Match ReportGunners swept aside a poor Chalfont team with an easy 9-1 win. It was an even start for the first 15 minutes with the Gunners defence being called into action early on. However, Gunners soon asserted themselves in midfield and the forwards easily had the beating of the slow paced Chalfont defence.Kevin Rapley opened the scoring when Ian Thornhill broke down the right, lobbed the ball over two defenders and passed the ball to Kevin who slotted home.Leigh Holdway added the second when he picked up a loose ball in the box from a corner, side stepped an opponent and then chipped the ball over the keeper. Kevin Rapley then added another to make it 3-0.Paul Ali scored his first goal for the club when he converted a penalty and Dave Owen then added a fifth when he finished off a sweet move which started in the right back position.
At half time, Gunners were strolling and the only real threat from Chalfont was from the occasional in swinging corner although Gunners also had further opportunities to add to the lead.
The second half saw Gunners continue in the same manner. Ian Thornhill slotted the ball past the keeper after a 1 on 1 situation whilst Dave Own added his second of the game when the keeper failed to hold his low driven shot. Kevin Rapley also added two further goals.Chalfont managed to score a consolation goal when the ball was not cleared from a corner and it was poked home from close range. Gunners had several other chances to add to the tally.The final result was a comfortable 9-1 win. Gunners "Man of the Match" was Ian Thornhill.Match FactsMOM : I ThornhillGoals : K Rapley (4), D Owen (2), I Thornhill (1), Pa Ali (1), L Holdway (1)Team : (GK) J Willis, (RB) J Weller, (CB) Pa Ali, (CB) S Kearns, (LB) T Poacher, (RM) L Holdway, (CM) P Clark, (CM) D Owen, (LM) D Fry, (F) K Rapley, (F) I Thornhill, (Subs) N BurrowsPictures
Match ReportGunners marched through to the finals of the Jack Taylor Cup with a convincing win over Ruscombe Res. The game was played in very windy conditions which meant both sides having an advantage in each half. Gunners elected to take the slope and the wind in the first half and they soon took advantage when Ian Thornhill raced onto a ball and lobbed the keeper from twenty yards out. Ruscombe Res then elected to change their formation to a 4-4-2 and push another man up front.Tony Poacher then scored his first goal of the season when he blasted a free kick in from twenty five yards out. Gunners then made it 3-0 when Paul Clark headed the ball forward from a goal kick and Ian Thornhill chased this and managed to nudge this past the keeper.The second half was always going to be more difficult when playing against the wind and the slope and the Gunners defence was put under a lot of pressure for the majority of the half. Julian Willis was called into action early on when the speedy Ruscombe winger turned and shot from inside the box, but his near post shot was well saved. Ruscombe did pinch a goal when a long throw was held up by the Ruscombe forward who lobbed the ball over his head with his back to goal and this looped over the keeper. Gunners did manage to kill the game when Kevin Rapley added a goal. He then scored another when he received a cross, made a yard for himself and then hit the ball into the back of the net which took a slight deflection from the opposing defender. At the other end of the field, the Gunners defence did enough to keep the opposition away. The final score was a good 5-1 win and Gunners will meet Warwick Arms in the Cup Final.Match FactsGoals : K Rapley (2), I Thornhill (2), T Poacher (1)Team : (GK) J Willis, (RB) F McNaughton, (CB) Pa Ali, (CB) S Kearns, (LB) T Poacher, (RM) N Burrows, (CM) P Clark, (CM) D Owen, (LM) D Fry, (F) K Rapley, (F) I Thornhill, (Subs) J Weller, P ByrnePictures
Match ReportGunners overcame Moderation with a 6-1 win to send them back to the top of the table. The pitch conditions made it difficult for both teams to play attractive football although it was Gunners who settled earlier on and dominated the majority of the first half. Unfortunately, Gunners found it difficult to break down the Moderation defence despite having some good scoring opportunities. At times, Gunners were prepared to attempt a shot rather than seeking the easy option and a few good positions were wasted.Moderation did have a early chance to take the lead but the shot was well saved by Julian. Gunners kept up the pressure and this eventually resulted in a goal when Paul Clark fired home from inside the box.There was a scare in the Gunners defence when Julian and Fraser collided when going for the ball and the opposing attacker put the ball in the net only for the referee to award a free kick to Gunners.Ian Thornhill added a second Gunners goal when he lobbed the keeper. The second half saw Gunners continue to dominate possession but they still had difficulty finding the net.
Moderation then managed to put the pressure back on Gunners when they broke forward with a long ball. Julian came off his line and tried to clear it, but this bounced off the attacker into the goal.Gunners pressed forward and Dave Owen gave the team some breathing space when the keeper made a poor clearance from the edge of the box and Dave smashed it home with a powerful shot.
Kevin Rapley then added a further goal with a sweet turn and looping shot from outside the box and Gunners were now in total control of the game.Kevin and Ian then added their second of the game each and Paul Ali should have added his first goal from Gunners when he had a close range shot which went wide. The final result was a 6-1 win. It was a very good second half team performance with no one individual standing out.Match FactsGoals : K Rapley (2), I Thornhill (2), P Clark (1), D Owen (1)Team : (GK) J Willis, (RB) C Price, (CB) Pa Ali, (CB) S Kearns, (LB) T Poacher, (RM) L Holdway, (CM) P Clark, (CM) D Owen, (LM) D Fry, (F) K Rapley, (F) I Thornhill, (Subs) J Weller, N Burrows, P Byrne
Match ReportGunners returned to league action with a low key 6-2 win over bottom club Elm Park Faithful. The Gunners players generally looked short of match sharpness for the first ten minutes after having not played or trained for a couple of weeks and it took some time before the team got their passing game going.Gunners did make the breakthrough when Ian Thornhill turned a defender and layed the ball back to Dave Owen who fired home the opener. Dave then added a second after a break from defence, the ball was played to Paul Clark who provided Dave Owen with a pass to rifle the ball home again.Paul Clark then added a third to make the scoreline comfortable. Gunners also had a couple of close chances from Nick Burrows and Sean Kearns.In the second half Gunners stepped up the pressure and further goals were added through Dave Owen and Kevin Rapley. Nick Burrows was unlucky not to score when he hit the bar again. Towards the end of the game, Gunners became complacent and conceded two goals to sour the win a little.Elm Park scored their first from a long range effort and then added a second when Gunners lost possession in midfield and the Gunners defence were caught napping when the Elm Park striker slotted home from an angle.Paul Clark did add his second of the game with a close range header to make the final score 6-2 to Gunners. Despite the win, the team were disappointed with their overall performance particularly at the start and end of the game. However, the team were more than capable of beating the opposition and more importantly added 3 more points to keep the pressure on Southbank Reserves. Gunners "Man of the Match" went to Dave Owen for his three goals and tireless display.Match FactsMOM : D OwenGoals : D Owen (3), K Rapley (1), P Clark (1), Own Goal (1)Team : (GK) F McNaughton, (RB) P Byrne, (CB) Pa Ali, (CB) S Kearns, (LB) T Poacher, (RM) N Burrows, (CM) D Owen, (CM) P Clark, (LM) D Fry, (F) K Rapley, (F) I Thornhill, (Subs) J Weller, L HoldwayPictures
