Match Reports 2008/2009 Season

Saturday 04/10/08 Beacon Hill Rovers A (0) 1 v (0) 0 Dunmow FC AET

Team:

	Chris Soutar
Lee Hempenstall	Mick Miller	Jamie Smith	Ben Jolly
Chris Bright	Sam Jaggard	Tom Aldridge	Martin Windsor
	Mark Seton	Wayne Riley

Subs: None!

A contest that started out quietly enough managed to turn into a real spikey affair with Dunmow fighting hard to get into the second round of the Divisional Cup.

Back to the usual scrabble for players Dunmow could muster a bare 11 for the match with Club Chairman Mark "Fat Boy" Seton having to make a rare start for Dunmow.

Dunmow started well enough, creating a number of half chances in the opening 15 minutes before the game erupted into life. Chris Bright challanged with the opposition for a fifty fifty ball and contact was made - all hell broke out as the two players laid into each other and had to be dragged apart - the Ref had no option but to send both players off. So - a game of 10 v 10 continued. Tommy Aldridge continually chipped away at the ref who's patience ran out and in the book he went.

The second half commenced with Dunmow continuing to push forward but unable to finish off a number of good moves. One tackle too many saw Tommy Aldridge pick up his second yellow card of the match and off he went with 35 minutes of the second half to play.

Dunmow down to 9 players had to reshuffle with Mark "Fat Boy" Seton dropping to the left of a back 3, Ben Jolly being pushed into midfield and Wayne Riley taking up a lone striker role...and didn't we play well!!

It certainly wasn't a backs to the wall defensive performance with the new midfield pairing of Jaggard and Jolly playing their socks off for the team. Jaggard came so close to putting Dunmow ahead with a thunderous 25 yard screamer that smashed back off the cross bar.

The first half of extra time came and went with the all new (and pretty ancient) Dunmow back 3 dealing with all Beacon Hill could muster, indeed, confidence was so high that Mick Miller made some surprisingly agile runs into the oppositions half...and the 2nd half of extra time continued in the same vein....

until...

with just 35 seconds of the game to go Mark "Fat Boy" Seton couldn't prevent a cross coming in from the right, sadly Jamie "5 goals in 6 games" Smith, in trying to clear the ball, could only volley into the back of the net from 6 yards - keeper Souter had no chance.

Dunmow created 1 last chance direct from the kick off that Seton put wide and the game was finally lost.

So, next week, we start with 9 men ;-)

And by the way - everything hurts...a lot...this morning - thanks for asking!!

Saturday 27/09/08 Dunmow FC 1 v 2 Tillingham Hotspur Reserves

Team:

	Chris Soutar
Lee Thompson	Mick Miller	Jamie Smith	Kolja Plomp
Lee Hempenstall	Wayne Riley	Ben Jolly	Matt Boreham
	Joe Hunt	Sean Dillon

Subs: Sam Jaggard for Joe Hunt

After a weeks break for the Dunmow Carnival the team assembled at the Dunmow Rec to discover a pitch badly damaged by the previous weeks fun fair and strewn with broken glass, plastic...and a dead fox - nice! Clearly the council had not rolled the pitch and there was a brief discussion as to whether it was even safe to play on the pitch. The oppo turned up early and made it clear (rightly) that the pitch was in a state. Fair play - they helped clear the pitch of the dangerous rubbish and the game commenced.

Sadly the league had been unable to secure the services of a referee so Mark "I only give penalties to the opposition" Seton took charge of the match - much to the trepidation of the Dunmow players.

Sadly, Dunmow are quite happy shooting themselves in the foot without the help of an erratic referee and so found themselves 1-0 down after just 4 minutes. Now, it was absolutely no fault of captain Wayne "I'll just have another 5 minutes sleep" Riley, but really - having the following conversation at 1.40pm before a 2.00pm kick says it all!!:

• Club Chairman "So Wayne - Where are you"
• Club Captain "I'm in bed, why, what time is it?"
• Club Chairman "It's twenty to two!"
• Club Captain "Shit - I'm on my way"

Remarkably the club captain made the toss and had a good game...but I digress - back to the footy!

Having gone 1-0 down after the 1st 5 minutes Dunmow pulled their socks up and defended stoutly. The rest of the first half was spent defending as the never tried before strike paring of Joe "Where's my photo" Hunt and "Sean " that's a badly bruised ankle" Dillon found it difficult to hold the ball up at the front.

With the second half came some good news with the re-introduction of Sam "Just Married " Jaggard into the midfield for Hunt as Riley was pushed up front. The change paid immediate dividends with the midfield picking up a lot more posession and winning a free kick following a push on Lee "I'm playing with a broken toe" Hempenstall. A cracking free kick found Riley busting through 2 defenders to bury a great header into the back of the net.

Sadly Dunmow could only keep on level terms for 10 minutes before Tillingham retook the lead (Despite having refed the game - I have absolutely no recollection of this goal - the power of lager...).

Chris "Lost Property" Soutar kept the score at 2-1 with a fine late save but, despite pressing hard, Dunmow were unable to secure the draw they really deserved for a fine 2nd half performance

So - a good overall performance still left Dunmow looking for their 1st win of the season.

Saturday 13/09/08 Dumnow FC 0 v 4 Battlesbridge A

Team:

	Matthew Boreham
Mick Miller	Matthew Coopersmith	Jamie Smith	Kolja Plomp
Chris Bright	Lee Hempenstall	Ben Jolly	Dan Moss
	Tom Aldridge	Martin Windsor

Subs: Joe Hunt for Martin Windsor after 60 minutes
            Chris Soutar for Chris Bright after 70 minutes
            Paul Wild for Tom Aldridge after 75 minutes

Positives:

No one pulled out in the morning
We had 3 subs (unheard of)
We played pretty well
I remembered to put the showers on
Our new Sponsors provided sarnies...nice (Thanks Dunmow Club)

Negatives:

4-0.....4-0.....How did that happen???!!

What can we say, we really did play pretty well, we just got caught on the break 4 times and conceeded 4 times. Not really helped by the forwards playing rugby conversions from 40 yards....

Are well....back to the drawing board

Saturday 06/09/08 Wickham Royal Reserves 1 v 1 Dunmow FC

Team:

	Matthew Boreham
Lee Thompson	Matthew Coopersmith	Kolja Plomp	Dan Moss
Toby Daley	Martin "Burt" Windsor	Ben Jolly	Sean Dillon
	Wayne Riley	Joe Hunt

Subs: Mick Miller for Joe Hunt after 50 minutes
            Mark Seton for Sean Dillon after 70 minutes

Goal: Martin "Burt" Windsor

In true Dunmow FC style the organisation for the first game of the season was, at best, shambolic. Not telling half your side where and when to meet tends to mean only half your side turning up....and, of course, Saturday mornings wouldn't be the same without at least one "Sorry I can't make it" texts...Thanks Jamie "Mr Reliable" Smith!

Anyhow the team managed to arrive, mostly on time, at a very windswept and rainy Witham to take on Wickham Royals Reserves - a side who we had mixed fortunes against last year.

Despite being about to jet off to Dubai and Hong Kong for his holiday, captain Wayne "Fully Paid Up" Riley pulled on the Dunmow shirt risking his holiday and no doubt extreme pain from his fiance to lead a very makeshift Dunmow side into it's first competitive game of the season.

With a new, completely untested centre back pairing of Kolja Plomp and Matthew Coopersmith Dunmow spent the opening 15 minutes repelling wave after wave of Wickham Royal attacks. With returning keeper Matty "Safe Hands" Boreham back in his rightful position between the sticks Dunmow defended well with good work from right back Lee Thompson and left back Dan Moss. Tthe central midfield pairing of "Brazilian legend" Burt and Ben Jolly slowly began to take control of the midfield, ably assisted by some great wing work from Toby Daley and Sean Dillon.

Dunmow actually fashioned the best chances of the first half with some crisp passing involving reluctant left back Dan Moss, roaming Right Wing Toby Daley and "holding" striker (a new position © Dunmow FC) Joe Hunt slicing the Wickham Royal defense apart leaving captian Wayne Riley a one on one opportunity with the Wickham Royal's keeper. Opting for power Riley could only manage to blast his shot straight at the on rushing keeper so we went in at half time 0-0.

Consistency is something Dunmow hold in high regard and it was therefore no surprise that within 1 minute of the restart Dunmow were 1 down. As usual Dunmow came out from half time half asleep and some bizarre passing accross the back line led to an interception by Wickham Royals striker who dispatched the ball into the back of the net...fortunately the Ref had blown up for a foul, unfortunately the foul was against Dunmow and a penalty was awarded. Despite getting finger tips to the resulting penalty keeper Boreham was unable to prevent Dunmow going 1 down.

A quick reshuffle of the team resulted with Joe Hunt being sacrificed for Mick "Windy" Miller, Matty "Blond Bombshell" Coopersmith being pushed into midfield and "Brazilian Wonder Boy" Burt being pushed up into attack. This change really strengthened Dunmow's midfiled and Dunmow pushed hard for an equaliser. Dillon was replaced by Mark "Fat Boy" Seton after 70 minutes, but this had absolutely noting to do with the magnificent equalizer scored by "Brazillian Maestro" Burt. Great approach work by Jolly and Daley released Burt on the left hand side of the 18 yard box and an explosive shot proved too hot to handle for the Wickham keeper - 1-1.

Dunmow continued to press but time was against them and the ref blew up for full time, much to the relief of a tiring Wickham Royal's side.

NB Martin "Burt" Windsor is neither "Brazilian", nor a "Legend", nor a "Wonder Boy", nor a "Maestro"