It was back to league action for Bucks CC this week when they hosted AFC Victoria, a team that were very Jekyll and Hyde in the 2 league meetings last season, with the teams drawing 3-3 away and Bucks winning 7-0 at home. With Jones, Creser, Oxley and Barr all returning to the fold, Dave Green had 16 players to chose from, and this week again opted for a 4-5-1 formation.
Bucks knew that AFC Victoria were going to be quick out of the blocks and that they would need to start well in order to nullify the threat, which they duly did. Early half chances were created for Creser, Long and Moreton but none of them were able to beat the keeper and covering Victoria back 4. There was good pressure all over the pitch but it was clear that the away team were up to the challenge and showed signs that they were also keen to get the ball down and play passing football. In the 23rd minute a shooting opportunity was created when Vinny Greco was fouled just outside the box, but Creser was off target with the free-kick, with the ball sailing over the cross-bar. From the resulting goal-kick, the keeper cleared long down the field and when a misjudged header from Joe Oxley was not cleared, the Victoria striker finished well from 20yards with the ball going in off the right hand post of Moran in the home team goal.
The goal gave the away side a huge boost and it was only minutes later when their lead was doubled. AFC Victoria broke down the centre of the pitch and when a shot was blocked by Mike Ainger in the Bucks defence it fell to the away team midfielder, who struck well hit half-volley which took a slight deflection before Moran got a touch at full stretch but couldn’t prevent the ball nestling in the bottom right hand corner(27). The away team were in the ascendency and were playing with a real energy which Bucks looked like they were struggling to cope with and they increased their lead further, minutes before half time. Ray Long picked up the ball just outside the Bucks penalty area and was put under good pressure which resulted in him conceding a corner. The ball was whipped into the box where the unmarked striker connected with a good glancing header which flew into the top corner of the back post above the helpless Rikki Sinfield(40). Half-time could not come soon enough for the home team who needed to re-group and ensure that they were coming out for the second half with a plan to get back in to the game.
There was little change in the opening ten minutes of the second half and Bucks could’ve have gone further behind when an AFC Victoria free-kick rattled the bar and bounced down close to the line, which the away-side strongly appealed had in fact crossed the line. No goal was awarded and Dave Green then made a bold move of making all 3 substitutions at the same time, with Jones, Swiercynski and Page replacing, Greco, Sinfield and Castielli. The fresh legs and change in formation gave the home side a much needed boost, with their share of possession increasing and a much more fluid feel within the team. The momentum was very much with the home side and it wasn’t long before they were on the score sheet, courtesy of an own-goal. Moreton controlled a bouncing ball well on the left channel before heading the ball past the full back and flashing a great delivery across the 6 yard box where it was smashed into his own net by the Victoria centre back with Ray Long arriving behind him for what would have been a tap-in (62).
The belief in the Bucks team was increasing with every passing minute and they could sense that they had a realistic chance of getting something out of the game, but still needed to find goals. The good pressing nature of the midfield and forward meant that the long clearances were often falling to the Bucks back line. It was from one of these long balls that the next goal came. Joe Oxley travelled forward with the ball before delivering a long ball of his own into the Victoria box. The centre back won the first header but when the ball dropped to Lewis Creser on the edge of the box, he unleashed a well taken volley across the keeper and into the corner of the net(74). At this point in the game it only ever looked like the next goal was going to be an equaliser for the home team but the away side were defending well and giving nothing away cheaply.
Bucks were asking all of the questions in the closing stages of the game and got their rewards with an equaliser in the 84th minute through substitute Jack Page with his 2nd goal in as many weeks. A corner from the right was taken by Ray Long and when the away side failed to clear, Jones kept the attack alive by heading the ball to Page to finish with a left foot volley through a crowd of players and into the bottom right corner. With still 6 minutes plus injury time to play, Bucks continued to probe the Victoria defence but were unable to get a winner and had to settle for a point, which had look unlikely for a long period of the game.
It was clear to see that the treble substitution from Dave Green was the catalyst for the home teams come back and it was one of the substitutes, Daniel Jones, who picked up the Man of the Match award.
Bucks CC are now away for their next 4 fixtures, starting next Saturday against Haddenham United (2.30pm kick off)
