NLCFC 3, Haverstock 6

The Crickets crashed to their second successive defeat at the weekend as premier league high-flyers Haverstock dumped them out of the MAL league cup. The scoreline suggests an easy win for the premier league side, but the game was both close and tense for 80 of its 90 minutes.

Haverstock started the game strongly, laying siege to the crickets goal and scoring a candidate for scrappiest goal of the season as reward. A corner from the left was hacked at by at least five separate mud-clogged boots until Haverstock’s American midfielder managed to touchdown behind the goal line recoding a one zero advantage.

After the goal the cricket’s fighting spirit began to manifest itself in some muscular attacks through the Somme-like center of a substandard pitch. On the stroke of halftime goal-machine Jim Green collected a long pass from left-midfielder Jon Robinson, rounded the last defender, and struck firmly home.

The halftime team talk was delivered by ailing team player-manager Guy Nicholson, who sensibly reminded his team that play ought to be attempted on the well-grassed flanks rather than through the swamp-like center. Despite these wise words the Crickets were still slow to get going and this time paid a heavy price. Within 10 minutes of the restart Haversock's forwards had helped themselves to a brace of soft goals.

The crickets back four has suffered a lack of continuity since center-back rock Patrick Mills took a sabbatical to tread the boards in a local amdram production of a ‘streetcar named desire’. Desire though was certainly not lacking in the mainly out of position players who were asked to fill the young thesp's boots as the ship was well and truly tightened following this brief leaky period. Slowly, by force of will, the Crickets began to take control of the game. This was assisted by the introduction of midfield general Steve O’hagan, which allowed Luke Buffery to slot back into his more familiar role as right-back. Ben Wakeford pushed into a forward role while Simon Creasy lent craft to the midfield and Andy Hale shored up the defense. Suddenly the old verve returned, and the passing football that has been the hallmark of the crickets success so far, began to show itself again.

After 10 minutes of Cricket's pressure, Haverstock finally cracked. First, A Creasy shot was blocked with an arm and the penalty given. Wakeford stepped up and slotted home from the spot. 3-2 down. Next, and on the hour, a sublime equalizer arrived. A Nicholson tackle sent Buffery up the right wing, whooped on at the sidelines by Torres Navva; Gaffney foraging forward from the back picked up the pass infield and moved it on to O’hagan who with characteristic calm layed it off to Van Hale, a spin, a swivel, and the ball was on the other wing at the feet of Cuevas, Creasy and then Robinson whose cross arrived just in time for the advancing head of Green, 3-3, and in the words of many a Brazilian commentator, Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll!

This, unfortunately, was as good as it got. A goal that was the epitome of spawniness stopped the comeback in its tracks. On 80 minutes an aimless whack from distance deflected off Cass Nicholson’s head and looped over Richard Hall’s flailing glove, poor reward for the remaining centre-back rock and his acrobatic keeper. Ageing legs in cloying mud soon lost the will to move after this body blow, and the premier League side scored twice before the final whistle was blown. Another spirited performance, but another loss.