This year, 88 teams
were to take part, some travelling from as far away as Broadfield. The league
stages were to last ten weeks, with the top twofrom each of the eight leagues
qualifying to compete in the knockout stage.
Sit back and follow our blow-by-blow account of each of our ten games - the
tears, the joy, the pain and the the glory. This is the competition that had
everything...
Alltraders
v 7 guys called Elvis 21/05/98 19:00 Pitch 1.
Well, here we are again. After a two month break, Alltraders return
to battle in the imaginatively named ‘Crawley Summer Fives 98’, held
on the hallowed astroturf of the Crawley Leisure Centre. This year we see two
new players in the team - Warren Fiveash joins his brother as our new goalkeeper,
and Neil Leppard returns to football after a long layoff with injury.
With three warm up friendlies behind them, Alltraders took to the pitch in fairly
confident mood to face the seven guys called Elvis. Unfortunately, this was
not the team of Elvis impersonators that entertained us all last summer, but
a group of sixteen year olds who could easily have been the grandchildren of
one of two of the Alltraders team.
It was decided that Neil take the bench for the first half of the game to replace
Tim Leader at half time, as he was sure to be too exhausted to last the distance
in the early evening heat.
Alltraders lost the toss, and defended the gantry end first half. Right from
the start it was clear that this was going to be a tight game - the age and
experience of the Alltraders team against the youth and pace of the young opposition.
It was also clear that this was not going to be one of Alltraders best nights.
Passing went astray, control was abysmal and shots at goal were either snuffed
out or wildly off target.
About three or four minutes into the game, a failed Alltraders attack led to
an Elvis counter attack. With three attackers against two Alltraders defenders,
the attacker found a small gap to run into before lifting his leg to strike.
Sadly, Jamie Fiveash who was in full stride behind, accidentally brushed the
striker’s legs together and he fell soundly to the ground in a puff of
sand. The referee saw this as a deliberate act and promptly booked him - Alltraders
first booking since the John day period.
The kick came to nothing, and there followed a brief period of scuffed shots
and crap passing that has become the norm for Alltraders of late.
It took a goal of real quality to break the deadlock. After a small scramble
in the middle of the pitch, the ball fell to Jamie Fiveash who had time to pick
his spot and blast the ball at such a pace the keeper could only manage to parry
it into the back of the net. This move was totally out of character for the
game and caught everyone by surprise.
Very shortly after the restart, Kevin Burton took a long throw across the goal
to be met full on by a Tim Leader shot. However, the ball was very light, warmed
by the early evening heat, and rose quite nicely over the sixty foot safety
netting behind the goal and onto the Crawley to Horsham railway line. This was
even more spectacular bearing in mind he was only four yards from goal at the
time.
To everyone’s surprise, the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the
penalty spot. It seems he was the only one on the pitch that wasn’t following
the flight of the ball as it sailed skywards, and spotted a young Elvis straying
into the penalty area just as the shot was hit.
Kevin Burton cooly converted the penalty to increase Alltraders lead to two
nil.
With half time beckoning, the game seemed to be at last in Alltraders control,
even though their play was less than impressive.
At half time, Jamie volunteered to go off, probably fearful of another accidental
tackle from behind. This was probably a big mistake as he was bar far the best
player of the first half.
The second half started pretty much like the first. Tim Leader was not having
a good game at all, Paul and Kevin were having trouble finding their old rhythm
and Neil couldn’t find a shot on target. Sure enough, within a few minutes
of the restart Elvis reduced the deficit with a good move down the middle of
the pitch with a finish out of the reach of Warren Fiveash in goal.
From then on, the opposition started to get back into the game and had several
excellent chances. Warren Fiveash pulled off save after save of high quality
to keep the score at 2 - 1. The only real Alltraders chance of the second half
came after a good ball down the right wing from Kevin Burton was met on the
turn by Tim Leader that skimmed off the far post.
There was still time for more action before the end of the game. Yet again Alltraders
were stretched by a fine move from the opposition that found an Elvis attacker
in space to skim his shot hard against the far post and back into play. The
ball was met first time by an advancing Elvis attacker whose shot seemed to
defy the laws of geometry as it somehow looped backwards with so much top-spin
that it shot toward his own goal like a missile when it finally hit the ground...
The final whistle blew with a very relieved Alltraders as victors.
This was not a vintage performance by any means. There seemed to be no rhythm
or organisation in Alltraders play. The only high points were the goal from
Jamie Fiveash and the excellent goalkeeping from his fifteen year old brother
Warren in goal. It was his saves that kept Alltraders in the game.
Final result - Alltraders 2 - 1 ‘7 guys called Elvis 1’
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash
Kevin Burton (pen)
Managers man of the match:
Warren Fiveash
Ratings out of 10:
Warren Fiveash : 8
Jamie Fiveash : 7 (first half)
Paul Burton : 6
kevin Burton : 6
Neil Leppard : 5 (second half)
Tim Leader : 4
Alltraders
v Crawley Baptist Church 29/05/98 19:30 Pitch 4.
After the struggle of the first game, Alltraders decided to take a different
approach to the second. Jamie Fiveash, the only player in the team with any
pace, was to play at the back and push forward with each attack with Tim Leader
filling in the space left behind. The other change to the team this week was
the absence of the keeper Warren Fiveash, off on an all action holiday with
Mum and Dad in Portugal. Neil Leppard took his place. This week we were to meet
God’s gift to football, the Crawley Baptist Church.
The game started at a brisk pace as usual. Crawley Baptist Church battled well,
and Alltraders struggled to get a hold of the game. The difference between the
two teams was the Baptist Church goalkeeper who had an exceptional game denying
Jamie Fiveash and Kevin Burton on several occasions. The only real chances the
Baptist church had were quickly smothered by the re-organised Alltraders defence.
Not too much else to report. Alltraders looked more organised than that of the
first game and had far more shots on target than the Baptist Church. Unfortunately
for Alltraders their keeper made sure the score stayed at nil-nil. The only
other event worth mentioning was the booking for Paul Burton - his first ever..
It looks like Alltraders aren’t in the running for the fair play trophy.
Final result - AllTraders 0 - 0 Crawley Baptist Church
Scorers:
No-one
Managers man of the match:
Jamie Fiveash - looked sharp
Ratings out of 10:
Jamie Fiveash : 7
Paul Burton : 6
kevin Burton : 6
Neil Leppard : 6 (in goal)
Tim Leader : 6
Alltraders v Crawley Down Group 04/06/98 19:30 Pitch 2
Alltraders started this game in third position in the league, so a good result
tonight could place them in the top two. Crawley Down group were an unknown
entity, having never met Alltraders before in this competition.
The diverse group of people that make up the teams in this competition never
ceases to amaze me. Having played a group of barely pubescent teenagers in the
first game, this week we were met by five players that made Margaret Thatcher
look young. The Goalkeeper must have been in his seventies, and had more than
a passing resemblance to Patrick Moore.
However, having been surprised by the more ‘mature’ players in this
competition before, nothing was being taken for granted.
Crawley Down started the game, and seemed a little slow getting organised. Alltraders
followed the same structure as last week and allowed Jamie Fiveash to push forward
from the back. Although this tactic proved successful, his finishing in front
of goal was pretty appalling by his own admission, hooking one or two shots
well wide of the target.
Alltraders seemed far more organised than in their previous games, and actually
looked quite good in spells. Following a fine move involving all the outfield
players, the ball found it’s way to Tim Leader unmarked on the left with
just the keeper to beat. Anything could have happened if previous games were
to go by, but to everyone’s surprise he cooly placed it under the body
of the geriatric keeper to put Alltraders into a well deserved lead.
From then on, Crawley down struggled to get back into the game. The Alltraders
defence looked assured and the passing and running into space was a joy to watch,
apparently. Within two minutes Alltraders extended their lead when a fine move
down the left found Jamie Fiveash who instantly threaded the ball to Tim Leader
who this time was left unmarked on the right. He took his time to bring the
ball under control and slot it home off the near post to stretch the lead to
two - nil.
The score remained unchanged until half time. It was decided to leave Neil on
the bench as although Alltraders had a fairly comfortable lead, any change to
the balance at this stage could turn the game as it did against the Elvis team
in the first game.
Within two minutes of the first half, Kevin Burton finished another penetrating
move with a clinical finish to increase the lead further. At this stage it looked
clear that Crawley down were not going to retrieve anything further from the
the game, so Jamie Fiveash volunteered to be substituted by Neil Leppard. Tim
Leader dropped back into defence to try and ensure that Crawley down didn’t
capitalise on the change of formation.
The game continued to be dominated by Alltraders. Warren Fiveash in goal was
nothing more than a spectator until at last he had an excuse to dive to his
right and watch the ball sail past for a throw-in following the only move Crawley
down had that resulted in a shot.
With about two minutes of the game left, Paul Burton took a quick throw to Tim
Leader on the right who passed a Crawley Down defender with ease and hit a peach
of a goal on the run to round the evening off in style for Alltraders, this
being his first hat-trick ever in this competition.
The game now was more or less over. Paul Burton at the back was as solid as
ever denying Crawley Down any chance of a shot on goal. Neil Leppard looked
like some of his previous form was returning with one or two shots just wide
of the mark.
Although this game saw Alltraders back on form again, the age of the opposition
has to be taken into consideration before assuming that qualification is a formality.
Next week will see a very tough game against Bluebird rangers who are known
to be fit and skillful. It’s also true to say that Alltraders never seem
to put two good games together in a row, so some serious thought must be given
to the next game before getting carried away with tonight’s result.
Final result - AllTraders (2) 4 - (0) 0 Crawley Down Group
Scorers:
Tim Leader 3
Kevin Burton 1
Managers man of the match:
Tim Leader - a fine hat-trick, even if I say so myself.
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 8 Looked a bit more alive this week
Paul Burton : 7 Solid defending
Kevin Burton : 7 Strong attacking
Jamie Fiveash : 6 finishing a bit wide of the mark tonight
Neil Leppard : 6 substitution - looking sharper
Warren Fiveash : 5 Watched the game - nothing to do!
Alltraders
v Bluebird Rangers 12/06/98 20:00 Pitch 3.
Tonight was to be the clash of the top two, Bluebird Rangers in top spot with
Alltraders second. With both teams on five points, Bluebird took pride of place
with a superior goal difference.
Alltraders won the toss and chose to defend the railway end first half.
The game started at a moderate pace, with both teams looking reasonably sharp,
Tim Leader and Jamie Fiveash coming close on one or two occasions. However the
contest took a turn in Bluebird’s favour about five minutes into the game
when a corner appeared to go through the side netting and into the back of the
goal. It was clear that the spontaneous cheer from the Bluebird team influenced
the referees decision as he whistled for a goal. Alltraders dissent fell on
deaf ears as Bluebird celebrated.
Things then went from bad to worse - just before half time a free kick was awarded
to Bluebird just outside the Alltraders goal area, and while the referee was
ordering the wall back to the line Bluebird hacked the ball into the back of
the net with the Alltraders defence in disarray. Again, the referee allowed
the goal to stand even though he hadn’t blown his whistle for the kick
to be taken.
With this two goal deficit, Alltraders became more and more stretched attempting
to retrieve something from the game. Bluebird began to find holes in the Alltraders
defence as they pushed further forward. It was only a matter of time before
an Alltraders attack broke down and Bluebird found the space to advance on goal
and place the ball over Warren Fiveash to increase their lead to three.
About five minutes from the end of the game, Kevin Burton found some space on
the left and finished in true Burton style to claw one back for Alltraders.
However, Almost immediately from the restart Bluebird found the same space again
to restore their three goal lead. By now, Jamie Fiveash had had enough and discharged
himself from the game, replaced by Neil Leppard who now had the opportunity
to stop shouting on the line and do something positive.
Actually, it was his run and pass on the left that found Tim Leader in space
to slot home with his left foot to bring the score to 4 - 2.
The score flattered Bluebird, their early two goals being allowed to stand despite
furious protests from Alltraders. However, with the game only twenty minutes
long, spells of good and bad luck on either side can be decisive. Alltraders
themselves have won this competition in the past with similar incidents like
this going in their favour, so this game should simply be put down to experience.
Six more games to go - Alltraders still have a good chance to qualify...
Final result - Alltraders (0) 2 - 4 (2) Bluebird Rangers
Scorers:
Tim Leader 1
Kevin Burton 1
Managers man of the match:
No-one in particular
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 7 Passing OK - scored second
Paul Burton : 7 Dependable defending
Kevin Burton : 7 Scored first
Jamie Fiveash : 7 Penetrating runs (not to be confused with diarrhoea)
Neil Leppard : 6 substitution - set up second goal
Warren Fiveash : 7 Watched four goals sail past him!
Alltraders
v Taj’s Titanics 18/06/98 18:30 Pitch 4.
Alltraders started today’s game in third place following last weeks defeat
to Bluebird rangers and the referee. Tonight’s game could restore Alltraders
to second if they could get a good win against Taj’s Titanics, a last minute
entry to this years competition.
The game started very slowly, and on occasions appeared to stop. Eventually
the game came to life when Jamie Fiveash performed one of his usual runs down
the left and slotted the ball past the static keeper to give Alltraders a deserved
one goal lead.
Taj’s Titanics were a bit disorganised and didn’t really trouble Alltraders
solid defence. Alltraders took a two goal lead about six minutes into the game
as Jamie Fiveash latched onto a quickly taken corner by Tim Leader leaving the
Taj defence motionless.
With about a minute of the first half left, a Taj attacker turned Tim Leader
quite easily and sprinted toward the Alltraders goal and hit a bullet of a shot
that Warren Fiveash could only palm into the side netting.
The second half continued much as the first. Alltraders tightened their grip
on the game and came close on many occasions. Paul Burton ventured forward more
as the game went on and was unlucky not to score with only the keeper to beat.
Tim Leader slammed a shot against the post, and Kevin Burton was a constant
threat to the Taj defence.
Eventually Alltraders restored their two goal lead when Kevin Burton run onto
a Tim Leader pass behind the last man and cooly place the ball under the keeper
with his left foot.
With Taj trying hard to retrieve the game, it was only a matter of time before
Alltraders put the game out of all reach when Jamie Fiveash eventually managed
to hit a shot on target to round off his hattrick.
This was a game well won, although Alltraders still seem to squander their chances.
If they are to qualify they must sharpen up their finishing.
Final result - AllTraders (2) 4 - 1 (1) Taj’s Titanics
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash 3
Kevin Burton 1
Managers man of the match:
No-one really stood out - should really give
it to Jamie for his hattrick..
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 7 Steady
Paul Burton : 7 Dependable defending as usual
Kevin Burton : 8 Scored - good running
Jamie Fiveash : 8 Hattrick hero
Warren Fiveash : 7 Watched again..
Alltraders
v Frenches B 26/06/98 19:30 Pitch 1.
There was an eerie silence around the stadium tonight. The normally crowded
gantry area seemed devoid of life as Alltraders took to the pitch. And the reason?
All the other teams decided watching England against Colombia in their crucial
World Cup qualifier seemed to be more important than sticking around to watch
the progress of Alltraders.
Alltraders took to the pitch having been restored to second place following
their fine win last week. Frenches took third place with the same number of
points as Alltraders, but with a slightly worse goal difference.
Tim Leader successfully lost the toss again (for the fifth time running) and
Frenches started the game defending the wire-fence end. The game started at
a quite vigorous pace with both sides looking sharp. However, it was Alltraders
that took the initiative when Tim Leader toed a pacey pass from Jamie Fiveash
past the keeper for an early lead.
This seemed to settle Alltraders, and they came close several times, once almost
decapitating a four year old girl that happened to be sitting behind the Frenches
goal.
Once the crying had stopped, Alltraders stretched their lead when Kevin Burton
coolly sidefooted a fine move into the back of the net to increase their lead
to two - nil.
From then on, Alltraders dominated the game. Warren Fiveash was reduced to spectator
yet again.
The second half started with Alltraders continuing to pepper the Frenches goal
with shots. Jamie Fiveash decided to substitute himself again to be replaced
by Neil Leppard a couple of minutes into the restart. This proved to be an inspired
substitution as he penetrated the Frenches defence to score a fine goal to increase
the lead further.
With a more attacking Alltraders on the pitch, Tim Leader dropped back into
defence with Paul Burton to allow Kevin Burton and Neil Leppard to continue
to attack.
More and more attacks resulted with shots on target or against the post. Eventually
the game was put well out of the reach of Frenches when Neil Leppard finished
a one-on-one with the keeper just like the days of old.
The final whistle echoed around the deserted stadium with Alltraders four-nil
victors. Just enough for a quick handshake and a sprint to the carpark for a
Lemans type departure for home, and the kick-off of a real football match...
Football’s coming home!
Final result - AllTraders (2) 4 - 0 (0) Frenches B
Scorers:
Tim Leader 1
Neil Leppard 2
Kevin Burton 1
Managers man of the match:
Neil Leppard - two fine goals.
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 8 More composed
Paul Burton : 8 Strong at the back - had a shot on target
Kevin Burton : 8 Caused problems for the defence (ours)
Jamie Fiveash : 8 First half - controlled the attack
Warren Fiveash : 8 Watched most of the game
Neil Leppard : 8 Second half - excellent goals
Alltraders
v Unknown Allstars 02/07/98 20:30 Pitch 4.
Alltraders started this seventh game of the tournament with another full strength
side. With both Crawley Baptist church and Beer garden two points behind with
a game in hand, nothing short of a good win tonight would do.
The game started at it’s usual brisk pace with both sides struggling to
settle into any rhythm. After about five minutes, an Alltraders attack broke
down and left their defence exposed. A quick through pass found an opposition
striker who finished with precision. Not the required start for Alltraders.
From then on, Unknown Allstars defended with all the team behind the ball for
long periods. Alltraders continued to forge forward until eventually a mistake
by an opposition defender led to him straying into the area for the inevitable
penalty. Jamie Fiveash finished cooly...
The second half started with Neil Leppard replacing Tim Leader (someone had
to go off I suppose). Alltraders dominated the play with attack after attack.
Yet again the final finish was found lacking. Warren Fiveash was again resigned
to watching most of the game from the confinement of his goal area.
With around two minutes of the game left, a fine ball from Neil Leppard found
Jamie Fiveash again on the left, his first time shot just skimming the far post.
With Alltraders still upfield, a quick throw-out led to a counter attack. Warren
Fiveash was forced to stand up as the opposition attacker hit a superb shot
that brought out a fine save, even better considering the long periods of inactivity
in the Alltraders goal.
The final whistle blew with the score at 1 - 1. Not a brilliant result, but
with Beer Garden losing to Bluebird Rangers on the adjacent pitch, not a disaster.
Final result - AllTraders (1) 1 - 1 (1) Unknown Allstars
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash (pen)
Managers man of the match:
Jamie Fiveash - kept running
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 6 First Half
Paul Burton : 7
Kevin Burton : 7
Jamie Fiveash : 7
Warren Fiveash : 7
Neil Leppard : 7 Second half
Alltraders
v Gatwick Express 10/07/98 18:30 Pitch 1.
For the first time ever, Alltraders were in an excellent position to qualify
to the last sixteen of ninety six teams following an impressive run. With Beer
Garden losing last week, they have to rely on Alltraders dropping points. The
only other contender, the Baptist Church (otherwise known as Gods gift to football)
also sat poised to pounce on any lack of concentration on the part of Alltraders.
No prizes for guessing what they will be praying for this Sunday...
The game couldn’t have started better. Within seconds of the kick-off,
Tim Leader set up Jamie Fiveash for a power drive that left the keeper prostrate.
Gatwick Express could hardly believe it. From then on, Gatwick Express had great
difficulty getting into the game. Alltraders calmly pushed forward time and
time again until eventually Kevin Burton extended the lead with yet another
one of his clinical finishes.
Gatwick failed to impress, with Warren Fiveash in goal resigned to accepting
back-passes and throw-ins to keep him awake.
The second half started pretty much as the first. This week there was no substitute
to bring on so the balance of the team remained unchanged.
Around two minutes after the restart, Kevin Burton received the ball from his
brother Paul on the halfway line, and pushed forward. Tim Leader ran off to
the left wing taking a marker with him, leaving the way ahead clear for Kevin
to cut onto his right foot and skim the ball into the nice little gap the keeper
had left between him and the near post.
Gatwick had now started to argue amongst themselves, and a complete collapse
looked on the cards. Although Alltraders came close many times, it took a fine
finish from Jamie Fiveash to finally put the game out of their reach.
This was a comfortable win for Alltraders, but in truth their lead should have
been stretched even further. It is possible that if results go against them,
goal difference could be vital. Even though Alltraders have scored a total of
twenty-one goals in eight matches, more are needed to increase their chances
of qualification.
Final result - AllTraders (2) 4 - 0 (0) Gatwick Express
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash (2)
Kevin Burton (2)
Managers man of the match:
Paul Burton - Nothing went past him
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 8
Paul Burton : 8
Kevin Burton : 8
Jamie Fiveash : 8
Warren Fiveash : 8
Alltraders
v Super Eagles 16/07/98 19:00 Pitch 4.
This was going to be an important night for league H of this competition. With
the currently posted tables on the board being two weeks out of date, word of
mouth put Crawley Baptist Church just one point behind Alltraders with one game
in hand. Quite clearly, for Alltraders to be in striking distance of qualification,
only a win coupled with a defeat for the Baptist Church would do.
The good news was that Alltraders were to play the bottom team (who incidentally
haven’t even scored yet) and the Baptist church were to play Bluebird rangers,
the runaway leaders of the group.
Alltraders started the game full of confidence, passing the ball quite well.
The opposition seemed to be unaware of certain of the rules, one defender strolling
right into the goal area. Amazingly, the referee allowed the game to continue,
probably out of pity or something.
It wasn’t too long before it became apparent that this wasn’t going
to be a lucky night for Alltraders. With about 95% of the game, Alltraders could
not get the ball in the net. Shots were slamming against the post, or just wide,
or saved by the goalkeeper.
When an opposition player strolled into the box for a second time, the referee
decided enough was enough and at last awarded a penalty to Alltraders.
Jamie Fiveash strolled up to take the kick, and promptly slammed the ball against
the post and out for a throw.
Tim Leader and Kevin Burton continued to break through the defence, but again
each shot fell wide of the target until at last the breakthrough came with Kevin
Burton finishing a fine individual move down the right wing.
Shortly after Jamie Fiveash battled well on the left and squared the ball through
to an unmarked Tim Leader who scored with a first time shot.
With this two goal cushion, it looked that at last Alltraders could get the
goal tally they required. However, although Alltraders had nearly all the play,
they still could not find the target. It was almost like a force field was in
place around the Super Eagles goal. Neil Leppard on the bench counted seventeen
goal attempts before the half-time whistle.
The second half started much the same, if not worse. A small crowd had built
up behind the opposition goal greeting each shot against the post or bar with
derisive cheers. The goalkeeper made several excellent saves to keep the score
down to two. It became clear that this was not the goalkeeper Super Eagles normally
play when comments like ‘This keeper is quite good’ and ‘Its
a shame we couldnt have played him every week’ could be heard coming from
the opposition defence.
The final insult came with about a minute of the game left. Alltraders made
the mistake of pushing too far forward in an attempt to kill the frustration
of all the missed chances. As expected, a quick kick from the opposition goalkeeper
found an unmarked attacker who advanced on the Alltraders goal and hit a peach
of a shot past a stranded Warren Fiveash for Super Eagles only goal of this
tournament. For them, the celebration started, and continued for several hours
after the game had finished. For Alltraders, it was a case of clutching two
points from a pretty appalling game. The quote that summed it all up came from
the referee just after he blew the final whistle: “Well, at least you got
the points”.
So, after this rather bizarre match, it was over to pitch one to catch the start
of the Crawley Baptist Church versus Bluebird Rangers game, as the sound of
the Super Eagles goal celebrations still continued over the other side of the
arena.
The game started well for Alltraders, two quick Bluebird goals in the first
half followed by two more in the second. A stunning four - nil defeat for the
Baptist Church.
Although we still await the official scores and tables for the last three weeks,
tonight’s results should put Alltraders three points ahead of the Baptist
Church although they still have a game in hand. Next week is a rest week for
Alltraders with the Baptist Church playing Taj’s Titanics, an almost certain
win for the God Squad.
This means that with Alltraders superior goal difference, a point should be
enough in their final game with Beer Garden in a fortnights time. Let’s
see....
Final result - Alltraders (2) 2 - 1 (0) Super Eagles
Scorers:
Tim Leader
Kevin Burton
Managers man of the match:
The cross-bar - saw most of the ball.
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 7
Paul Burton : 7
Kevin Burton : 7
Jamie Fiveash : 7 1st Half
Warren Fiveash : 7
Neil Leppard : 7 2nd Half
Alltraders
v Beer Garden 30/07/98 21:00 Pitch 2.
Before the start of tonight’s game, the League looked like this:
.................P Points GD
Bluebird Rangers 9 17... +19
Alltraders...... 9 14... +15
Crawley B Church 9 13... +10
Beer Garden..... 9 13... +06
None of the remaining six teams could qualify, so any of the second to fourth
placed teams could make it through tonight.
It didn’t take much of a mathematician to calculate the various permutations
for qualification. In short, as long as Crawley Baptist church didn’t win
6 - 0, a draw would see Alltraders through.
Alltraders turned up a good half hour before the kick-off in an effort to get
reasonably warmed up and mentally prepared for this game. Last weeks spying
mission on Beer Garden saw them young, fit and well and truly up for the challenge.
The realisation that three of the opposition outfield players were younger than
Tim Leader’s eldest daughter also caused some concern.
Eventually the waiting was over, and the two teams entered pitch two to start
the game. Alltraders kicked off by way of their name appearing first on the
game sheet.
It was a very tense start, with Alltraders taking time to settle down to their
normal rhythm. The opposition were very quick and tried hard to penetrate the
Alltraders defence, but Paul Burton was as strong as ever and matched each attack
with a solid, well-timed tackle.
As the game went on, Beer Garden started to become more physical. One challenge
on Kevin Burton saw him flying gracefully through the air before crashing to
the ground taking the skin off of both knees and elbows.
The game became more and more tense, with one Beer Garden move seeing the ball
skim past Warren Fiveash and bounce off the post back into play. At this stage
of the game the result could have gone either way. Kevin Burton came close to
opening the score when a through pass from his brother Paul left him with just
the keeper to beat, but his shot was hurried by a retreating Beer Garden defender
causing it to flash wide of the post.
The half time whistle blew - Alltraders now ten minutes from qualification...
In the two minute break it was decided to ensure that Alltraders were to get
everyone behind the ball. Although Beer garden had the pace, their organisation
showed inexperience and their shooting hadn’t caused Warren Fiveash too
many problems in goal.
The game restarted with a Beer Garden kick. Inexplicably the forward that received
the ball tried to take on Tim Leader and Kevin Burton, both standing no more
than two feet away from him. Kevin Burton snatched the ball away and laid it
to Tim Leader on his right and ran into space on the left.
Tim Leader then started to advance forward with the intention of sliding the
ball through to Kevin Burton who had run into a bit of space toward the Beer
Garden goal. At that moment, Jamie Fiveash’s shout from behind forced Tim
Leader to put his foot on the ball and gently push it forward into his path
as he sprinted past on the overlap. His instant shot on-the-fly was as clean
as a whistle - it flew into the net with such speed the keeper couldn’t
get across the goal in time to meet it. The watching Beer garden support sat
silent as Tim Leader’s shout of joy could be heard ten miles away.
With no more than ten seconds of the second half played, Alltraders had taken
the lead. Beer garden were now up against the might of the Alltraders defence
who were now more than ever committed to winning this game.
To their credit Beer Garden refused to give up, and twice took good goal scoring
positions that brought excellent saves out of Warren Fiveash.
The frustration started to build in the opposition team as each minute ticked
by. Arguments started to break out amongst themselves as Alltraders took command
with their one-touch play that caused the opposition to keep chasing the ball
without any success.
It seemed that the experience of the Alltraders team had finally won over the
pace and youth of the Beer Garden team. There was just enough time for one final
Beer Garden throw-in before the tell-tale bleeping of the Referee’s digital
time-piece could be heard. But was he to add on any time for the retrieval of
the ball from Paul Burton’s clearances onto Pitch one? The answer came
about five seconds later.
Alltraders had finally done it - qualification to the last 16 knockout stage
for the first time in their six year history.
The opposition left the pitch despondent as Alltraders headed up the twenty-nine
steps to the Leisure Centre bar for a well deserved celebration pint.
So, it’s back to the leisure centre again next Thursday for the first of
the knockout games against the winner of group G - either bicycle dynamoes or
Ifield Eagles B.
Final result - Alltraders (0) 1 - 0 (0) Beer Garden
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash - a screamer..
Managers man of the match:
Paul Burton - Never stopped battling
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 8
Paul Burton : 9
Kevin Burton : 8
Jamie Fiveash : 8
Warren Fiveash : 8
Alltraders
v Bicycle Dynamoes 06/08/98 18:30 Pitch 1.
Last sixteen knockout - game 1.
With the temperature into the high twenties, summer had decided to arrive at
last. There were three reasons why tonight wasn’t going to be a good night
for Alltraders - firstly, the heat. Alltraders have never played well in this
kind of condition - probably something to do with age. Secondly, an early kick-off
- all of Alltraders bad results have come during the early evening. Thirdly,
the change of kit. Alltraders needed the white kit to help protect them from
the heat. The change to black due to Alltraders being the ‘away’ team
caused a serious threat of overheating even before the first kick of the game.
There seemed to be a different atmosphere to that of last week. Against Beer
Garden, there was a real sense of urgency in Alltraders approach. This week,
the preparation seemed lethargic.
The toss was won by Alltraders (another bad sign) and they elected to kick-off
toward the railway end first half.
The game started cautiously with both sides taking some time to settle. The
opposition seemed to take control with the first few moves of the game but the
usual solid defending from Paul Burton and Tim Leader kept the threat at bay.
However, Bicycle Dynamoes won a throw close to the Alltraders goal about half
way into the the first period. As the ball was launched across the Alltraders
goal area, an opposition attacker ran behind Paul Burton to hit the ball solidly
under the body of Warren Fiveash to take the lead. This was a very well worked
move because it was impossible for Paul Burton to cover the attacker’s
run without straying into the ‘D’ and conceding a penalty.
With the score at 1 - 0, Alltraders had to try and push forward more. Tim leader
and Jamie Fiveash came close once or twice. Kevin Burton tried a cunning tactic
of attempting to blind the goalkeeper with a facefull of sand having taking
a wild swing at the ball with his left foot and completely missing it.
From then on, things started to slip away from Alltraders. The passing was not
up to it’s usual standard and bicycle Dynamoes started to control the game.
The half time whistle eventually blew (no-one seemed to know that the games
were longer during the knockout stage). The two minute break was just enough
time to wipe the sweat away from the faces and regain breath.
Having said this, with the score at only 1 - 0 the game was still within the
reach of Alltraders. The opposition were content to defend their goal and allowed
Alltraders to push further forward in their attempt to level the score.
Alltraders should have learned from their own style of play and not allow themselves
to get too drawn, but when Tim Leader held onto the ball too long during another
surge on goal, the ball was snatched from him leaving Warren Fiveash with no
defence between him and the attacking dynamo attacker. The attacker ran nearly
the full length of the pitch with a gasping Tim Leader in hot pursuit before
he cooly rounded the keeper and side-footed the ball into the open net.
Things were now looking pretty dire. Alltraders had to abandon any idea of defending
their goal and push even further forward. When Tim Leader eventually produced
a reasonable pass to Kevin Burton on the left, his first time shot left the
keeper stranded as it slammed against the bar and over for a goal kick.
Bicycle Dynamoes now had everyone behind the ball, but Alltraders looked like
they may still get something from the game. Jamie Fiveash battled hard in attack
and was unlucky with one or two efforts that just strayed wide of the mark or
were well saved by the keeper.
With time now running out and Alltraders stretched, the ball found it’s
way out of the opposition defence with Alltraders now too tired to retreat.
The attacker produced a carbon copy finish of the second goal after rounding
the keeper to kill the game off.
Credit to Bicycle Dynamoes. Their approach to the game was far superior to that
of Alltraders. Having said this, on another night Alltraders could have produced
a much better result. The heat has never helped Alltraders in the past, and
tonight was no exception. In Short, Alltraders just didn’t seem prepared
for this game.
Now, it all has to be done over again. In two months the first of the winter
leagues begin. Stay tuned for further adventures of the Alltraders five-a-side
football team.....
Final result - AllTraders (0) 0 - 3 (1) Bicycle Dynamoes
Managers man of the match:
No-one stood out
Ratings out of 10:
Tim Leader : 6 Too slow in the heat - mistake led to second goal
Paul Burton : 7 Passing not as good as previous games
Kevin Burton : 7 Tried to penetrate but looked tired
Jamie Fiveash : 7 Battled and could have clawed something back
Warren Fiveash : 7 Made a couple of good saves. Left exposed in second half.
Bicycle Dynamoes went on to win their quarter final tie to
place them in the first of the semi-finals. They were beaten by
Longley Social. The final was won by MGMCOA A
Alltraders Football
Club
SUMMER FIVES 1998
Summary of League
‘H’ games:
Thurs.. 21/05/98
19:00 1 7 Guys called Elvis ....Won .2 - 1
Fri.... 29/05/98 19:30 4 Crawley Baptist Church. Drew 0 - 0
Thurs.. 04/06/98 20:30 2 Crawley Down Group..... Won .4 - 0
Fri.... 12/06/98 21:00 3 Bluebird Rangers....... Lost 2 - 4
Thurs.. 18/06/98 18:30 4 Tajs Titanics ..........Won. 4 - 1
Fri.... 26/06/98 19:30 1 Frenches Athletic 'B' ..Won. 4 - 0
Thurs.. 02/07/98 20:30 4 Unknown Allstars....... Drew 1 - 1
Fri ....10/07/98 18:30 1 Gatwick Express........ Won .4 - 0
Thurs.. 16/07/98 19:00 4 Super Eagles............Won .2 - 1
Thurs.. 30/07/98 21:00 2 Beer Garden ............Won .1 - 0
Final Group Stats:
.P..W..D..L.F..A..P..GD ......Final
League Position
10.7..2..1.24..8.6.+16.......Second in League H
Knockout stage:
Alltraders 0 - 3 Bicycle Dynamoes
Scorers:
Jamie Fiveash: 8 Booked
Kevin Burton : 8
Tim Leader : 6
Neil Leppard : 2
Paul Burton : 0 Booked