Birkbeck 0 – 0 C&R

Match Report
Birkbeck 0 – 0 C&R
Wednesday 12 October 2011, 1-2pm

Birkbeck were hoping to build on a promising showing in the opening match of the season by securing a win against newly-promoted C&R. That they failed to do so left the team with a feeling of mild disappointment until the league administrator indicated to the Birkbeck management that their opponents had won every single match of the previous season in the lower division.

On paper, Birkbeck looked to have a strong team, but, as ever, circumstances conspired to lend the starting line-up a makeshift quality. With Guest withdrawing from the squad and Nduka late to arrive, the team were subjected to the unedifying sight of their former goalkeeper starting at centre-forward.

Despite this handicap, Birkbeck began brightly enough, and with Throup’s oafish antics providing a mild distraction to the C&R defence, the midfield of Walters, Tacon and ap Garth combined well to fashion some decent attacking moves and stretch the C&R defence. Still, the arrival of a proper centre-forward in the form of Nduka, making his final appearance as a Birkbeck employee (but hopefully not as a Birkbeck player), came as a relief to all.

For all their attacking pressure, a couple of solid shots on target and the occasional goalmouth scramble were the best the Birkbeck managed in the first half. The feeling in the camp at half-time, though, was that their opponents were there for the taking in the second period.

Such feelings of optimism proved slightly misplaced as C&R played with renewed purpose after the break, and Birkbeck’s defence were forced to endure a few shaky moments. They held firm, though, thanks in no small part to the energy and tenacity of Kirkland, the leadership and organisational skills of Pearce, and the reliability of Jennings in goal. [Editor’s note: Will, you played well too, but I couldn’t find the right words to describe your performance, other than "you played well" – sorry.]

As the match wore on, the game became more open, leading to the usual anxieties on the bench as manager Parrott called for his team to throw caution to the wind and grab a goal, while assistant manager/substitute/dislikeable mascot Throup glanced anxiously at his watch and prayed for the final whistle. To fall back on tired clichés, either side could have won it, but a draw was the right result.

Tune in next week for another exciting instalment of the Birkbeck FC story, and the answers to the following questions: What was the score? Who was playing up front? Did we score a goal? Which tiny details of the match will be recalled and spun-out into a match report? AND MORE!