Cheam Ladies 1st XI

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Report: The Clarets ran out 5-2 winners against Southgate last Saturday. For the second week running we got off to a slow start by sitting back and allowing the opposition to dominate play. Constant pressure on the Clarets goal ended up with a P flick, which Southgate converted to take the lead. This set back had the effect of finally bringing some life into Cheam, and it was not long before they were rewarded when Graham Head scored from a Bob Stiff pass into the circle. Southgate almost immedietely regained their lead through an unstopable deflection into the roof of the net. After half time and some soul searching, the Clarets changed tactics by taking the game into the opposition half thereby putting the visiters in a more defensive mood. Goals were soon to follow scored by Derek Wright and Graham Head, putting the Clarets in front for the first time. To cement the lead, Derek Wright converted his second goal taking the score onto 4-2. Despite some anxious moment s Cheam were proving the more resilent team underlined when Graham Head completed his hat trick just before the end to give Cheam a solid 5-2 victory.

Report: Last Saturday the Clarets scored a 5-4 win against the HAC at Nonsuch. Despite having a numerical advantage at the start of the game, Cheam could not get their act together and went close to conceding a goal. Once HAC were up to full strength they overpowered the home midfield and deserved their early lead. Derek Wright equalised with the faintest of touches from a speculative strike into the circle only for HAC to go back into the lead from a breakaway goal. Just before the interval the Clarets finally started to play a bit. A cracking pass from Bob Stiff to the far post found Richard Cuthbert waiting to neatly direct the ball into the net. Any thought of taking charge of the game in the second half were dashed immediately when the visiters went ahead for the third time. However, from this point on the Clarets came to life and scored three unanswered goals; Bob Stiff banging in one from the edge of the circle, Derek Wright finishing off a lovely move down the right, and Kevin French getting the fifth through a confused defence. HAC response was to go into battle mode, which Tris Clucas did well to contain with whistle in hand and a cool head. The oppo. did win a penalty flick , awarded when Malcolm Paul's outstretched foot saved on the line. Despite this minor setback Cheam held firm and took the points.

Report: Last weekend Cheam vets lost 2-0 to Tring in a closely contested match played under floodlights in north country wet and windy conditions. Due to M25 problems, the Clarets started with nine players but managed to keep the opposition out until the reinforcements arrived. After some reshuffling of the pack, Cheam settled down to the challenge and were soon creating clear opportunities to take the lead. However, this week their radar was not tuned in, and at the interval neither side had troubled the score board. Tring, realising they had a battle on their hands, picked up the pace in the second half only to fire blanks in front of goal. At the other end Kevin French twice took the ball to the goal line, drawing the defence out of position, only to see his pull back unconverted. Eventually Tring broke the deadlock to take the lead. Cheam responded by throwing caution to the wind but could not score. A last minute converted short corner for Tring sealed the match in favour of the home side.

Report: Last Saturday the Clarets excelled themselves with a spectacular 8-0 win over the Old Cranleighans. Outplaying the opposition from the pushback ,Cheam had at least three good chances before finding the target. Supported by some excellent midfield passing moves, the Cheam sharp shooters rattled in three more goals by the interval. After the break the visiters kept their heads up and could have come back into the game but for some solid defensive play with Craig Wilson looking unbeatable in the goal. At the other end Bob Stiff and Kevin French regularily found the back of the net, eventually scoring four apiece. The clean sheet was preserved in the dieing moments after the visiters failed to convert a penalty flick awarded when the ball hit a well placed Parky foot. It wasn't their day and the Clarets will happily take this one.

Report: Last week the Clarets drew 3-3 with Tunbridge Wells vets at Nonsuch. Cheam got off to a great start and were three up in short order. Goals came from Graham Head [2] and Paul Williams. Perhaps believing the game was over, the homeside took their foot off the peddle and allowed Tunbridge Wells back into the game. Two soft goals scored just before halftime ensured it was game on at the break. Early in the second session the Wells continued to press preventing Cheam from getting the ball out of their own half for long periods. Inevitably Tunbridge Wells were rewarded for their effort bringing the scores equal. The Clarets had their chances,particularily from short corners, but in reality keeping the opposition out became the priority , and the game finished all square.

Report: At the weekend the Clarets were spotted in East Kent taking on, and beating,the Canterbury hop farmers. For the first twenty minutes the visiters possibly thought they were on the Goodwin Sands with the sun in their eyes and the tide coming in rapidly. Unable to get the ball out of their own half left Richard Cuthbert , high and dry out on the right wing, musing he should have taken the ferry and spent the afternoon buying some claret for his wine cellar rather than playing for the Clarets. Inevitably Canterbury finally got one past an over worked Craig Wilson in goal and it looked as though there was more to follow. The Canterbury Friars made it very clear that they intended to avenge last years defeat and continued into the third quarter in a very competitive mood. However, taking advantage of the home sides tactical decision of trying to protect their lead by playing deep, the Clarets were able to take control of the midfield, which resulted in a series of short corners . From one Kevin French did several pirouettes in the circle beating the defence twice before allowing the ball to run loose to Richard Cuthbert to push home the equaliser. Not satisfied with this Cheam went for the winner and just before the end Richard Cuthbert's shots were twice saved on the line by a hapless Canterbury foot. The second was blown for a penalty flick. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as Mike Henwood steped forward to put the ball in the top left corner of the net. Minutes later the whistle for fulltime was blown leaving the Clarets 2-1 winners.! The victory prevented Canterbury HC from sweeping the board with all their sides winning on the day and saved the Chairman from buying a round. Could this be the insentive Cheam needs, what about it Jame's? Mery Christmas all.

Report: In a friendly fixture last Saturday the Clarets lost to the top Surbiton vets team.  Cheam got off to a strong start and went ahead from a penalty corner converted by Kevin French.  For the remainder of the half, play was evenly balanced.  However, just before the break Surbiton scored to take a 2-1  lead. This turned out to be the decisive blow.  After the restart the Jokers played with much greater confidence, passing the ball  at will through the Cheam defence.  Despite some fine saves by the keeper,Craig Wilson, a barrage of goals followed, as the Clarets  fitness level proved not  to be up to the challenge.  Neil Weston did get  a second for Cheam, after a strong run by Kevin French, to briefly give the visiters a ray of hope.  Sadly this was never going to be enough to threaten the final outcome.

Report: The Clarets lost 1-4 to St Albans last weekend.  The absence of several key Cheam super stars meant a number of players were asked to perform out of their familiar comfort zone.  Whilst the new line up was bedding in, the visiters were able to take control and were soon two goals to the good.  However, it was their third goal immediately before half time that did the real damage, just as the Clarets were starting to show the oppo that they had a game on their hands.  After the break further positional changes seemed to be making a positive difference.  This,  combined with a tactical change to play the centre half,Bob Stiff, further up field, put St Albans on the back foot. The contest was now evenly balenced but a goal by the visiters against the run of play sealed their victory.  Graham Head scored a well deserved goal for the Clarets in the dieing minutes.  Past 1st XI Cheam skipper, PJ Croome,  was on the touch line to offer tactical advice.  He was later heard to say in the bar "we were robbed, it should have been 2-1 to the Clarets".

Report: The Clarets lost 6-3 away to Southgate last Saturday. Playing as the support act to a Southgate 1st XI match, Cheam got off to a confident start on the waterbased astro in front of a big ground [well for five minutes]. Chances came at both ends but midway through the half Southgate inexplicably pinched four goals in quick succession leaving the visiters reeling from the onslaught. After the interval the Clarets regrouped and , with Malcolm Paul flying down the right wing, the opposition started to sit back. It was not long before Cheam netted two of their own from open play, scored by Graham Head and Kevin French. A third was soon to follow smashed in by Neil Phillipps, which ensured a competitive final quarter. With the Clarets pressing forward at the slightest opportunity and Southgate playing on the break the next goal would decide the contest. Unluckily for Cheam it was the oppo. that took their chance when it came.

Report: Last weekend the Clarets drew 0-0 away against the HAC. Cheam dominated much of the first period and should have taken the lead from one of several good opportunities. The opposition were limited to playing on the break utilising their fast runners but were well contained by Bob Stiff and Colin Bishop and did not look like scoring. The second half was more even with both sides pressing for the elusive goal. Neil Phillipps came closest with a shot saved by the helmet and Kevin French was brought down with only the goalie to circumnavigate. Krish Gunatunga is to be congratulated for keeping a clean sheet in his first outing with the Clarets.

Report: Last Saturday the vets went down to the Old Cranleighans by the odd goal in five. Playing with ten men in the first quarter, as is the Clarets wont, they more than held their own against a hard tackling opposition. Once up to full strength, constant pressure on the Old Cranleighans resulted in a series of short cormers, two of which were convincingly put away by Kevin French and Bob Stiff. Now holding a two goal lead the Clarets looked comfortable until seconds before half time when the opposition converted their one and only short cormer. After the interval the Clarets pressed hard for the key third goal. Despite numerous opportunities in and around the circle the ball just wouldn't find the back of the net. Meanwhile the Old Cranleighans were well contained by a solid Cheam defence. However, mid way through the second half , with Cheam fully committed to the attack, the oppo broke away and scored from their first real chance. The game now took on a more competitive edge. As luck would have it ,the Old Cranleighans were presented with an open goal in the final seconds to secure the win, which hardly reflected play over the seventy minutes.

Report: Our game last Saturday against a younger Sevenoaks vets side, after a tense final five minutes, ended up 4-4. The Clarets sharp shooters were in great form in the first half with goals from Paul Williams [2] and Bob Stiff giving the home side a 3 nil lead at the interval. During a disastrous fifteen minute spell in the middle of the second period Cheam stopped playing allowing Sevenoaks to take charge. After the fourth goal went in, the Clarets finally stood up to the onslaught by taking the play to the opposition. The pressure resulted in a second goal for Bob Stiff. The four all draw reflected the play over the 70 minutes of an enjoyable game.

Report: Last Saturday the Clarets lost to St Albans at St Albans. Playing the first half with ten men due to local traffic issues the Clarets defended manfully. Playing on the break when the opportunity arose, Cheam were first to hit the back of the net from a short corner only for the shot to be disallowed. At the other end the onslaught was relentless but it took a short corner shot to finally breach the defensive wall. In the second half the Clarets were at full strength and went all out to get the equaliser. Chances came and went and had one been taken it might have been a different story. As it was St Albans ,now playing on the break themselves, started to find the gaps and rattled in several goals to finish up the clear winners.