AFC Cubo 2 v Chobham Burymead 2

jmcpattersonLeave a comment

Date: Saturday 19th September 2015

Venue: Barn Elms Sports Centre

Starting line-up: Gaz Stewart, Greg Tett, Ralph Wensley, Alan Clarke, Brad Wilkie, Ben McGeown, Marcus Torr, Elliot Connolly, Martin Ansell, Tom Simmons, Harry Tulip

Subs: Oli Watkins, Luke Arnold

Cubo entertained newly promoted Chobham Burymead at Barn Elms looking to build on their unbeaten September.  Typically there were a few changes from last week’s hard-fought point at Battersea with Marcus Torr and Martin Ansell returning to the side.  With the pitch looking in good nick and the sun shining the stage was set for a good afternoon of football.  Chobham started the brighter of the two with Cubo struggling to get to grips with the shape of the visitors.  Some sloppy defending saw Gaz Stewart forced into action early on, though the keeper showed safe hands to hold onto a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.  Cubo were then presented with a good chance to open the scoring when the Chobham keeper mishit a clearance leaving Ben McG with an open goal, albeit from 30 yards out.  As with last weeks efforts the gaffer was unable to hit the target and should have done better.  The game then saw the first of two real bits of class during the 90.  A diagonal into the box from Marcus was nodded down by Tom Simmons into the path of the onrushing Martin Ansell, who smashed a half volley into the top corner from the edge of the box.  A rocket of a finish to make it 1-0 Cubo.  With the away side slightly stunned from the goal, Cubo began dominating proceedings with Elliot influential in the middle of the park.  The score should have been doubled when another poor clearance dropped to Ben on the edge of the box but he rushed his finish, spanking the ball well wide.

Cubo started the second half with the second moment of quality when Martin broke down the left and pulled the ball back to Elliot just inside the Chobham box and he guided his finish into the far top corner, the ball settling in under the stanchion.  Riding high from the goal, Cubo really should have pushed on but instead they gifted Chobham a route back into the game.  A well struck free kick was parried by Gaz and tucked away by the Chobham striker who had reacted quickest to the second ball.  A real game changer of a goal as you felt that not even Chobham believed they’d be able to get back in the game before that.  From that moment on the game became frenzied as Chobham pushed on and Cubo consistently gave possession away.  Time and again Cubo were guilty of poor challenges, gifting their opponents free kicks in dangerous areas and continually bringing themselves under the cosh.  Even so the equiliser came as a surprise when a deflected shot crept under Gaz’s hands and trickled over the line.  2-2.  With the tide of the game having changed it was now Chobham who looked like they might win it, with Cubo defending increasingly nervously.  The game was completely end to end, with both sides having chances to win it.  First up Gaz had to make a tremendous save as a deflected effort threatened to loop over him but the big man somehow got a hand to it to push it over the bar when it looked goal-bound.  Tom Simmons then had a chance when Harry broke down the left and pulled the ball back but the striker’s effort lacked power.  Simmo got more purchase on his next strike having worked an angle for himself in the box but his effort glanced the wrong side of the post with the keeper left rooted to the spot.  When the ref blew the final whistle both sides appeared disappointed not to have won the points as another goal looked to be on the cards for either side.

A disappointing result for Cubo who really should have put the game to bed at 2-0.  The Cubans will have to be more clinical in future if they are to climb the table.

GOALS: Martin Ansell, Elliot Connolly

MOTM: Elliot Connolly

Battersea Ironsides 1-1 AFC Cubo

thomhoopsLeave a comment

Date: Saturday 12th September 2015

Venue: Battersea Ironsides FC

Starting line-up: Gaz Stewart, Greg Tett, Brad Wilkie, Alan Clarke, Ralph Wensley, Ben McGeown, Chris Pyke, Ian Clarke, Oli Perkins (c), Ryan Shedwick, Harry Tulip

Sub: Oli Watkins

Following last week’s tremendous 3-1 win against title contenders Balham Cubo entered another local derby with some much needed confidence after what has been the Club’s worst ever start to a season.  Patchy availability and an absent manager throughout August have not helped the cause but with wedding season finally out of the way a more positive autumn beckons.  Despite the absence of Elliot Connolly and last week’s hat-trick hero Martin Ansell, Cubo were able to name a strong squad with the gaffer strolling back into the midfield and Gaz Stewart returning in nets.

Playing down the hill in the first half Cubo found themselves pegged in by last year’s runners-up, whose unflinching commitment to getting the ball in the mixer doesn’t get the credit it deserves.  In previous seasons Cubo haven’t dealt with this well but with Gaz Stewart in commanding form, claiming anything that came near his six yard box and the rest of the side showing real sharpness the crowd were treated to the sight of Battersea going short on a throw-in, unbelievable scenes.

As the half wore on Cubo grew into the game and looked dangerous when they were able to move the ball across the pitch.  Brad Wilkie in particular was getting forward well from full back and one burst down the right saw him whip a cross in to the back post that Shedders was just unable to get a foot on.  The full back was involved again shortly afterwards when a corner dropped to him on the penalty spot however with the goal in front of him he was unable to direct his volley on target.  The goal came shortly afterwards when a Oli Perkins corner was nodded back across goal by Shedders and Harry Tulip, making an emotional return to his previous club, had time to control and finish to give Cubo the lead.  Out of respect for his previous employers the Geordie marksman celebrated conservatively, though he was seen discretely kissing the Cubo badge on the way back to the halfway line.

Even with Cubo slightly on top at this stage, Battersea’s ability from set-pieces makes them a very dangerous opposition and it was only through the sharpness of Alan Clarke and Ralph Wensley who were doing a great job mopping up any flick-ons that prevented Gaz Stewart from having to make a save.  Before the half was over there was still time for Brad to do his best Cafu impression, storming down the line and unleashing a rasping half volley that rippled the top of the net, and the returning Ben McG should have done better when a Tulip cross picked him out at the back stick only for the gaffer to shin his attempted shot straight back to the striker on the touchline.

Having played with the slope in the first half Cubo were bound to be up against it in the second half and this proved to be the case.  From the off Battersea were camped in the Cubo half and it was a case of backs to the wall defending for the boys in baby blue.  However with the Cubo backline continuing to excel in dealing with the aerial ball, beyond claiming crosses Gaz was not forced into a save until the 70th minute when the Battersea striker managed to get away from his marker and get a shot off which the big Taff parried round the post.  At the other end there was plenty of space for Cubo to attack but with the exertions of the game catching up with them the quality of pass was not there to release the front men.  Time and again Cubo won the ball back before gifting possession back to the home side in a very frustrating period of the game.

With 15 minutes to go it looked as if the game was going to be put to bed when a long throw into the box was flicked on by Oli Perkins and Harry Tulip reacted first and got boot to ball at full stretch but could only watch as the ball rocketed off the outside of the post.  With the game entering the final ten minutes the referee was increasing being called upon to resolve petty arguments around the pitch and it was rare for the game to flow more than a minute without some sort of foul being awarded.

With the home side chucking men forward the pressure was building but with no clear changes being created it looked like Cubo would be celebrating a repeat of last season’s victory here.  Unfortunately this was not to be, a long ball over the top saw Gaz Stewart’s clearance ricochet off of the Battersea forward who was left with the simple task of tapping the ball home to level things up with six minutes to go.  A gut-wrenching goal to concede for the Cubans, and particularly for the previously flawless Stewart.  The final six minutes were played out without any further incident other than another wild left-footed strike from Ben McG when much better options were available.

Probably a fair result in the end based on the balance of the two halves, though Cubo will feel disappointed that they did not secure the three points having led for so long.  Another positive result though against a side who are always very tough opponents and will no doubt be in the mix as the season progresses.

Goal: Harry Tulip

MOTM: Ralph Wensley

Rufus Shedwick – Debut Album

thomhoopsLeave a comment

The highly anticipated new release from AFC Cubo’s Ryan Shedwick, entitled ‘Why Didn’t You Pass It To Me?‘ is going to be available in physical and digital formats from Monday the 23rd of March.

The full tracklisting and album artwork is detailed below:

IMG_0198

1. Send it Shedders

2. Maaaaate

3. Barbaric part 1 (ft. DJ Pyke)

4. He’s Back on the Stag

5. Why Didn’t You Pass It To Me?

6. New Wheels

7. Fred Perry (Outlet Store)

8. Barbaric part 2

9. Proper Rascal Haircut

10. Abysmal

11. NikeTown

AFC Cubo 2-3 Project Clapham

thomhoopsLeave a comment

Date: Sat 7th February 2015

Goals: Harry Tulip, Ben McGeown

Cubo once again found themselves on the wrong end of a tight game in a local derby against newly promoted Project Clapham.  With pitch conditions making it difficult to play much football it was the away side who started the brighter keeping the home side pegged back in their own half.

The first chance fell to Clapham when a long ball saw the left winger through on goal, however a superb last ditch tackle by J-Pat prevented a clear goal scoring opportunity.  Cubo grew into the game with Chris Pyke finding himself in some good shooting positions only to see the ball end up in the same patch of woodland behind the goal both times.

Cubo’s best chance of the half fell to Harry who was released by a long pass into the left hand channel. The Alan Pardew loving Geordie accelerated away from the full back into the area but the angle was tight and the keeper was able to party his effort to safety.

Clapham a biggest threat was coming from their set-piece, which were being delivered with quality on every occasion. Cubo had received a couple of warnings before a contested free kick was whipped into the box and headed home from six yards out giving Brad in goal no chance.

The home side struck back in the second half when an Ian Clarke corner was nodded in from two yards out by Harry Tulip.  The Cubans would have backed themselves from this position having started the better of the two sides but they were soon behind again when another contentious decision by the ref saw Clapham awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Brad could once again only watch as the ball was curled into the top corner to make it 2-1.

The score was extended when Pogo was adjudged to have handled a cross that he had little chance of moving out of the way of and the Clapham skipper tucked it away with aplomb.  A real sucker punch for the Cubans.

A late goal by Ben McG following excellent work down the left by Harry Tulip made the last few minutes interesting but Pykey was unable to keep his late header beneath the bar.
A tight game that could have gone either way. Cubo will rue the dropped points but it was Clapham who scored at the decisive points in the game to reverse the scoreline from the first fixture between these two sides this season.

AFC Cubo 1-2 Tooting Bec

thomhoopsLeave a comment

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.

Reigate Priory 0-5 AFC Cubo

thomhoopsLeave a comment

Date: Sat 24th 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.

AFC Cubo 1-1 Reigate Priory

thomhoopsLeave a comment

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 1st 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.

Yateley 1 AFC Cubo 4

benmcg14Leave a comment

Starting line-up: G. Stewart, N. Flower, S. Graves, O. Watkins, R. Wensley, E. Connolly, I. Clarke, J. Patterson, M. Ansell, O. Perkins, H. Tulip Subs: A. Clarke, B. McGeown

Goals: O. Perkins (2), N. Flower, M. Ansell

Another strong first half performance saw Cubo secure all three points against struggling Yateley United on Saturday. Four changes to last weeks side saw Sam Graves, Clarkey and Nick Flower return to the starting line-up, with Alan coming in on the bench.
Weather conditions on the day were pretty horrendous with the rain pissing down and a strong wind that Cubo were playing into in the first half. The strength of the wind meant that the away side found it difficult to get out of their half as goal kicks and clearances were holding up in the air and Yateley benefitted from this, keeping Cubo in their own half. Yateley may have started the game at the bottom of the table but of the eight games they have lost six have been by a single goal and they have run all of the top sides close. They certainly didn’t start like a side at the bottom, working the ball well down the flanks and forcing a couple of early corners. However these were dealt with well by Cubo who enjoyed a height advantage across most of the side. Following a scrappy start the away side began to settle into the game and found themselves ahead when the ball was worked to Harry out on the left who beat his man before delivering a cross that Yateley failed to deal with and Nick Flower was on hand to make it 1-0. The lead was doubled with the very next attack as a superb reverse pass from Jonny Patterson again found Harry out on the left. Yet again the Geordie’s quick feet saw him beat his man before his cross found an unmarked Oli Perkins for a simple tap in. Cubo were now in full control of the game and looking dangerous whenever they went forward, particularly down the right where Ralph was getting into som dangerous crossing positions. Unfortunately for both sides the referee made the decision to send off the Yateley centre half for a reckless challenge in the middle of the park. The kind of decision you see in the Prem regularly but rarely dealt with so severely at this level. This inevitably had an pact on the game with the home side dropping off allowing Cubo plenty of time on the ball at the back where Oli and Sam were able to knock the ball around without much pressure on them. Cubo extended their lead early in the second half when Oli Perkins followed up a rebound to grab his second of the game and fifth of the season. The game then saw it’s second red card when Gaz Stewart pulled down the Yateley striker who was clean through on goal….an unavoidable decision for the ref to make and a bizarre decision by the Cubo stopper given that even at 3-1 the game was pretty much in the bag. The volatile Welshman has been in great form this season and his absence through suspension will be a big blow to the Cubans. Rumours circulating on the Cubo supporter’s online forum that he had deliberately sought a suspension to accommodate another spa weekend away with his missus have been quashed by the player…..A quick reshuffle saw Ben McGeown take Gaz’s place inbetween the sticks sporting a pair of Gabor Kiraly endorsed trackie bottoms. The lack of warm-up clearly had an effect as the usually dependable keeper was caught in no-mans land whilst half-committing to a long ball over the top, indecision which the Yateley striker exploited with a well-taken lob. Cubo had further chances to extend their lead with the Yateley keeper saving well when Martin had been played through on goal and Harry going close but there were to be no more goals.

A good win for Cubo against a Yateley side who will feel hard done by the first half sending off which effectively ended the game as a contest. Despite this the away side were well worth the win whlist it was eleven on eleven with some strong performances from Ralph, Elliot and Harry. With a majority of the league taking part in the Cup the win lifts Cubo to third in the league ahead of some tricky fixtures ahead, including the Club’s bogey team Virginia Water.

AFC Cubo 2nd XI 1-1 Mint Green Army Veterans – 01.11.14

jmcpattersonLeave a comment

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.

Project Clapham 2 v AFC Cubo 3

jmcpattersonLeave a comment

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.