Birkbeck 1 - 3 CARAT

Match Report
Birkbeck 1 – 3 CARAT
Wednesday 26 January 2011, 1-2pm

Birkbeck kicked off the New Year without a match since November and without a win since the opening day of the season. December’s game against strugglers MOD had seemed like a good opportunity to get points on the board until Birkbeck’s opponents cancelled at the 11th hour, offering a curious explanation which centred around the temperature of the showers. Perhaps something was lost in translation as the message was relayed from MOD to the Birkbeck manager and then to this correspondent via a series of frantic telephone calls, but with the fishiness of the excuse still hanging in the air it was soon revealed that the MOD had pulled out of the league altogether.

To this match then, and with Birkbeck putting out a strong side, there was some hope of a decent result. Despite manager Parrott’s repeated protestations that Birkbeck’s opponents were an unknown newcomer to the league, anyone casting even the most half-hearted of glances at this blog’s archive would be able to recall a hefty and embarrassing defeat at the end of last season. To be fair, though, Birkbeck were guilty of shooting themselves in the foot on that occasion, and indeed had managed to beat CARAT two years previously (although admittedly with considerable assistance from long departed folk-hero Dumer Jr).

In a refreshing departure from the usual format of recent matches, Birkbeck took the lead here, with Jonah Duffin applying a clinical finish after a defensive mix-up in the CARAT penalty area. Unfortunately, though, it was not to last, with CARAT soon dusting themselves off to come straight back into the game and take a 2-1 lead into the break.

Although CARAT’s slick movement, crisp passing and sureness of touch was apparent for all to see, the goals came from long range efforts, with Birkbeck’s defence giving their opponents too much time and space to line up and execute their (admittedly very well-struck) shots. The first was a low finish which slammed into the bottom-right corner of the net – not quite unstoppable, but very decent nontheless – while the second beat the ‘keeper at his near post, which, as recently discredited pundit Andy Gray might have said, should never happen. Thank God he’s been discredited. [I think lots of others might still have agreed with him on this one though though – a spectator].

Whatever was said at half time, it didn’t work, for CARAT soon extended their lead. This time, it was decent passing and movement that produced the chance, and although the finish was half-stopped by the ‘keeper, it wasn’t enough to prevent it finding the back of the net. Still, the goal seemed to bring Birkbeck to life as their attacking football began to have more purpose once again.

While a goal never came, there were certainly enough nervous moments for CARAT to want to sit on their lead during the game’s final moments. The closest Birkbeck came was during a goalmouth scramble which saw Jennings deflect the ball towards goal via his ankle, although there was also brief hilarity when captain Schmidt, having pushed himself forward to add a killer instinct in front of goal, missed one of the clearest opportunities Birkbeck managed to create all game. Still, while CARAT briefly threatened on the break, Birkbeck could take heart from their superior second-half performance.

The net result, though, was another defeat. As Harry Redknapp must surely once have said while explaining away a run of poor form, if you let in a load of goals and don’t score many, you ain’t gonna win too many football matches. And that, unfortunately, is where Birkbeck are at the moment.