03/09/10: The Victory Club (2) v (6) Hendon Vics
Scorers: Lamb, Harding
Team: Swan (GK) (Stores), Mountford, Rodgers, Bunyan, Robson, Harding, Lamb (c), Collins, Jackson (Tench), Smiles, Hunter
Unused Subs: White
Yellows: None
Reds: None
The Victory Club ended what has been a difficult week with a second successive defeat as another poor performance saw them slip to a 6-2 loss against Hendon Vics in torrential rain at the Fulwell Mill stadium.
Off the field dramas had dominated the build up to this week’s game following the departure on Tuesday of manager George Ross. Ross made a surprise and unwelcome appearance in the Victory dressing room before kick off as he sought to find an explanation from his former charges as to why he was relieved of his duties. After a speech comparing himself to Jesus, Ross was sent on his way as joint caretaker managers, Alex Rodgers and David White set about preparing the side for their crunch encounter against Hendon Vics on the teams return to Division Two action.
The stand in management duo elected to switch to a 4-5-1 formation but made just the one change to the side humbled last week by Millview C.I.U. with Graham Lamb returning as captain in place of knee injury victim, Nathan Hudson. Hudson’s absence forced a defensive reshuffle which saw Rodgers move to centre half to partner Paul Bunyan and Stephen Robson drop back to left back. Striker, Alan Tench, despite being available again following a three game absence, was only on the bench. Club captain, Greg Davison, was missing from the squad due to personal problems.
The Victory began well and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but were unable to seriously test the Hendon Vics goalkeeper.
In fact it was Lewis Swan, in the Victory goal, who was forced into action first as he made a good save diving away to his right to prevent a shot from distance nestling into the corner of his net. From the resulting corner, Hendon Vics went agonisingly close with a header which flashed inches wide of the left hand upright.
As the first half reached its midway point the Victory finally had an effort on goal. A foul just outside the edge of the area presented Anth Collins with a shooting opportunity; however, his attempt from the free kick flew comfortably over the bar.
Hendon Vics were starting to gain the upper hand in the contest and so it proved as with half an hour gone they took the lead. A shot from a Vics attacker was blocked by Robson but the ball ricocheted straight to another Vics player who despite scuffing his shot, directed it just out of Swan’s reach and into the corner of the net.
Worse was to follow five minutes later as the Victory found themselves two goals behind. A long throw in was flicked on towards the far post where a Vics player, surprised even himself, and brilliantly overhead kicked the ball past a helpless Swan. It was a goal right out of the top draw.
The Victory attempted to hit back and produced a couple of good passing moves but when it came to playing the final ball the men in red faltered and the Vics defence were able to clear their lines.
At the half time break, the Victory found themselves in exactly the same position as the week before – two goals down and with it all to do to get back into the match.
Rodgers and White offered words of encouragement at the interval and reacted proactively bringing on Tench for Steve Jackson and switching the team formation back to 4-4-2.
However, despite the caretaker managers alterations, there was nothing they could do a little over a minute into the second period as Hendon Vics went three goals clear. A long ball forward saw Rodgers make a mess of his attempted clearance. Then, a breakdown in communication between him and Bunyan allowed a Vics forward to run clear and even though, Swan managed to smother the ball at the strikers feet, it ran kindly to another Vics player, who was left with the easy task of slotting the ball into the empty Victory net.
Tench was having a positive impact though and was proving a handful for the Hendon Vics backline. He almost pulled a goal back when he was played in by Hunter but unfortunately for the Victory front man his shot cannoned off the outside of the left hand post and away to safety.
A couple of minutes later and the Victory did get themselves on the score sheet and once again Tench was heavily involved. He controlled a long ball forward and cleverly laid it into Lamb’s path, after the Victory midfielder had made a good run forward. Lamb steadied himself before firing a right footed shot past the oncoming keeper to open his personal account for the season but more importantly give his team a foothold in this match.
The gap was only momentarily back to two though as with an hour gone, Hendon Vics went three goals clear once more. Swan scuffed his attempted clearance straight to a Vics player, who ran forward and skilfully lofted the ball over the stranded Victory keeper as he retreated towards his goal line. Swan injured his groin in the build up to the goal and had to be replaced in goal by Rodgers. This in turn forced a defensive reshuffle which saw Simon Mountford move across to centre half and captain, Lamb, slot in at right back. Ben Stores came on in Swan’s place and went up front alongside Tench. How the Victory must have hoped that Stores could emulate his hero John Parkin’s performance for Preston against Leeds last week.
The Victory hadn’t yet given up on their faint hopes of a comeback and Tench was very unlucky when his effort from just outside the edge of the box narrowly whistled over the crossbar.
Hendon Vics surged further clear on sixty seven minutes when the Victory failed to deal properly with a corner and the loose ball fell perfectly to a Vics player to poke the ball home from close range to make it 5-1.
Moments later and the Victory hit back to make the score 5-2 when Peter Harding grabbed his first goal of the season. A ball down the right put Tench clear and he floated in an inch perfect cross to Harding who steered his header back in the direction from which the cross came and just out of the reach of the Vics keepers despairing dive. In the aftermath of the goal, Hendon Vics had a player cautioned for dissent although what he was whinging to the referee about was anyone’s guess.
Hendon Vics almost immediately restored their four goal advantage ahead again but Bunyan was well placed to hack a shot off the goal line after a Vics attacker had rounded Rodgers.
Then, with just under ten minutes remaining they did move four clear again as Hendon Vics went 6-2 ahead A long ball over the top found the Vics left winger in behind the Victory backline. Despite, being five yards offside, referee Fatai Balogun allowed play to continue, and the Vics winger raced to the dead ball line before pulling the ball back to a team-mate. His shot was not particularly well struck but beat Rodgers at his near post thanks to the aid of a big deflection off Bunyan’s right thigh.
The final whistle signalled the end of another disappointing surrender from the Victory to round off what has been a trying week indeed for the team. The players must hope that any off the field issues are resolved as quickly as possible to allow them to concentrate on what matters most – performances and results on the pitch. Next week sees the Victory play current Premiership leaders, Grangetown Florists, in the Total Sport Challenge Trophy, and the men in red know that they will need to be right at the top of their game to even live with their higher quality opponents.
