1st XI bow out with honour

Abbreviated match report this week, with 3 matches in the Surrey Cup. I've put down the Woking result as our Surrey Cup score, because everyone likes to see green on our results pages :D

Cheam turned up to the Surrey Cup with an unexpected 15 players, after one early morning pull-out. The 15 players also had their own issues, with the shields both experiencing what I will delicately describe as 'stomach troubles' and one of our forwards having the same fate after being led astray by the 3s on Friday, so far more self-inflicted.

Cheam were the lowest ranked team in this so called 'Group of Death', playing Woking 1s (3 divisions above, in South Prem Div 2), Old Cranleighans 1s (4 divisions above, in South Prem Div 1) and finally London Academicals 1s (a relatively modest 1 division above, in Hants/Surrey Div 2). Bear in mind, they were 4, 5 and 2 divisions higher until our promotion at the end of last season! So let's just say expectations were relatively measured, and Cheam were more focussing on developing our own game and style of play during the preseason. The side has a great togetherness following on from last season and were looking to continue to build.

All of the above went completely out of the window once we played Woking. Cheam had a slow first 10 minutes, but gradually picked up our play. We played well, created the lions share of chances and it was the excellent Woking keeper who kept us at bay. Cheam managed to manufacture numerous 1-on-1s and eventually, 10 minutes from the end, one was finished. From the Woking push-back, Cheam regained quick possession of the ball and scored again almost immediately for 2-0. With the damage done, Cheam then balanced out our play, let Woking try their hardest and hit them hard on the break, again with only Woking's keeper preventing them from conceding more. It was an awesome display of grinding it out when we had to, playing slick when we wanted to, and being clinical with the chances that came at the crucial moment. Cheam beat a side 3 divisions above us and suddenly 1 win from the last 2 would take us through in the Cup.

Unfortunately, the luck of the draw was slightly against us, as we next played the home side OCs, the best side in our group in terms of league ranking, in the match immediately following the Woking game. Also unfortunately, a number of OCs players who had missed their first match turned up for this one! We were tired and they, in fairness, were very good. Cheam unfortunately got overawed in game number 2, lost our gameplans and heads, and succumbed to a defeat. Plenty to work on!

We then had a break before our last match, a theoretically winnable game against London Academicals, where a win would take us through in the Cup. We started much the stronger and created 4 or 5 very good chances pretty much straight of the bat. And here's the lesson folks. We didn't take them. Unlike the Woking game, where we got the goals at the perfect time to put pressure on the opposition, here we let them slip by. Perhaps stunned by our misses, perhaps tired or lacking a bit of concentration, we conceded 2 easy goals in quick succession. From potentially being 3 or 4 up we found ourselves 2 down and were chasing the game. It took on a different complexion and, although Cheam battled back and had the better of the second half, the damage was done and a further 2 goals were conceded.

15 very tired players came off the turf at the end. Perhaps slightly disappointed, given the opportunity to qualify appeared to have been within our grasp with a game to go. But let's not lose sight of the fact that this was our first proper set of preseason games, and we beat and / or competed with teams who, in league positions at least, we shouldn't have had a chance against. Plenty to develop, but plenty of positives to take away too. The gap between us and sides of this calibre is not big, and has certainly become much smaller in recent years, as our 1s have gone from strength to strength. This should be an interesting season...