilised had it not been for an athletic save from the Reigate keeper to claw away a goal bound header from Oli Perkins.  The big striker had his head in his hands five minutes later when the ball fell to him 8 yards and he lashed his effort wide of the post.  It was appearing ominous for the home side as the time ebbed away but there was still time for an unlikely hero to step up to the plate.  A long throw into the box was flicked on by Nick Flower and arriving late at the back post was Alan Clarke to poke a finish under the keeper and rescue a point for Cubo.

A frustrating game for Cubo who will have felt that they should have got more from a game they dominated but in the end were lucky to get a point from.  Hats off to Reigate who have proven to be a bit of a bogey side for Cubo, particularly at home where Cubo have yet to beat them in 4 seasons of football in the Surrey Elite.

Man of the match: Elliot Connolly – kept things ticking over in midfield and dictated the game for the home side.

Starting XI: Arnold, Jones, Hooper, Ingle, Golding, Thethy, Joyce, Cooper, Neville, Noble, Ward.

SUB: Smith.

The anticipated anarchic whispering was absent from the home dressing room at Barn Elms on Saturday as player/manager Tom Hooper was given the all-important vote of confidence by players alike following a tough start to the new season under his regime. Rumours of an imminent departure were fuelled by a revelation he has recently moved out of London and into Sussex. Hooper has since dismissed these claims and suggested his is “happy” where he is and asked that the media respect the privacy of himself and his family. Chairman Benjamin McGeown was unavailable for comment last night.

Despite the tricky start to the season confidence was high and a squad of 12 assembled to take on the relatively unknown quantities of Mint Green Army Veterans, themselves in a mixed vein of form having won two, lost two and drawn one to kick off their season in notoriously problematic Wimbledon & District First Division. Cubo’s squad was sparse and missing notable absentees including Watkins, Crisp, Spokes, Mulligan, Simmons and Lye but to name a few so with the limited resources available, Hooper shuffled the pack and ensured that Cubo had a strong XI to challenge a powerful looking MGA Vets side.

Another notable absentee was the typical November weather, instead replaced with mild sun and clear blue skies imitating the baby blue armies famous striped shirt. Goalkeeper Arnold was also missing and speculation of him oversleeping after an X-Factor marathon the night before were left unconfined as he arrived to join up with the team.

Hooper combined with a regular back 4 of Arnold, Jones, Ingle and the ever-present (except 1s duty) Mr Cubo Tom Golding. The 4-2-3-1 ensured that Joyce returned to partner Thethy in front of the back four with Cooper playing wide left, the FieldMarshall in familiar territory wide right and out-of-form Henry Neville; hoping to notch his first goal of the season; returning to his preferred situ in the number 10 role playing just off summer signing Sam Ward up front. The Birmingham lads vocal approach and passion was evident to all. He wanted this.

Critics have been quick to jump on Cubo’s slow starts in games this season and as it wasn’t long before the powerful presence of the MGAV front line looked to exploit the new CB pairing of Hooper and Ingle.  A mis-placed back header from Ingle needed quick thinking from Hooper to clear the ball out and into touch. Cubo needed to settle themselves and it wasn’t long before the powerful number 10 of MGAV beat  the offside trap and forced Arnold into a brave diving save at the feet of the attacker. With the noticeable height difference between the teams it was paramount that cheap free-kicks and corners weren’t given away by the Cubans.

The energetic Thethy and Joyce started to enjoy more free time on the ball and looked to play in Cooper and Field, both with sufficient ability & pace to burn off most full backs in the division. However it was Neville who was getting the most joy and continually found space in the pockets to turn and run at the back line of MGAV who seemed unsure how to deal with his flair, quick touches and intricate passing.  A couple of quick fire Cubo corners led to nothing and a clean sheet in the first 20 minutes was a mini victory for Cubo as they looked to bounce back from a humbling 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Claremont last week.

A cheap free kick presented another opportunity for MGAV who had started with intent to pick up another 3 points on the road. Arnold positioned the wall but was helpless as a sublime 25-yard strike was curled into the far corner as he agonisingly thrust an extended arm towards the ball. 1-0 MGAV. Unlucky as the Cubo number 1 had been dominant in the opening exchanges.

This would be a real test of character for Cubo who have failed to win once all season after conceding the first goal. Sam Ward continued to look dangerous and his pace and power was a constant worry to the MGAV back lines as Cubo pressed for an immediate equaliser.  The breakthrough came 10 minutes later after some great interlinking play from Hooper and Field; Joyce picked up the ball 30 yards out, waltzing past two challenges before curling a sumptuous left footed strike from the edge of the box into the top left hand corner; straight out of the Arjen Robben handbook 2014. 1-1.

Half time came and Hooper rallied the troops, smelling blood and highlighting the effect  of the Thethy, Joyce and Neville combo in creating chances in attack. Conceding goals has been a problem and Jones and Golding were in good form dealing with the attacking wide threat with relative ease.

Cubo kicked off away from the sun in the second half and pressed forward trying to impose their home advantage. The tall back four of MGAV looked to impose their size and strength onto the game but were failing to get much joy from Neville, Ward and Cooper. Noble; making his first start of the season was subbed after 60 minutes for another summer addition – Phil Smith. The blonde Gennaro Gattuso was put in the unfamiliar wide right role looking to make an immediate impact from deliveries, set pieces and getting into the box. With the game pressing on, Cubo upped the intensity and looked like a different team that limped through the final 30 minutes the week before. Fitness super-fan Tom Golding was up and down the flank and his clever play put Sam Ward through on goal; only for the match ball to be cruelly knocked away by a wayward football from another pitch. The most outrageous thing to happen at Barn Elms since the unveiling of Arnies split pants.

Then Cubo were dealt a sickening blow. Neville; who had been instrumental in most of Cubos good play picked up the ball and knocked it between the 2 centre backs, with perfect symmetry he was crudely hacked down by both. A absurd cry of “no foul” from the defenders but it was Neville who was left to deal with the consequences of a hefty pair of challenges. Neville was showing very little signs of movement and after 3-4 minutes on the ground and was clearly in some pain.  After the addition of some token ice spray,  he slowly trudged off the pitch holding his arm in extreme discomfort. Cubo were now forced to play the remaining 25 minutes with 10 men as they had done the week before due to Barry dislocating his knee at Claremont. It later transpired that Neville had shattered his collar bone and dislocated his shoulder. An 4 hour trip to A&E and with the follow-up operation completed on Sunday sadly means he will likely remain on the side-lines for the remainder of the season.

Even with 10 men, Cubo looked the most dangerous and Hooper had settled into the back 4 with ease. Chances were few and far between but the passion, drive and enthusiasm from Cubo shows there are good things to come from this team. The game finished 1-1 and Cubo will look to build on this with their forthcoming fixture away to Merchant. Plenty of positives to take from the game and the injury will tarnish what was a courageous performance from the baby blues.

Manager Hooper will look to the future with much optimism but knows this is only the beginning. With players returning from injury, a competitive and hungry squad will look to achieve the managers vision of finishing top four in this league.

MOTM: Neville; before he went off. Salty was also superb over the 90 mins; along with Joyce.

Cubans send Clapham boys back to the Projects      

Goals: Oli Perkins (2), Harry Tulip

MOTM – Elliot Connolly / Oli Perkins

Starting line-up: G. Stewart, D. Wall, H. Nguyen, O. Watkins, R. Wensley, B. McGeown, J. Patterson, E. Connolly, M. Ansell, O. Perkins, H. Tulip

Sub: R. Sadler

Cubo’s encouraging start to the season has hit the buffers in recent weeks with a couple of disappointing results in the league and a first round exit from the Cup at the hands of Reigate Priory.  As such the fixture with in form Clapham took on extra significance. The newly promoted side have started well in the Surrey Elite and Cubo were well aware of their quality having lost a pre season friendly to them back in 2013.  The recent availability issues continued with only one of last weeks defence named in the starting line up. However there were also some notable returning players with the South Wales Radio back between the sticks, ex-gaffer Ray Quinn back in the heart of the defence and Elliot Connolly coming back into the middle of the park.  The pitch was in mint playing condition with a stiff cross field breeze the only detracting factor.

The games first chance fell to the home side when a great delivery from the left found the Clapham striker in space in the box but he was unlucky to see his header strike the underside of the bar before being cleared.  Cubo then took the lead when Pogo was played into space on the left and he put in a peach of a cross in the ‘Corridor of Uncertainty’ (TM) which left Oli Perkins with a simple tap in at the back stick.  Up to this point Clapham had enjoyed the better of things however the Cubo frontline was looking dangerous whenever they got hold of the ball and it was a threat Clapham never fully dealt with. The lead was extended shortly afterwards when Martin whipped in a free kick which was never cleared and when the keeper parried the resultant shot Harry ‘one goal a game’ Tulip was on hand to make it 2-0. With the sun causing issues for both keepers, it was no surprise when it led to the third goal for the away side. Another good delivery from Martin was misjudged by the keeper, whose punch ended up looping back towards his own goal. Even with the keeper in no mans land Oli Perkins still had a lot to do with his back to goal and defenders surrounding him but his nonchalant back-heeled half volley was out of the top draw.  Clapham were understandably looking shell shocked at the score line having played relatively well for most of the half but it could have been worse had Harry kept his next effort slightly lower, instead the crossbar saved Clapham from a four goal deficit. The real difference between the sides was the Cubo frontline who were terrorising the home defence.  Clapham received a life line back into the game when some sloppy defending from Cubo saw the ball fall invitingly to the Clapham right back and he absolutely rifled a finish past Gaz, that was still rising as it hit the back of the net. With just minutes to play before half time the dynamic of the game could have altered dramatically when Vinod inability to clear their lines gifted a chance to the Clapham striker but Gaz put in an excellent bloke to maintains the two goal lead at HT.  Despite the late goal it was Cubo who emerged the stronger of the two in the second half keeping the home side penned in their own half and it was during this period that they really should have killed the game off. Without the fourth goal Clapham were always still in the game and when the referee awarded a penalty for a block in the box It looked like Cubo might be on the verge of throwing all of their good work away. Luckily Gaz saved the resultant penalty, pushing the ball away where hung completed the clearance. The save continues the keepers recent good record in penalty situations over the last 12 months. He compounded the save by taking a great catch from the corner that followed before the excitement of it all got too much for him as he wildly booted the ball off the pitch.  Cubo still ended up making life difficult for themselves when they allowed the Clapham left back to advance all the way to the edge of the box and under no pressure he unleashed an absolute rocket into the toppest of top corners. He will never score a better goal in his life.  The final few minutes were made all the more tense by this late strike but Cubo were able to hold on to secure a much needed three points that gets them back on track on the league.

A much improved display on recent outings, the only disappointing aspect being the failure to kill the game off at 3-1 which almost resulted in Clapham snatching a point late on.  Next week sees the Cubans make the long journey out to Yateley where they will be looking to keep the pressure on the top three against an out of sorts Yateley United.

Cubo’s winning run came to a halt at Tooting Bec where they were held to a two all draw, despite taking an early two goal lead.  The away side got off to a great start when a kick from Arnie was flicked on by Harry Tulip leaving Rufus with a clear run on goal and his mishit finish megged the keeper to make it 1-0.   A second came soon after when a Sam Graves free kick from within the Cubo half sailed all the way through the Tooting defence and Harry Tulip fired a left foot finish into the bottom corner.  2-0.  Despite the lead Cubo were not looking particularly sharp, the goals having come from defensive lapses as much as any attacking verve and Tooting were definitely looking the more up for it of the two sides.  The pace of the Tooting frontman was clearly going to be the home sides biggest threat, who were looking for the long ball over the top at every opportunity.  When one of these long balls carried through to Arnie in the Cubo goal the referee decided that Sam had obstructed the striker whilst protecting the ball and gave Tooting a free kick on the edge of the box.  The Tooting right back duly converted with a well-placed strike to bring the home side right back into the game.  With their tails up and Cubo getting sucked into the kind of frantic game which suited Tooting, they pressed on and looked to have equalised with a shot that Arnie got finger-tips to before it struck the underside of the bar and bounced down on the line.  The man with the gloves then showed great awareness to spring back to his feet and clear the rebound for a corner with the Tooting striker bearing down on him.  Cubo were looking dangerous whenever they attempted to get the ball further up the field and should have had a penalty when Goughy was barged in the back as he went up for a free header in the box but the referee failed to award the foul.  The second half continued much as the first had ended with Tooting looking the more energetic side but Cubo looking dangerous whenever they moved the ball with any kind of precision.  The sloppiness for the away side was still on show in the second however and they were lucky to maintain their lead when a poor backpass gifted the Tooting striker with a one on one but his effort came back off the post and was cleared.  A let off for Cubo that they would not enjoy again when another poor backpass gifted the striker a second chance which he tucked away to level the scores.  With the scores level Cubo began to look after the ball more effectively and were looking the better team without creating any clear cut chances, Oli Perkins coming closest with an effort from the edge of the box that the keeper palmed wide.  Tooting had a late chance to nick the win but they failed to make the most of a 3 on 1 situation that they really should have made more of.

A frustrating game for Cubo who really should have made more of the two goal lead they were gifted, but this was a below-par performance from the boys in baby blue and a draw was probably a fair result in the end.  Credit to Tooting for showing the determination to get back into the game after the early set-backs, showing that they have recovered from their poor early-season form.

Goals – Rufus Shedwick, Harry Tulip

MOTM – Harry Tulip

Team: Arnie, Flower, Grayson, Ingle, Goulding, Crispy, Salty, Joe, Phil, Sam, Tel

Subs: Tom S, Henners, Jez

After a dissapointing start to the campaign, Cubo 2’s headed to the Kings House Sports Ground looking to turn the tide with a good performance in the cup. The opposition were familiar foes in the form of Sporting Duet, a league rival from last year and an opposition Cubo swept aside with a convincing 7-1 thrashing in the last encounter.

In good conditions, the game got underway with both sides taking time to find their feet. An energetic Duet side made it difficult for Cubo to settle into their usually silky passing game. As the half progressed, both sides squandered chances to take the lead, with the Cubo back 5 putting their bodies on the line to try and keep the sides level going into half time. It was not to be, with the Duet winger cutting in from the right flank and rocketing one into the side netting.

1-0   Duet.

Not to be deterred, a resurgent Cubo side began to find their feet, with the cries of Manager T.Hooper for the team to “transition quickly through phases of play” finally starting to sink in. More opportunities began to come the way of Cubo, with winger Sam causing trouble for the Duet right back in the latter stages of the half. As the sides traded possession the half came to a close without any other notably incidents.

The half team team talk focused on the positives, with the Cubo side confident that they could get themselves back into the tie. With a slap on the back from T.Hooper, Cubo headed into the second half with purpose.

Almost immediately from the whistle, Cubo imposed themselves on the game, working the ball into dangerous areas & looking the more likely to score. When the breakthrough came, it was weight lifted from the Cubo side, with Sam latching onto Phil’s pass before coolly lobbing the ball over the Duet keeper.

1-1, momentum with Cubo

With the scores levelled, the midfield battle became crucial, with some crunching tackles from both sides flying in. When the ball rarely left the middle, the occassional chance came Cubo’s way, but the boys in baby blue were unable to convert these into a lead. One controversial moment sorry Tel cynically hauled back when clean through on goal, but the referee opted to just award a free kick on the edge of the box and show a yellow card.

With the sides looking evenly matched, both sides knew that the next goal could be the winner. It was then that disaster struck, a misplaced pass in the Cubo half put the Duet striker through on goal who drew the helpless Arnie before squaring for an easy tap in by his teammate.

2-1 Duet

The Cubo side again rallied, with subs Henners, Jez & Tom S all making positive impacts. The game had become more open, with Cubo finding more opportunities to score. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, with shots flashed wide when the opportunity came. A notable mention should be made to Cubo’s grit & determination in the second half, with some bruising tackles being put in. However, it was in vain, with the game coming to a close.

While the boys in baby blue will be disappointed with the result, they can take positives from the performance. For passages of the game they had dominated the opposition and looked dangerous in front of goal. Good performances from the bench will also please manager T.Hooper as the strength in depth currently afforded to the gaffer will be a hugh benefit come Ski Season and the annual availability crisis.

However, it is time to focus on the league, with 3pts needed to reassure the Cubo faithful.

Line Up – Arnie, Jez , Jingle, Oli W, Tom G, Salty, Phil Smith, Tom Simms, Boasey, Crispy, Milan

The 2’s opening fixture came against an Imperial College Old Boys side that had come off a very strong finish to the 13/14 season and were looking to pick up where they had left off. Saying that however, the 2’s had a very positive pre season and add to that the addition of a number of talented footballers this was going to be a close affair.

We started the game well and were passing the ball around nicely, an early chance fell to Boasey on the edge of the six yard box but a solid tackle by the ICOBs centre back averted any danger. That was the only real chance of the first half for Cubo.

The ball spent a lot of time in the middle of the pitch and Salty, Phil and Tom Simms were passing the ball around nicely and winning battles when called upon.

The only goal of the game came from a header and unfortunately it was not for Cubo, a good ball in from ICOBs right wing and a solid leap from the centre forward left Arnie with no chance and the ball looped over his out stretched right hand.

This is how it remained when the ref blew for half time.

Cubo came out the much better side in the second half, slick passing and creative play from the wingbacks meant that Cubo could really start to push up the pitch and get into threatening areas. A great free kick from Phil that narrowly missed ICOBs right hand post was the best chance of the second half.

As we moved into the final third, ICOB were looking to utilize their centre forwards lightning speed with long balls over the top of Cubo’s back four. The centre forward was able to get into threatening positions and Jingle was called in to make two outstanding clearances off the line in quick succession. Arnie also kept Cubo in the game with a number of excellent saves.

The game finished 1-0 to ICOB. It was not the start to the season we were looking for but there were a number of positives to take from the game, ICOB are going to be a team contending come the end of the season and we really came close to getting something out of the game. On to the next.

A man of the match performance from Tom Golding who put in a brilliant shift at left back.