So after last week’s disappointing performance and 3-1 defeat at Witney Royals (sorry for the lack of report! Steve Pugh MOTM – Paul Smith DOTD) in Group A of the Veterans Cup, Town had the chance to put the result behind them and put in a performance that could prove that they were in the running to qualify and ultimately win the competition.
This week’s visitors to the Cinder Lane Stadium was Carterton Town Vets, new to the Hellenic League and competing in Division 1. It was clear to hear on their arrival that they would be an RAF side, due to them all sounding like our very own Kammy from “Upt North”! This meant that they would be fit and ready for the challenge ahead, despite not picking up a win so far this season.
The opening minutes saw Town in the ascendancy, however, it was the visitors who created a couple of openings, which required Town keeper Lee Ruddle to be swift off his line to smother the danger. On 10 minutes Paul Smith, who was a thorn in the Carterton backline all match, was played through before being cruelly hacked down from behind, with the resulting free-kick being shot wide from 25 yards by Damian Francis.
A couple of minutes later and Anthony McCusker rode a couple of challenges coming in off the right flank, before firing at the visiting keeper, who got down well to his left to turn the effort around the post for a corner. From the resulting corner, Smith swung in a great left-footed ball to the far post, where McCusker headed wide from four yards out. Town were mostly on the attack during the half and midway through Paul Hulme burst past his marker to pull the ball back to Andy Lynham whose effort at the near post was deflected wide of the goal.
Just before the half-hour mark and Lynham had another opportunity to break the deadlock as he latched onto McCusker’s through ball, but his attempt to lob the ball over the keeper was halted by an outstretched arm. However as the half came to a close, Lynham turned provider, as his ball found Hulme and his attempt to lob the keeper was successful and Town went into the halftime break 1-0 up.
The Town management wasn’thappy with the overall play of the side, it was sloppy, too much arguing between one another was going on and the side had to go back to basics and their football would win through. The second half performance was a massive improvement and the final score-line demonstrated the sides clear dominance of the game. Within three minutes of the restart and Town caught the visitors cold as McCusker hit a great left foot volley to double Town’s lead and give them some breathing space at 2-0.
Half-time
Pat Graham who had entered the match at half time, then tried his luck with a similar effort, but his shot was well saved by the keeper, before Smith’s effort from 12 yards on 49 minutes was turned onto the post and out for a corner by the visiting number 1. Just on the hour mark and it was 3-0, Smith drove into the penalty area from the left side, before being brought down as he was about to shoot and the referee awarded a spot kick which was as usual, dispatched by Craig Gaynor.
The visitors were beginning to open up more and more as Town kept the pressure up and after 68 minutes McCusker grabbed his second and Town’s fourth of the match as he lobbed the ball home into the unguarded goal. Carterton didn’t stop trying, but with five minutes remaining, Graham grabbed a great goal from 20 yards which skipped off the surface and over the outstretched man in Orange for 5-0.
Ruddle was called into action soon after and kept the clean sheet intact as a fiercely struck effort from the Carterton man was flipped away from goal by the Town keeper’s arm. This was a false dawn as Smith grabbed a deserved goal with the final kick of the match as Town grabbed a sixth, with good interchange down the left side, found Smith in the penalty area and he coolly placed the ball home right footed.
The Town management were pleased with the score-line and second half performance, Town Gaffer commented at the final whistle “For all the chances we created first half, some of our passing was not up to the lads own standards. They’ve set the standard over the last 18 months, nothing to do with Lugsy and myself but we have to sometimes remind them how we have done this over that time. Some great goals tonight, spread through the team, all the lads got decent minutes as well and it’s all to play for next week against Marston Saints, to qualify for the knockout stages”.
Squad: Lee Ruddle, Steve Pugh, Dave Legg, Damian Francis, Gary Sutton, Chris Pettis, Anthony McCusker, Glenn Townsend, Paul Smith, Paul Hulme, Andy Lynham, Gav Stevens, Pat Graham, Craig Gaynor, Phil Thompson
Scorers: McCusker x2, Hulme, Smith, Graham, Gaynor (pen)
MOTM: Paul Smith (Ran the backline of Carterton ragged all match and grabbed his deserved goal)
DOTD: Rory Cover (Just for being Rory!)
Next Match: 24th October – Away v Martson Saints Vets
