14 January 2006 - Teck Junior Cup 3rd Round
Darkside 2 v Outcasts 2
2-2 aet Darkside won 5-4 on penalties
Team: Adrian, Andy, Alan, Ant, Chris, Craig, Dan B, Ian, Kev, Phill, Steve, Tim, Wooly
Goals: Tim, Ian / Assists: - / MOTM: Adrian / MM: to be confirmed
PICTURE GALLERY

The League Junior Cup Quarter-Final saw the meeting of two teams with promotion to the 4th division aspirations. Outcasts, sitting better in the league thanks in part to their home defeat of Darkside - that game being remembered for some shocking decisions, bad luck and the ref being more than just friends with the entire Outcast establishment.

Needless to say the DFC boys were really up for this one, in a competition which promises their best chance of silverware. Pre-match motivational music was introduced, with limited success….who was to know that the Darkside would not be inspired by the high pitched tones of The Darkness. Red Hot Chilli Peppers was slightly nearer the mark but next week more is expected. Could it be Tina Turner…could it be the Rocky soundtrack…or even Fletcher’s choice of a rousing boy band ballad!

Pre-match routine was slightly different in general with the boys getting changed in the café, many players choosing to put their boots on inside which was not going down well with the café management!

Then the ref turned up…It was thought slightly strange that he was pacing out the pitch to ensure that the exact dimensions were met for a game of such “magnitude”. However, his announcement that he would call the game off if dog poo was not immediately removed from the pitch was going slightly too far. Indeed in his own words, “you could go blind if you got it in your eye!” Luckily he had marked out the offending area with 3 sticks so all that was needed was a volunteer. A measure of how much the boys wanted to play was such that none other than Fletcher volunteered for the task. He strode out onto the pitch, brand new silver boots and all and collected the deposit with the aid of a plastic bag….at last we were ready.

But what of the team…we suddenly realised we didn’t have any established strikers to choose from. Fletcher and the returning Kev were appointed. The rest of the team saw Kingston and Gale reunited in the middle, with Wooly and Wright on the wings. Mayes in goal and the usual 4 (stand ins as I, Ben, would prefer!) at the back…Neill, Bansept, Boyd & Harris. Who would have guessed it would be a day for one of these 4 work horses to make a hero of himself?!

The game began with the home side going up the hill first half. This was a factor in the teams poor display but moreover there was a lack of commitment and the passing game wasn’t working. This lead to Outcasts first goal which caught the boys - still in last weeks mode of letting the opposition pour through the defense at will. The physical Outcast striker slotting home to Mayes right. Bad went to worse with about 30 mins played when a player was left unmarked at an Outcast corner. The tall centre half got a foot round the ball, which ended up in the back of the net somehow, rebounding off a combination of a DFC and Outcast player…a case of more bad luck.

However, DFC were not covering themselves in glory anyway and it was probably what they deserved. As Neill commented, “We don’t seem up for this at all.” It could have been worse had it not been for a last ditch tackle by Boyd (I have to say match saving!! – Ben), after Mayes had been rounded - and the usual heroics from the aforementioned goalkeeper generally. The home side got a bit of football going before half time and it hinted at what might be to come.

And so half time arrived with Gale walking off the pitch ranting at how shit we were playing. When finished, he said that he had said his piece and the boys agreed that it was well said. Then came the news that the team were dreading, Bansept was still not 100% and his iron will to avenge the league match “incident” would not carry him into the second half. Cook was the replacement at centre back and how well he played.

Tanna gave the “nothing to loose” speech and told us to start playing like we do in training with the 2 touch mentality and the quality football. There was no way that the Outcasts were as good as us with their relentless long ball game. Plus we had the slope so they would not be as potent with this tactic.

And so the second half began. There was already a greater intensity to the play with Cook surging forward with no regard to preserving fitness for the later stages of the match!

The ever effective Wright had to go off early in the second half and Kidwell was unleashed with the score still 0-2. The gaffer went 3 at the back which was a shrewd move and resulted in wave after wave of DFC attack. Kingston was getting his driving runs going, Wooly was playing like a man possessed. He even tried to start a few fights…luckily the ref had not lived up to his pre-match routines and proved to be inept - both in terms of sticking to a decision and observing the mounting collection of handballs.

Finally, the break through came from play-maker Gale. He picked his spot from 30 yards to the right of the goal (crossing territory? None of it!). The keeper was beaten all ends up but there was only 10 minutes to go. Wooly realised this so tried to collect the ball out of the net, this was met by resistance from the goalkeeper and words were exchanged!

Minutes ticked by and still the boys couldn’t find an equaliser until, deep into injury time, Kingston won a free kick 30 yards out in a central position. Everyone went up, the box was packed with whites. Kingston took responsibility for the delivery which was inch perfect, just landing in the gap between defence and goalkeeper. Boyd sprang the off side trap getting a meaty header goal bound, but the keeper palmed it away. Gale was on it like a shot but somehow they kept it out, before finally it fell to Harris on the volley 8 yards out and he buried emphatically to take it into extra time! This was exactly what the team deserved and what a time to get your first DFC goal. It capped what had been an inspired show from Harris in the second half and by all the boys in general.

Extra time passed quickly with few incidents as everyone was very tired. Wooly had a good chance and possibly Fletcher too but it is a bit of a blur!

And so it came to penalties. The gaffer asked if anyone didn’t want to take one…no shame..the team comes first. Of course everyone was up for it – or at least no one was letting on! The order was decided: Gale, Fletcher, Kingston, Wooly and Cook. Harris was 6th and Kidwell was a provisional 7th.

Gale nailed his to get us under way. Then 1-1. Fletcher (the new Crouch) hit the cross bar with phenomenal power – surely coming from the new boots; he was gutted and sat in silence. Kingston did the needful and made it 2-3. Then cames Mayes to claim his moment of glory and keep one out to level it all up. Wooly and Steve scored with German efficiency which took it into sudden death. Immense pressure on Harris who rose to the occasion for the 2nd time in the match (only one goal in the records though!) and put DFC ahead. The Outcast player never looked like he was going to do it and spooned it over the bar.

The boys had done it!! Celebrations ensued. What a performance to come back and win in that fashion. Wooly treated the boys to a demonstration of the “windmill” routine in the showers and by way of saying congratulations, an extra large amount of Greek food was supplied at the post match gathering….the tide might just be turning!

Match report by: Adrian