Ropley Vets vs Hambledon Vets

Disclaimer: All the characters in this report are real, but some of the sections have been embellished for entertainment value. That and I’m getting old and my memory is not what it once was.

Following a rare defeat in the previous game against Fleet Spurs, Hambledon travelled to Fourmarks to face an unbeaten, top of the league side in the Ropley. How tough could they be? With Rhino sidelined with a knee injury, and big Al Ritchie out following a bad fall last game, the gaffer was forced to change things up, but the squad still looked strong. Strong enough to cause an upset?

Starting 11:

Mayur,
AJ, Toffer, Neil, Stu P (c)
Graf, Hainsey, Ross, Cookie
Marlon
Nick

The weather was perfect, and the pitch looked very playable. Both sides were up for this, with everything in the league to play for.

In the pre-game warm up, we were warned that Ropley were solid in the middle and quick up front. Just what the back four wanted to hear.

Both sides started reasonably cautiously, plenty of ball play and working it round the back four. Each side eventually looking for that killer ball over the top, unsuccessfully. Neither Dons full back could whip the ball in with enough danger. Hambledon were enjoying the lion’s share of the possession and soaking up everything that came over the top. Even when it was cleared for a corner, the set piece was dealt with without any fuss. The game was going to need a bit of magic to break the stalemate. And then with 10 minutes gone, it came. A simply break down the right. Graf laid back for AJ, cross-field ball to Cookie who beat his man to the ball and delivered a lovely ball inside for Nick to stroke it into the bottom corner 0-1.

The games started to get a little bit feisty, a few tackles coming in, some questionable decisions by the referee, who probably would have done well to nip it in the bud, but he didn’t.

With 20 minutes gone, and Ropley throwing everything at the Dons to get back into the game, a deflected ball over the top caught the Dons back four off guard. Luckily Mayur was off his line and favourite to get to the ball first. The Rats striker had other ideas though, not giving it up, he went in studs up on the Dons keeper……….should have been dealt with by the ref. Wasn’t. Dons a keeper down, advantage Rats.

Side note: trip to A&E revealed not fracture but badly bruised ribs.

Sub: Mayur off / Barnes on

With Mayur unable to carry on, and no reserve keeper, Dons drew straws and Graf pulled on the keeper shirt and tried to fill the gloves. (To be fair, Graf stepped up of his own accord. Great team spirit).

With Graf in goal, Barnesy comes on to the right wing. And we’re away again. The back four now sitting a little deeper to defend against the root one approach from Ropley and doing so effectively. Hainsey and Ross really starting to pull the strings in the middle, both wings making a nuisance of themselves and Marlon and Nick chasing everything from the front, Ropley aren’t enjoying their lack of time on the ball.
As Dons, happy to soak up any pressure that Ropley can muster, repel yet another long ball, Nick finds some space on the right wing and having beaten his man, drives for the corner. A quick cut back and looking up, he sees Cookie bombing into the box, cross ball, Cookie finds the bottom corner 0-2.

Ropley go to FIFA setting ‘all out attack’ for the final 10 of the half, with Hambledon unable to take advantage of the situation. Tempers start to fray, and a few naughty tackles fly in, Ross being taken out by an oppo midfielder in what can only be described as a shoulder barge at knee height, but we make it to half time with the score still 0-2.

Half time talk centred around ‘more of the same’ and checking on our injuries. Mayur departs to A&E with well wishes and we’re off again.

We hadn’t even got going before Ross pulled up. Unable to run off the knee-high tackle at the end of the first half.

Sub: Ross off / Carlo on

You’d have thought Carlo would need a little time to get his aggression levels up having just come on, but no, the Italian stallion makes his presence felt straight away, clattering into Ropley's midfielder, and winning the ball cleanly, ref disagreed. And so, it became a very stop start game. If it wasn’t the boys in the middle smashing into each other, it was Stu getting caught late, or Marlon getting taken out from behind.

The Rats were starting to see the better of the scrappy play though. It felt like every time it was cleared to the half way line, it was coming straight back. The long balls over the top just kept coming from Ropley, but Toffer covered everything in the air and Neil everything that got past Toffer. Even the defence of the set pieces was solid soaking up everything. Dons started to play out from the back again, with Barnes starting to see some joy down the right wing. A couple of poweful runs, and one close effort ending up in the side netting but still no joy. It was going to take something special….

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The man, the myth, the legend…. The wizard. Ball from Stu to Cookie, who cuts inside, one, inside two and a burst of pace sees him through the back line and baring down on the goal. With a Rats defender baring down on him, Cookie cut across his path with the ball. One slightest touch and it would be a pen, but he doesn’t and the last thing he sees is the ball flying past the on-rushing keeper into the back of the goal. 0-3 and surely the game could be wrapped up now.

With nothing more to lose, than a bit more dignity, the Rats threw everything at the Dons. From the kick off, it was like a rugby kick off. Ball played back and then long to the on-rushing Ropley players. For what seemed like forever, it was long ball after long ball. Each time, the ball was cleared it just came back.

The Dons started to park the bus, with both defence and midfield getting behind the long balls, and were it not for a momentary lapse of concentration, it may have worked. With minutes to go a long ball over the top and a mix up between Graf (in goal) and Evvo, and there is a goal mouth scramble. Ball is cleared to AJ who steps inside a potential clattering only to set the unseen Rats player up for a free hit. Top corner, nothing Graf could have done 1-3.

It’s too little too late though, as Dons claim another victory, but at what cost the injuries in the last two games? We shall see. One thing is for certain….. we owe these boys for the return game!