06/24/07

Rounding off a tough month for the 3rds with a further clash against Halsford was a stern test of their metal. With a solid-looking squad though the Bucks took the game to the Lions with some verve right from the off. They looked bright and confident and it seemed that, after two fairly comprehensive beatings in the past, the Lions were not going to be allowed to spill our beer, kick sand in our faces, and stroll off with our girlfriends today!

An enthralling game took a strange turn after about 25 minutes; with the dismissal of the Buxted skipper for arguing with the referee’s decision in relation to a throw-in. Apparently the referee misheard Lee’s shout of “clucking bell” and out came a red card. He was clearly within his rights to do so but it seemed a little harsh for a first offence. The home side’s commitment to the game was not quashed by this loss however and apart from dropping Shane back into midfield, pushing Pat out to the left and leaving Ricky up front on his own, the manager saw no need to make any panicky changes at this point. Buxted continued to match their opponents and deservedly took the lead on about 36 minutes with a superbly struck free-kick from Gareth. The kick was awarded in an ideal position on the right for Gareth’s powerful left foot, and he beat the ‘keeper to his top right. The 3rds saw out the half fairly comfortably and Halsford looked more than a little shell-shocked as they trooped off.

The second half was always going to be a hard one for Buxted and the final outcome was no great surprise. Halsford are always well disciplined and ruthless and we expected no different today. This was not to be entirely their day though as Buxted were determined not to let the fact that they were a man down undermine their efforts. They were under some pressure for most of the half but can certainly hold their heads high following a sterling second half performance. It goes to show what can be done with a full compliment of fit substitutes too as they were all effective in relieving the pressure on the defence. Johnny replaced Craig on the right and worked as well as his predecessor; up and down the flank. With Shane tiring up front it was probably his replacement, Simon, whose introduction made the most difference though. He took over the left wing from Pat, allowing Ricky back up front and Pat to move inside to be at his best, alongside the tireless Wayne, in the centre of midfield. Not only was this switch effective in itself but Simon was also the provider for Buxted’s second goal. He popped a lovely ball over the top of Halsford’s high line and Ricky powerfully shook off the last defender’s attentions to give a further boost to morale, netting with some confidence.

This must have been unfamiliar territory for Halsford and they didn’t look happy about being 2-0 down. Being typical teenagers they started whinging and whining a bit and are probably fortunate enough not to be old enough to know any proper swear words! Joking aside; they put heir heads down for long enough to secure a point through a goal from a corner {Andy might have claimed it although, to be fair, the marking was slack} and a shot through a crowded box. Harper was surely unsighted for this one and no blame could be attached. The last 15 to 20 minutes of this game were endless and this has to be Buxted’s most well-earned point of the season. The introduction of Jnr. Houkes was another added bonus; as he looked lively taking Ricky’s place and kept the Halsford defence on their toes to the last.

The whole squad should take great pride in keeping Halsford off the top of the table, by denying them the three points (they obviously believed) they richly deserved. This was exactly the type of game where Gareth needed to step up to the plate and really earn a Man-of-the-Match badge. He didn’t shirk from it today, his goal being the cherry on the icing. His supporting cast, including Gavin (quality and assurance) Horne, in the back four should also be chuffed. It would be unfair to single anyone else out although another solid performance from Shane just about tips him over into March’s Player-of-the-Month territory. Overall, watching this performance definitely took the edge off the disappointment of missing West Ham beat ‘Boro!                

Lance Ingram

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