02/18/07

2006 / 2007 Season 16/09/2006

Apologies are to be made at the outset for the scantiness of this report and the sketchy timing of events as this reporter was hindered in that role by having to keep goal, run the line, and try and baby sit a 4 year-old.

Having said that; the first 3^rd of the match didn’t need a lot of watching as it was evenly contested with both strike forces working both defences pretty hard without much end product. The most notable event was the sudden and shocking substitution of the Buxted keeper after only about 5 minutes – despite his maintenance of a clean sheet! The substitute/regular goalkeeper had a decent enough game to follow and could not be saddled with the fault for any of the Plumpton goals.

The home side’s first came after around 35 minutes when our defence which had been beginning to look a bit ‘gappy’ at times, finally seemed to give up marking players altogether and allowed the strikers to both virtually walk the ball into the net saying: “after you”, - “no, after you”.

The reds saw the half out however - and with a straight swap of Gilbert for Bills in positioning took to the task of seeking reparation after the break.

The half started much as had the first with neither side seeming to be able to really control the midfield, and the game was taking on a fairly stale look. Then came the inspired double-substitution by the Buxted boss. An immediate injection of pace in the forms of Ben and Craig started to shake things up and the home side were forced further and further on to the back foot. The equaliser came from a well-taken Scotty corner on the left which was met in the centre by the well-placed Scotty Junior’s head. The header was on target but lacked enough to beat the keeper but, while he and a defender were scrambling to do something with the ball, Gavin nipped in and prodded it into the bottom corner to the keeper’s left.

There was absolutely no doubt that Buxted were going to take at least a point from this game, and probably all three, from now on, as the tails were up and it was Plumpton’s turn to start to look ragged at the back.

There was a turning point to come however. Matty Scott, who was playing through injury anyway, failed to rise to his feet after making a tackle outside our box and when, after a number of the seconds, the ball went out of play under a clearance by Buxted it was expected that he would be able to receive some treatment. While the first-aider was making his way along the touch-line to the incident however, the referee allowed Plumpton to take the throw-in (virtually over Matty’s head) and play the ball through protesting Buxted defenders and the keeper for a goal.

Now although there is a ruling allowing a prostrate player to be overlooked until the ball goes out of play as long as he is not considered to be in the way or dying (or both) surely it is bad sportsmanship at the very least to restart play over the top of him before he has been offered any treatment?!

At any rate the polite protestations of the Buxted players were ignored, the “goal” stood, and the wind was knocked out of the visitor’s sails. Plumpton scored again with about 5 minutes to go and not too many hands were shaken at the end of the game as Buxted were still smarting from the unjust nature of this defeat.

Thanks were, and are again, extended to some last minute inclusions to the squad, particularly the goalscorer/man-of-the-match Gavin and all of the subs who made a clear difference.

The main positives to take from the game:

The team showed good spirit to come from behind here, and if circumstances had not contrived to knock them back, they would have beaten Plumpton as surely as they had done in the friendly a few weeks ago. The home fixture should prove interesting. 

Lance Ingram