HISTORY INDEX

2009 / 2010 Season Match Reports

Index of dates.
Reports listed by w/b Saturdays.

w/b 2009/09/19
w/b 2009/09/26
w/b 2009/10/03
w/b 2009/10/10
w/b 2009/10/17
w/b 2009/10/24
w/b 2009/10/31
w/b 2009/11/07
w/b 2009/11/21
w/b 2009/11/28
w/b 2009/12/12
w/b 2010/01/16
w/b 2010/01/23
w/b 2010/01/30
w/b 2010/02/06
w/b 2010/02/13
w/b 2010/02/20
w/b 2010/03/06
w/b 2010/04/17
w/b 2010/04/24


Saturday 19th September 2009

BoE 1s 0-9 Old Parks 1s
Old Finchleians away last season was a low point in the 1st XI's recent history, however Saturday was an altogether different story. Those players who turned up on Saturday need to have a long hard look at themselves and make the decision whether they want to fight and put their bodies on the line for the cause or not. If the answer is a no or they have any doubts that they are not up to the challenge of performing at 1st team level then I don't want them in the team. Saturday's performance should stay with all those involved on and should hurt. You can tell a lot about individuals and how they react to adversity and frankly most individuals on Saturday came up horribly short. Next Saturdays game is key - those who have kept their places have a chance to redeem themselves and those who have not and are in the 2s or 3s need to make a difference to those teams. I will be getting reports from the 2s and 3s skippers to see if they did make a difference and helped those around them or if they sulked. Let's see what we are made of as a team and as individuals on Saturday. A reaction is what is required from all those involved on Saturday.
Ayyaz Ishaque

BoE 3s 2-1 Old Finchleans 3s (Joao Alvellos 2)
Lot's of good things happened in this game. Firstly, we won! Secondly, we played well, particularly in the first half - at times the football was very free flowing and good to watch, especially when we knocked the ball on the floor and into space. We had the lion's share of possession, but ended up going into the break 1 nil down after Finchleans had caught us on the hop, and left us looking a bit bemused.

The second half started with a well taken goal from Joao who ran into the box from midfield to convert a pass from Stewart. The game then opened up with chances at both ends, but eventually Joao popped up again into the box to score the winner. What was encouraging was that we were never short of belief (something that was lacking last season), even when we were frustrated by our efforts. So overall a pleasing start, but let's not get carried away.
Jerry Jones

Old Actonians 8 1-2 BoE 4s
The 4s made a good start to the season, securing a 2-1 victory against a strong Old Actonian side. Overcoming the usual logistical difficulties of locating the Old Actonian pitch, the new look side made a solid start to the game and as the half went on began to take control. Captain-for-the-day Roger had little to do in goal in the first 45 minutes as our defence repelled most of the Actonian attacks. In midfield, Kev and Phil began to pass the ball around nicely, with Kev winning so many balls in the air that the opposition were forced to fire long balls to the wings. It was on our own flanks that we looked most dangerous going forward with Ben and Rory interlinking well on the left wing and Jose's pace always dangerous on the right. Some nice football created a few half chances for Sean and Michael up front, but we went into half time nil-nil.

Crispin drew the short straw and spent the second half in goal, with Roger moving into midfield. The second half was a close affair, with chances generally restricted to set pieces, which is how we took the lead. Rory beautifully flighted corner was met by Kev at the far post. The keeper could only get a hand on it and Sean pounced on the loose ball. 1-0. Bank's defence was looking pretty solid despite Crispin having to deal with a couple of shots, until a ball over the top was latched onto by the Actonian striker who raced clear and found the bottom corner. 1-1 Both sides continued to trade dangerous set pieces, but as Actonians tired the Bank forwards began to get more space. And a deserved winner was found when Jose raced onto a pass and fired a shot into the top corner. In the last ten minutes we sat a bit deeper but the defence expertly dealt with Actonians' forages forward and the attack continued to look dangerous on the break despite the energy sapping humidity. Overall a great start with plenty of good signs for the rest of the season.
Sean Palmer

Saturday 26th September 2009

BoE 1st XI v Old Lats 1st XI (Drew 2-2 Brooke-Smith, Hannaway)
After last weeks drubbing at the hands of Old Parks it was always going to be a test of character in the next week. What is pleasing is that we showed great character and resilience to come back from a goal down twice.

Pre-match talk was all about kick starting our season and providing a reaction from last weeks game both collectively and individually. Records Office looked in fantastic condition as we kicked off and played the ball around nicely. The returning central defensive partnership of Taylor and Mcshane providing a platform for the team to build on. We were using the width of the pitch well and both Boothroyde and Hannaway were causing the Lats fullbacks problems. Unfortunately the first goal game from the one of the aforementioned defensive partnership. From a long ball over the top Deano found himself one on one with Cheets - All of us expected Deano to deal with the ball and put it out for a corner. Unfortunately Dean showed his finishing ability and directed the ball beyond Cheets into the bank goal. This was a blow as we were the better side and did not deserve to be 1-0 down. We stepped up the play and both Sam Richards and Gary Hyett had opportunities to equalise but failed to take them. It was looking like we would come into the half time break 1-0 down until Tom Brooke-Smith picked the ball 30 yards out and drilled one into the top corner - his first goal in 4 years. It was what we deserved and we came into the half time break a bit more happier.

At half time we knew there was much to improve on but had to continue to press their fullbacks. The 2nd half started in the same fashion as the first with the bank looking to take the lead. Once again a lapse in concentration at the back allowed Lats to take a the lead again. A poor goal to give away on our part and evidence if we needed it that crosses need to be cut out at the source and the 1st and 2nd ball need to be contested. Once again the team had to show grit and determination and we drew level from cross come shot from Alex Hannaway and from then there was only 1 team that was going to win it. Unfortunately chances continued to be created and continued to be wasted - I counted at least 6 chances in the last 25 minutes.

If we are to be successful we need to kill teams off. The positive is that we created them but we cannot be so wasteful in front of goal as against better teams we will and have done so in the past get punished. All together a decent performance in which we showed grit and determination to come from behind on 2 occasions. Also there were a number of new faces in the team and they showed that they have the heart as well as the skill to be an important part of the 1st team in the coming weeks. Something to build on for the future - a future which will require hard work from all concerned. It is a new team that is taking shape and there will be weeks where we will get beat and there will be more ups and down however if we show the same attitude that we did on Saturday then we will be ok. All teams require a bit of luck but you get nothing out of sport without putting in 100% commitment and effort every time you step on to the pitch. We will have to be realistic about what this team can achieve but if we can introduce a few new people to the club and 1st XI then we are on the right track.

Please get yourselves down to training if you can it will help your performances on Saturdays. This week Dean Mcshane will be giving finishing lessons to anyone interested.
Ayyaz Ishaque

BoE 3s v Globe Rangers 3s: 1-1 FT, 3-3 AET, BoE win 3-1 on penalties
After 120 minutes of football on a big pitch, hot weather and no subs, BoE deservedly went through to the next round of the cup on penalties. We definitely had the better of the first half, hitting the woodwork 3 times, and at times playing fast attacking football. It was somewhat ironic that despite all our chances we created, our opening goal was an own goal following good work on the left. Globe Rangers drew level just before the break with a goal that was clearly and substantially offside. The second half was more of an even encounter with Globe Ranger's pacy forwards and neat passing causing a certain amount of anxiety for the Boe defence. With no goals in the second half, the game went into extra time. Bank conceded within 5 minutes of the restart following a ball over the top which their forward slotted past Peter Blood. Bank soon equalised with their goalie rushing out to block a one on one with Alan, only for Woody to clip the rebound left footed into the empty net, over the goalie and returning defenders. Bank then blew their lead with a weak goal following another ball over the top from Globe Rangers. But again, Bank showed character to get another equaliser when Alan rifled in the corner following a corner that wasn't cleared. The second half of extra time was goalless, though Bank had a great chance to win it, and the game went to penalties. Step forward Peter Blood, who made a dramatic one handed save from their second penalty. Peter then saved their third penalty and when they missed the forth, the game was over.
Jerry Jones

BoE 4s 4-1 Old Lats 4s (o.g., Turnbull, Mitchell 2)
Following an SAL reshuffle during the summer the BoE's 4th eleven were given an 'honorary' promotion, seeing us reunited with many of the better teams we played last season. But despite this, the 4s strong start to the season continued with an emphatic 4-1 victory over last season's league champions.

The Bank started well and for the majority of the first half played some nice passing football, getting the ball down and playing it forward quickly using the full width (of an excellent) Lower Redgates pitch. It was this approach, down the right-hand side, which saw the Bank take the lead as a Lats defender was only able to turn a vicious ball across the face of the goal into his own net. The Bank continued to apply pressure and went into a 2-0 lead as Kenny neatly turned inside his man and dispatched a crisp finish into the bottom corner. Lats started to come into the game toward the end of the first half but some resolute defending (and erratic long-distance shots) saw the Bank into the break with a relatively comfortable 2-0 lead.

The second half saw some changes for the Lats with the giant centre forward being replaced by a much pacier, more direct striker. There were a few scares in the BoE defence with some relief provided when a quick breakaway saw Tony slot the ball past the keeper to give the Bank a three goal cushion. Lats then proceeded to pull one back (with a tidy finish into the bottom-corner) and in a spell of concerted pressure were only denied a second by a fantastic one-handed save by Eddie diving to his right. But a tiring Bank side found some breathing space for the last ten minutes as Tony grabbed his second goal as he placed a casual volley past the keeper after a dangerous cross from the right.

All in all it was a very tidy team performance. There were some very strong individual performances, but for a team that had not all played together before it looked really cohesive. More performances like this and we could make some good progress this season.
Ben Plant

Saturday 3rd October 2009

BoE 1st XI v Sinjun Old Grammerians (Won 1-0 Hyett)
Another positive performance and another step in the right direction. Sinjun OG are a experienced side and although they created more chances the work rate and effort from the 1st team ensured we picked up our 1st win of the season. Sinjuns had the better of the 1st half without really troubling Cheets in the bank goal. The team as a whole worked hard to restrict Sinjuns to very few chances and there were signs that Sinjuns were getting frustrated. We had a couple of half chances which we did not take advantage and to be fair some of our passing was not up to scratch. However we came into the half time break knowing that if we kept our shape we stood a chance of nicking the result.

The breakthrough came early in the 2nd half - a through ball was latched onto by Gary Hyett - Sinjuns stopped playing thinking that Gary was offside. To his credit Gary continued to play and he rounded the keeper to put us 1-0 up. This stunned Sinjuns and they pushed forward looking for the equaliser. We could have got 2nd but could not find the killer touch. Towards the end of the game it took a fantastic double save from Cheets to maintain our lead.

Overall a hard fought win where the work rate was excellent. There are things which we can work on which is always good and we if we keep up the work rate and commitment then we should be ok.
Ayyaz Ishaque

Goff Old Boys 1st XI 2-4 BoE 2nd XI (AFA Inter Cup)
Following a mammoth journey to Hertfordshire the team talk was all about being clinical and not being complacent on a pitch that resembled a subbuteo pitch in size. The first 10 minutes was played with 10 men and Goff having all the play, their main attack being the long throw in (basically the 18 yard box) which caused problems but the defence did enough and some great saves by Stevie P and the bar. We got to 11 men with a late arrival and the confidence came back. The pitch was hard and bobbly and Bank did all the best passing and worked if from the back.

5 minutes before the end of the half we beat Goff’s at their own game with Churmy taking a long throw for Stu to draw in the challenge of both Goff Central defenders leaving Charlie free to finish nicely, 1-0. Minutes after the restart some good work down the left resulted in Matt playing a great threw ball to Stuart to chest down and finish, 2-0.

Half time came at the wrong time and the 2nd half started very slowly and Bank had chances to kill the game. The game then changed with Jamie replacing Stevie P in goal for the last 10 minutes and within a few minutes they drew level (Goals conceded best left unexplained) Steve and Jamie then decided, that due to the worst minute in goal to goals conceded ratio in the history of football, it was best to swap over again but this did the trick as with minutes to go and extra time looming a ball was played through the middle for Charlie to close the keeper and the keeper decided to let the ball go past him giving Charlie a tap in. A minute later Churmy crossed and found Stuart free to finish easily, although trying hard to miss with a 1mph shot.

So a 4-2 win, comfortable in the end but Bank should have made it easy. Strong defensively, hard working midfield and clinical finishing being the difference. Hopefully next round of the cup we will avoid an away game to John O Groats FC.
Stuart Wren-Jarvis

BoE 4s 2-1 East Barnet Old Grammarians 6s (S.Maloney, Dickson)
The 4s winning start to the season continued with a solid 2-1 victory in the first round of the SAL Intermediate Novets Cup against East Barnet Old Grammarians (Ebogs). Despite the Bank naming another strong team, it was Ebogs who had the best of the early exchanges. Their number 7 in midfield seemed to be finding a lot of space in ‘the hole’ between the midfield and defence and kept the Bank on the back-foot for the first ten minutes or so. However, despite having a large amount of possession, Ebogs failed to really test Eddie in the Bank goal. But as Adam and Michael began to stamp more of their authority in midfield, the Bank started to play some nice football, echoing the previous week’s philosophy of getting the ball down, wide and forward quickly. We started to make their ‘keeper work, seeing him make some good saves most notably following a towering header from Phil after a corner from Roger. Ebogs also had another lucky escape as a defender tracking back just managed to clear the ball from the line after Kenny had rounded the ‘keeper. And so despite chances for both sides, we went in level at the interval but the main message was that this was an eminently winnable game should we keep on playing to our strengths.

The second half got off to the worst possible start when, not long in, an over-hit through-ball somehow bobbled over / under Eddie’s attempted clearance and despite Rog’s best efforts the Ebogs’ striker rolled the ball into an empty net to put them one up. Despite this set-back the Bank set about playing as they were before and introduced a couple of substitutes with Michael and Sean making way for Paul and Sam. The fresh legs didn’t take long to pay off and a clever through ball put Sam in and he comfortably went around the ‘keeper and finished impressively from an angle to bring the scores level. Ebogs were looking tired now and with only one substitute were only able to add one pair of fresh legs whilst the Bank used their full quota to bring Chris on for Phil on the left. The Bank’s passing and use of the wings was causing all sorts of problems in the Ebogs defence and a nice move down the right saw Roger, in on goal, striking a fierce shot that the Ebogs keeper could only help on its way into the top corner. Ebogs continued to press for the final ten minutes but there were few serious moments of worry for the Bank as they played out the final few minutes to record another impressive early season result.

Man of the Match - Ben Hughes
Many good performances on the day but Ben’s solid defending, calm and considered use of possession and innumerable headers won stood out and inspired confidence throughout the team.
Ben Plant

Old Actonians 10s 2-6 Bank 5s (Vassar 3, McGing 2, Marcheggiano)
Contrary to what the scoreline suggests, the Bank started off the game a bit sluggishly, maybe on account of the strong headwind, with the midfielders not seeing much of the ball and the forwards not making much use of it when they received it. The Bank's defence looked solid enough, until an fairly innocuous low cross from the opposition was deflected over our keeper's head and into the net. That provided a wake-up call for the Bank team, who picked up their game and found an equaliser before half-time when Vassar broke through the defence to slot the ball home. The start of the second half was similar to the first: a quiet start from the Bank leading to an opposition goal, and a quick reaction leading to an equaliser. But then the Bank finally took hold of the game, and in a thirty-minute spell, tormented the opposition defence and especially their goalkeeper with good passing, power and precision. The opposition found McGing's power and Vassar's pace too much to deal with, and two goals each from both, plus one by Marcheggiano brought the second win a row for the 5s.
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 10th October 2009

BoE 1st XI 1-4 IBIS 1st XI (Tutt)
After last weeks win and gritted performance it was back to the league and an away game at IBIS. We knew that if we matched the previous weeks performance than we could get something out of the game. We started the game well and our 4-3-3 was working well. We created a couple of half chances but did not take them - a problem that has been evident in the season so far. IBIS caused us problems and when we gave the ball away they should have taken advantage of a couple of chances that fell to them. We rode our luck and came into the half time break level. The half time chat was all about keeping our shape and continuing to play the same way. Unfortunately we had to make changes in personnel - one of them due to injury.

The 2nd half started of badly - a misplaced pass allowed the ball to reach 2 unmarked IBIS players at the far post and they made no mistake to put IBIS one up. Our response was excellent - we began to push IBIS on the back foot and were awarded a penalty. Ben Tutt stepped up and made no mistake to draw us level. At this stage with just over 30 minutes to go it looked like the game could go either way. Unfortunately individual mistakes and a harsh penalty meant we collapsed to a defeat.

A disappointing result in game where for an hour we matched and at times out fought IBIS. At any level mistakes get punished and at 1st team level they very rarely go unpunished. As a team we are maturing into a unit and there will lots of ups and downs to come before the season comes to an end. The last 2 performances show that the team has potential but we need to stick together and fight for everything that we earn this season. We know where we need to improve and what we need to cut out. All me and Cheets ask is that all those selected give 100% effort until the final whistle on a week to week basis. If we do that then results will take care of themselves. Let build on the positives and look to bounce back next week. We have a cup match against 2nd div Carshalton in which we will be the underdogs. As I mentioned after Saturday's game we will have to be on the ball and fight for every 50-50 right from the first whistle - anything less will result in a very uncomfortable afternoon!
Ayyaz Ishaque

Crouch End Vampires 3s 2-3 BoE 3s (SAL Junior Cup) When Peter Blood limped off the pitch after 5 minutes with a calf injury, the chances did not look good, especially when soon after, the stand-in goalie (Jerry) misjudged a harmless ball into the box which bounced over him and luckily hit the bar. Crouch End stepped on the gas and following sustained pressure, deservedly took the lead with a long range shot. At which point, we could have quite easily crumbled as we struggled to adapt to the small and bouncy pitch. However, soon after, Mark Costin scored a header from a flick-on and the game was back to all square. We then took the lead after some good attacking play and a bit of a scramble resulted in Woody poking the ball home. We then took a 3-1 lead when Adam Mackie scored a bullet headed after a good cross from the right. To a certain extent, the scoreline flattered us, though we finished the half the stronger team and were confident of winning the game. The second half started as the first half ended, with Bank looking in control. Crouch End then scored after we failed to clear a corner. We had chances to win it but the longer the game went on the more likely it seemed that Crouch End would get an equaliser. They almost took it into extra time when a ball over the top was about to find the head of their striker, only for Jerry to sprint out the box David James style to palm it away. So, another good performance - we very rarely get a result up here and today we deserved it.
Jerry Jones

Poly 7s 4-0 BoE 4s
The 4s flying start to the season came to a juddering halt against an accomplished Poly side. Poly had come out of the corresponding fixture with a 6-2 victory last season but there was a feeling that the Bank squad had a decent change of avenging that defeat this time around.

The first half saw some good exchanges and decent chances for both sides, but it was Poly who found that extra little bit of quality as the big number 9 finished neatly from a pull-back towards the end of the half to see them into the break one-nil up. The Bank were forced to use both subs at half-time with Paul and Sam replacing the injured Kenny and Mike.

The second half started (as last week) in the worst possible fashion, with the same striker (as scored the first goal; not as last week) glancing in a header to put Poly two-nil up. To give them their due it was a well-worked and excellently finished goal. We had been undone by the classic goal each side of half-time. There was no little commitment from the Bank to break back into the game, but tiredness and a couple of walking-wounded left the Bank hamstrung (literally, in a couple of cases) and susceptible to the quick Poly forwards on the break. Poly took full advantage of this and added another two goals racing away from the tiring Bank defence. It was good to see us continue to press and a few chances opened up, most notably a free-kick from Roger causing a goal-mouth scramble and also Jamie unluckily placing a finish onto the bar.

In the end we were beaten by a decent, fitter team. And we had some bad luck with injuries as well. But there were positives to be taken from the game which we need to carry forward into next week’s cup match.

Man of the Match - Jamie Thompson
Lots of hard work out on the left, some clever passing and direct running which caused the Poly defence numerous problems. Unlucky to only hit the bar as we chased a consolation goal.
Ben Plant

Bank 5s 4-4 Old Actonians 10s (Vassar, Singh, Marcheggiano, Muscatelli)
This week saw the visit of Actonians, a team who we beat 6-2 last weekend. We could tell we weren’t going to have it all our way again as they turned up with a few different faces from last week, either way though we was confident we could get the points. The game started off identical to last week, Actonians far by the better side in the first 20 or so minutes and by the half hour mark they found themselves 2-0 up. Bank were quick to reply though as Vassar picked up the ball and ran through the Actonians defence to slot home into the bottom corner. Undeservedly, Actonians managed to score before the end of the first half so went in 3-1 at the break.

The first 20 minutes of the second half Bank found themselves on the back foot again but Actonians couldn’t find a way past the back four and the keeper. We managed to grab a goal back when a curling free kick was met at the far post by Singh (on his debut) and we suddenly found ourselves right back in the game. The next goal was vital, and soon after Bank was awarded a penalty as Vassar's pace proved too much for the Actonians back line and was taken out inside the box. Heard stepped up to take it but dragged the shot just wide of the post so the score remained 3-2. By now the game was heating up and both sides were battling for the points, Muscatelli brought himself on for the remainder of the match and it was his pass to Marcheggiano who took on 2 players and beat the keeper at the near post. Actonians then again managed to find a goal but it was Muscatelli who stole the headlines, a foul on the edge of the box resulted in a Bank free kick and he stepped up to beautifully curl over the wall and past the keeper into the net. There wasn’t enough time for a Bank winner but there were plenty of positives to come out this game, we would definitely have settled for a draw being 3-1 down at half time but still a bit disappointed we couldn’t get our third win on the bounce.
Wesley Vickers

Saturday 17th October 2009

BoE 4s vs. Latymer Old Boys (AFA Minor Cup) 1-2 aet, Roger de Bunsen
All in all this was a decent, good-natured game of football which we didn’t really deserve to lose. We created innumerable half-chances but unfortunately nothing genuinely clear cut. Their ‘keeper made a couple of good saves but when we consider how little Eddie had to do in the Bank goal we should be a bit disappointed we didn’t win this one.

We played a lot of tidy football throughout, although sometimes we tried to be a bit too cute in dangerous areas. The opposition, who could play too, went more often for the route one option as the ‘keeper’s massive kick kept the back four on their toes with Rog and Crispy in particular getting some good heading practice. We took the lead in the first half when a well-taken corner from Jamie dropped in the box and Rog was on hand to fire the loose ball into the net to put the Bank 1-0 up. A few more chances came our way but we couldn’t find that elusive second goal.

The second half started, as now seems to be the routine, with the opposition scoring within five minutes of the restart. This week it was from a well finished penalty after a Bank defender was accused of pulling back the on-rushing striker. The game then saw chances and penalty shouts for both sides but no-one managed to break the deadlock and the game went into extra-time.

Extra time took the pattern of the rest of the match; chances for both sides and some decent football. Unfortunately the Bank were not to reach penalties as a lack of communication between Eddie and Ben with the ball rolling toward the ‘keeper saw the striker nip in between them to hook a cross across the goal to the awaiting Old Latymer player who rolled the ball into an empty net, pretty much guaranteeing them victory with only two minutes to play. Bank put in a last couple of minutes of solid effort, but nothing came of it and we went out of the cup in a frustrating fashion; frustrating in that we played well but somehow managed to let it slip.

Man of the Match - Jon Grant
Plenty of good performances throughout the team, but Jon made an impressive, hard-working debut playing out of position. He made plenty of angles for passes, held the ball up well and dropped back time and time again to help out in midfield. Unlucky with a couple of shots and denied a couple of times by last-ditch tackles.
Ben Plant

BoE 5s v Alleyn Old Boys 6s 12-2 Scorers: Best (4), Marcheggiano (3), Vassar (3), Rebolledo, Muscatelli
Unlike the previous two games, the Bank were determined to start the match strongly and straight away took control of the game. The midfield five (Barrett, Daniel, Vickers, Charlie Best, Vassar) were outstanding, keeping possession for long period of time, and combining well with very good passing and movement. Marcheggiano, operating as a lone striker, kept the opposition central defence under continuous pressure. The end result was a fantastic overall performance. Marcheggiano immediately set up Charlie Best whose header hit the cross-bar. Vassar broke through the opposition defence to slot past the keeper, and Marcheggiano finished off an elegant passing move to make it 2-0. Alleyn's were finding hard to see much of the ball, and were limited in midfield to long balls for their forwards. However, after a brief spell of possession Alleyn's scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-1. It was crucial to keep the momentum going at this point and Charlie Best rose to the occasion with a couple of well-taken goals in the second part of the first half, before Vassar ended the half with a fine goal from a tight angle.

With the first half ending 5-1, the opposition had realised it wasn't to be their day and two quick goals in the second half sealed the tie. One of the Alleyn's forwards did create some problems for the Bank defence with his pace but despite scoring a goal in the second half his finishing was generally poor, and the Bank defence had a relatively comfortable afternoon. There was also time for two goals from the subs' bench towards the end of the game.
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 24th October 2009

Alexandra Park 3s 3-3 BoE 3s (Alexandra Park win 3-2 on penalties). AFA CUP. Goal scorers: Mark Costin (pen) Matt Brooke Smith, Adam Mackie This was my second trip to Alexandra Park and the second time i have lost 3-2 on penalties. Gutted. Anyway, we started off well when Mark Costin slotted home a penalty after good work from James on the left. The scores were soon level when James was harshly judged to have brought down their forward. We soon restored the lead when debutant Matt Brooke Smith scored probably the best goal he will ever score with a volley into the top corner - definite candidate for goal of the season. The scores were level when Alexandra Park reacted quickest to a cross into our box.

Alexandra Park started the second half well and took the lead 15 minutes into the half. Bank started playing better football at this point, despite effectively being down to 10 men after Mark Costin twisting his ankle in what appeared to be a crater in the pitch. Hard work was rewarded 5 minutes before the end when Adam Mackie smashed one into the roof of the net from about three yards. So the game went in to extra time, where we looked much the stronger team, and were slightly disappointed not to score.

There is not much else to say about the penalty shoot out other than we missed three out of five penalties, and they only missed two. In fact it wasn't that different from a couple of years ago, see match report from that match in 2007/08 season.
Jerry Jones

BoE 4s vs. Old Salesian 4s 3-1 (S.Moloney 2, Barnes)
Our last two disappointing results were quickly forgotten as the Bank 4th eleven recorded an impressive victory over Old Salesians who, up until Saturday, had been undefeated this season.

Things didn’t start promisingly as our second-half syndrome reared its head in the first-half and we went behind within five minutes, as their striker raced onto a through ball and lobbed the ball nicely over the ‘keeper. Salesians deserved to be ahead and were on top of us for the first 20 minutes or so as the Bank’s defence were struggling to cope with the speedy Salesian attacks. However, it wasn’t entirely one-way traffic and when we went forward we looked dangerous. It was perhaps slightly against the run of play when we equalised but it was a good goal nonetheless. Simon picked the ball up around the half-way line and carried it forward, and on spotting Sam’s clever run across the back four, slid in a perfect through-ball. Some hesitation from the ‘keeper allowed Sam to round him and finish neatly, sending the teams into half-time on level terms.

A slight re-arrangement at half-time saw Ben take-over in goal. This did not bode well for the rest of the game but fortunately the defence were outstanding in the second half, restricting Salesians to half-chances and speculative efforts. Our second goal came from another direct, well-executed move. Good work on the left from Paddy saw him knock a nice ball into the channel for Tony who took it to the by-line and cleverly picked out the onrushing Caleb (who had replaced the injured Kenny in the first half) to finish neatly first-time. The third goal was not one for the aesthete. A mix-up in the Salesians’ defence saw one defender hammer his clearance into the back of another, leaving Sam to collect the loose ball and calmly slot another expert finish into the back of the net, giving the Bank some breathing space to comfortably play out time to the final whistle.

We weren’t entirely at the races from the off in this game, but the second-half performance was one of the best I’ve seen from the fours. Let’s carry this forward into next week’s game and most importantly not get complacent!

Man of the Match -
I won’t single one person out this week because I think this was a great team performance where everyone did their bit and worked hard for everyone else in the team.
Ben Plant

Saturday 31st October 2009

South Bank 3s 0-1 Bank of England 3s. SAL Cup. Goalscorer Joao Alvellos Having lost a league game against Cuaco earlier in the month, we entered this match as underdogs, especially as we had a bare eleven due to poor availability at the club this week. So when Joao nodded in after about five minutes, it gave us confidence that we at least had a chance of getting a result in this game. Southbank put us under pressure for much of the half without any end product. When they did put the ball in the net, we were saved by the referees whistle, who lukily for us, blew for half time just before the Cuaco winger had crossed it into the box for their striker to head in. That said, we could easily have gone two nil up following good work from Ronnie and Sam Maloney. The second half continued to see South Bank enjoy good possession, they had the ball in the net a second time, but only after an obvious foul on our keeper, and they also had one ruled out for offside. The one legitimate chance they did have rattled our post. So we did ride our luck in this game, but we also showed good determination and seemed comfortable soaking up the pressure. We did have a real tendency to give the ball away way too cheaply, and we know we will have to do better in the future, but credit where credit is due, we beat a team that had hitherto won every game they had played this season.
Jerry Jones

Poly 8s vs. BoE 4s 2-1 (Jamie Thompson)
There were high hopes for a strong showing after last week’s impressive victory. But it wasn’t to be as a capable Poly side came from a goal down to defeat a hard-working Bank team.

The first half saw Poly have most of the play, aided by the slope and the sun being in the Bank’s eyes. But the Bank defended resolutely and were only really exposed on one occasion when Mike came racing from his line to block an on-rushing Poly player. The message at half-time was to keep plugging away, working hard and trying to get the ball to stick a bit more up-front. And concentrate especially for the first five minutes.

And we did this to great effect, opening the second half with a goal. Unfortunately my recollection of it is sketchy, and my view from the other end of the pitch wasn’t great, but a loose ball in the box ended up being lashed into the back of the net by Jamie. We were all over Poly for the first five minutes or so and had another great chance as Paddy bore down on goal but unfortunately dragged his shot slightly wide. But Poly had the luxury of three substitutes and as the Bank tired slightly they hit us twice on the break, no doubt helped by the introduction of those fresh legs.

In the end it was a decent, hard-working effort from all eleven players and we should be in no doubt that we can take some points from this team in the home game.

Man of the Match - Diarmaid Cronin
Non-stop work breaking up play in centre-midfield and intelligent use of the ball when in possession.
Ben Plant

BoE 5s 2-3 Carshalton 8s (Vickers, Vassar)
As the cliché goes, a game of two halves, but frustratingly, the opposition did slightly better in the first half than we did in the second. Carshalton started the game with 10 men, but despite some early pressure from the Bank and some efforts on goal by Hunnable, the opposition managed to break and score with their first shot at goal. The Bank tried to respond, but similarly to a few games this season, appeared sluggish in the first part of the game, and Carshalton went on to score two more in the last ten minutes of the first half. In line with most of our games this season, the 5s looked much more lively after the break, they dominated possession and got back into the game. Wesley Vickers scored with a fantastic long-range effort and Hunnable soon after hit the cross-bar. With Chris Lewis adding his presence in centre midfield, it was one-way traffic. Vassar broke through and scored, but after that, Carshalton managed to hang on and walk away with all three points. The Bank deserved to get something out of this game, but were made to pay for another poor start to a game.
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 7th November 2009

Bank of England 4s 1 - 8 Polytechnic 7s
History may mock such a positive match report with the accompanying scoreline, but Saturday's game saw us match a decent Poly side for large stretches of the game, and for three quarters of the pitch. The absence of a goalkeeper was exposed relatively mercilessly throughout; in the first half a free header from a cross led to a mix up between Crispian and the Anonymous Stand In Keeper (ASIK), allowing their striker to roll the ball home. Subsequently ASIK wiped out their striker released on a 1-on-1 for one of the clearer penalties you'll see, we saw the effects of a 1-on-1 without wiping out their striker (3-0), and some poor distribution led to another 1-on-1 (4-0.)

But this belied the performance on the rest of the pitch. Ben Hughes started brightly in centre-midfield, getting off shots from distance, and distributing the ball nicely to the wings. Though the offside trap was breached a few times, the defence were performing well; Michael Ramsey leading by example with a committed display and good distribution. After 15 mins or so Andrew Moore limped off with a tweaked Hammy, and Jack brought his steel to the midfield with Ben dropping back.

Talk at half time was encouraging- the game would be difficult to get back into on account of the leaking of goals, but we could build on the performance of the first, with a new ASIK in place, and try to win the second half. The first 10 minutes would be key.

47 mins: 5-0.

Credit to everyone on the pitch that attitude remained spot on; we continued to push forward, with Paul in particular finding some space on the wing. While we continued conceding at the back, we caused Poly trouble going forward, and Mike Ramsey's impressive finish ('He won't score another one like that' said the encouraging ref!) was well deserved, and somehow celebrating it didn't seem as ridiculous as the scoreline suggested it should. In the last 10 minutes we forced a few corners and were unfortunate not to notch again. This, after all, was the cup, and the scoreline didn't matter.

Poly 7s are a good side, and will do well in the league this season. Nevertheless, they are a young team and we demonstrated that we can trouble them going forward. If we can recruit a decent keeper for the league return we will be hungry for revenge.

Man of the Match - Michael Ramsey
Good attitude, strong aerial performance, and a fine goal.
Simon Walls

BoE 5s - Old Edmontonians 5s 2-2 aet, 2-3 after penalties (Scorers: Marcheggiano (2)
A defeat on penalties is always hard to take - especially as the opposition equalised in normal time with almost the last kick of the game. But Old Edmontonians did play better than us in the first half, and never gave up when chasing the game twice in this tie. In the first half, the Bank did not see much of the ball in midfield, the opposition central midfielders were finding space and threading passes to their forwards, and it was only a superb performance from the Bank goalkeeper and back four that kept them at bay. Towards the end of the half however, the 5s started asserting themselves, and had a goal disallowed for a dubious offside decision (although we had benefited from a similar decision a few minutes before).

The second half was a different game with the Bank in control and taking the lead through a good move finished off by Marcheggiano. It seemed that that would be the only goal of the game, but Edmontonians managed to steal the ball in midfield at the last minute and finish off with a fine shot from outside the area to take the tie to extra time. The Bank had the better of the first half of extra time, Muscatelli fed Marcheggiano through for his second, but the opposition responded with another fine strike from distance. Penalties beckoned, and after the first ten penalties had left the two teams tied, Edmontonians edged it after the first round of sudden death. A disappointing finish to the game but we can take comfort from our performance, against a team that was much better than any we've met so far this season.
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 21st November 2009

Bank of England 3s 1 – 1 Old Finchleans 3s
Bank came into the game much changed after a two week break, and although disappointed not to win, got a valuable point. With Captain Jerry Jones and vice captain Ronnie Driver away the leadership was thrust upon Chris Lewis and Mark Costin who came up with a new 4-3-1-2 formation with Stu Masters playing in a free role.

Bank started off playing some good football in patches. With the side set up to pass the ball along the floor the start was encouraging. The best chance of the first half fell to Adam Mackie from a move that started with Costin and Masters on the left wing before being switched to Jamie on the right wing who beat his man and delivered a great, inviting cross which most thought Mackie was going to bury, but his header went harmlessly over the bar. There were other long range efforts from Masters, Costin and Thorogood, but none that overly troubled the keeper. As the half went on Bank had to work harder and harder just to stay in the game with Old Finchleans playing some good football. A pivotal moment was when Old Finchleans had a shot cleared off the line with heated debate as to whether it had crossed or not. With the referee only able to guess he could not possibly award the goal, much to the disgust of the Old Finchlean players.

5 minutes after the re-start Old Finchleans took the lead with a good finish from just inside the box going in off the post. Bank responded brilliantly and totally dominated the half with most of the rest of the game being played in the Old Finchleans half. On the hour Andrew Bromhead replaced a disappointed and upset Thorogood to make his debut. The big centre forward went straight up front with Mackie moving into midfield. From there on in Bank applied serious pressure and good chances came and went. After continuously looking dangerous from set pieces a vicious in swinging corner from Mackie was met with a thumping header from centre back Steve Carter to bulge the back of the net, keeper no chance. 1-1. With 20 mins left Bank had several chances to win it, but the best of them came from good hold up play from Bromhead on the left who waited for support, then turned and whipped in a teasing cross which Masters got on the end of. From point blank range and having been struck sweetly some of the Bank XI started to celebrate, but from nowhere the keeper got a hand on it and tipped over the bar. A Gordon Banks moment! A final score of 1-1 was probably fair based on the two halves, but having had much the better of the second Bank were disappointed not to claim all 3 points.

We head into the cup quarter final next week with a lot to look forward to and some good performances in the bag this season to take encouragement from.
Mark Costin

BoE 4s 3-1 Old Westminster Citizens 6s (S.Moloney 2, Townley-Jones)
After a strong start to the season our results in the last few weeks had been quite disappointing despite decent performances (even in last week’s gale-force wind disrupted farce). This was a big chance to get back to winning ways against an OWCs team who sat rock-bottom of the league. The team that turned up however, were not at all the worst we have faced this season. Fortunately the Bank hadn’t expected it to be plain sailing and every player showed the correct attitude to see us take the three points with a decent 3-1 win.

The first half saw us, as last week, fail to score as many as we should have done despite several decent chances being carved out. We looked really good going forward but weren’t as clinical as we could have been, going into half-time with a slender 1-0 lead thanks to Sam’s expert finish following a strong run and inch-perfect through-ball from Ben Hughes. Particularly slender as the OWCs player in the number 10 role was looking dangerous and had sporadically caused us problems throughout the first half. The half-time message echoed the theme in this paragraph; in the second half we had to keep plugging away and keep the concentration and discipline in defence.

But that concentration and discipline didn’t last too long as the lead was wiped out when, disappointingly, we didn’t keep track of our men from a corner leaving an OWC player to power a free header past Phil. The response though, was exactly what was required and no Bank players let their heads drop. We continued to pass the ball about and were quickly rewarded as Sam broke away on the left-side of the area drawing a fine save from the OWC ‘keeper but, unfortunately for him, the ball dropped into the path of the on-rushing Paul who calmly placed a neat finish into the back of the net to put us 2-1 up. Not long after we sealed the win as Sam got free in the area again and powered a clinical finish into the bottom corner. From then on it was a case of seeing the game out which we did with almost no problems; OWCs did have one outrageous effort from about 40 yards which Phil did really well to touch onto a post and help us avoid a nervous last five minutes.

All in all it was a really accomplished performance from the Bank. If we play like this each week we really should be looking towards being at the right end of the table come the end of the season.

Man of the Match - Phil Edmondson-Jones
A really strong performance from Phil on the left. Always looking to take on his man and get the ball into the box and some good work in tracking back and winning some big headers in midfield. Unlucky not to get on the end of a couple of balls into the box from the other side.
Ben Plant

Saturday 28th November 2009

BoE 4s vs. South Bank Cuaco 5s, 1-1 (Hennessey)
Despite a quality of performance not seen since we beat Old Salesians a few weeks back, we somehow came away from this game with a solitary point. We were up against decent opposition, with a tricky player upfront and some useful midfielders, but every player in the Bank team put in a performance. The passing was short, sharp and precise. At times we looked like we might over-run South Bank; the only criticism has to be that we fail to be incisive enough in front of goal. On the other hand it’s great to see us creating the opportunities that we are, and given time the goals are sure to come.

We looked good from the off and after a few half-chances we saw our first goal arrive as a fantastic pass from Ben Hughes saw Paddy in behind the defence to place a measured lob over the ‘keeper and into the back of the net. And with that all memories of his (almost impossible) outrageous headed miss were forgotten!! Bank continued to press for long periods of the first half but it came to nought. And frustratingly a bit of indecision at the back allowed South Bank a (not wholly deserved) equaliser. Ben Plant attempted to cut out a long ball on the edge of the area but failed to get much purchase on his header, seeing the ball skim off the top of his head toward the goal; Phil in goal probably should have cleared out the striker but some hesitation between him and Finn saw the South Bank player nip in unchallenged to place an easy header into the back of the net.

The second half was not much different to the first. Some good football from both sides and some great stuff from the Bank, but in the end we just couldn't find that second goal. The Bank were possibly denied a penalty when Paddy was chopped down in the box, but it wasn’t given. And then Mike Ramsey tried his best to bring South Bank into it when a wildly sliced clearance almost caught Phil off-guard, but his quick thinking saw him chest it down calmly and clear to safety. So a sense of disappointment at the final whistle, but if we can play like this each week there will be plenty more points to be garnered this season.

There were great performances throughout the team – the defence looked solid (apart from the one error leading to South Bank’s goal), the midfield worked tirelessly and showed some real class when passing the ball about and the strikers worked hard to find space, allowing us to play the passing game we did. Well done everyone who played – let’s just kill the game off next time!

Man of the Match - Ben Hughes
Finally got a starting place in centre-mid stepped up with a big performance, even bigger tackles and some excellent distribution including a cracking assist for the first goal.
Ben Plant

Saturday 12th December 2009

Bank 5s v Lloyds 9s 11-0 (Vassar (2), Vickers (2), Barrett (2), Cliffe, Muscatelli, Rehman, Cronin, Gibbs)
This match was always going to be easy as the opposition could only field seven players, making it a completely uneven contest. The Bank used the vast amounts of space at their disposal to play the ball around and probe the Lloyds defence, who were forced into an obsessive use of the offside trap. But obviously they couldn't hold out for very long, and Vickers and Vassar got two goals in the first half that sealed the tie. David Cliffe scored with a fine long-range effort, Barrett got on the scoresheet for the first time this season. The first half finished 5-0, the second followed the same pattern. Six more goals followed, including fine efforts from Vickers, Gibbs and Cronin, but it could have been a lot more, with the Bank hitting the woodwork a few times and missing some good chances, and Muscatelli missing a penalty. Vaqas Rehman made a confident debut in the second half completed by a fine goal. Rhys Darbin in the Bank goal spent a lonely afternoon in the cold watching on!
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 16th January 2010

Old Wilsonians 8s 3-5 Bank 5s
This game, recording our 5th victory of the season, and not before time, was notable for a number of reasons.

Firstly some robust defending from the back six. I say Six because I include our goalie, Rhys, and also Simon Gibbs who dropped back effortlessly (but obviously with loads of effort) for Alan Beattie who had to stop an outstanding performance through injury. Secondly the candour of the referee who at least told us beforehand that he might miss the odd offside decision. Well he certainly got that bit right. Hence the ‘3’ for Wilsonians’ score sheet.

To be fair we might have protected Rhys in goal for their first equaliser better, in what became a slightly ugly but arguably justifiable ground challenge on the keeper. Thirdly, our finishing which was top notch, and always warms the cockles of a tired defender’s heart when we see the ball being smacked into their net. Dan with a great hat-trick, Jack and James also with great strikes each. Even without two disallowed offside goals we also hit the bar and post. So fourthly, having been unjustly pegged back to 3-3, we didn’t do the usual Bank thing and sack it. We stuck at it and scored those two precious goals in the last 10 minutes

And lastly to round off the day, the Fives won a bottle of blackcurrant schnapps in the raffle, which we took round on a tray of shot glasses to the Oppo. When was the last time anyone did that? It used to be the custom to offer the other team some sort of drink after the match?

Anyway 5-3 in the cold and wet, and against the odds, was a great result which seems to amaze every team we play against, and sometimes we surprise ourselves!Let’s keep it going.

Man of the Match - Phil Barrett

Raoul DeBunsen

Saturday 23rd January 2010

BoE 4s 1-7 Polytechnic 8s
A bit of a drubbing this weekend, losing 7-1 to top-of-the-table Poly 8s. It was closer than it looks, especially for the first 15 minutes of the second half, but Poly hit us consistently on the counter-attack as we tried to get back into it. Best moment of the match was Mike McLennon's screamer which is currently miles ahead in the goal of the season stakes.
Ben Plant

Saturday 30th January 2010

IBIS 3s 1 - 3 Bank of England 3s
Like Andy Murray's grand slam record the 3's looked doomed. Jerry was away and Adam Mackie was put in charge and with Stu WJ a 4-5-1 formation was decided it was best for the team. Pre match talk was about support for each other, belief and fighting for every ball and thats exactly what every member of the team did. Spirits were raised when we heard Ad's ring tone and everyone felt pretty good about themselves.

The game was even for the first 15 minutes until a Bank corner floated in by Adam fell to Joa outside the box whose long shot fell to the feet of Stu Wren-Jarvis to turn and slot past the keeper, 1-0. The first half was very tight but Bank were playing some great football with the defence looking very solid and the midfield working tirelessly to support the lone striker whilst also not forgetting their defensive responsabilities. Few chances came to either team for the rest of the half and Bank went in with a deserved lead, IBIS had failed to cope with the 5 man midfield and had resorted to the long ball which was being cleared everytime it came near the Bank box, testiment to the defence.

The second half started with IBIS trying to press but 10 minutes into the second half Paddy produced a great run down the left wing from just after the half way line which saw him cut inside and cooly slot the ball past the keeper at the near post, 2-0. With Bank's confidence high we were looking to counter attack and the wingers, Matt and Paddy, were pressing high up the pitch and forcing the defence into many mistakes. IBIS heads dropped but the IBIS keeper was having a great game making several vital saves most notiably a double save from Stu Masters whilst Peter Blood at the other end had very little to do. With 20 minutes to go a Matt Brooke-Smith looped cross came from the right, the goalie was clear favourite to win but a strong challenge from Stu Wren-Jarvis saw the keeper flap at it and was turned in by Stu, 3-0 and very much deserved. Bank had several chances to add to the lead with Stu Masters, Joa, Adam, Stu WJ, Paddy and Matt all having chances to add to the tally but the keeper had refound his form. Then with the last kick of the game IBIS pulled one back but was far too late.

Special mention must go to Roger De Bunsen who never lost a single header or tackle at the back, he was the rock Bank needed. Having said that Simon, Luke and Jamie were just as commited at the back. Also Adam produced a fantastic captains' performance and lead with a huge effort that clearly made a difference. A fantastic performance that can only bode well for next week.
Stuart Wren-Jarvis

BoE 4s 0-0 Old Wilsonians 7
The Brook pitch is not coping well with the weather and contributed heavily to this match not being terribly easy on the eye. Passing through the middle was not a viable option so both teams were left to try and exploit any grass they could find out on the wings. Neither did this particularly effectively and we played out one of the drabber games of the season with Don Thomson's lack of punctuality leaving him as the most disappointed man on the day with the kit in need of an industrial washing.

There was no lack of effort but trying to play football in a swamp will not work. Saying that, Charlie Best nearly stole all three points at the death when he ran all the way from the half-way line only narrowly missing the far post with a crisp drive having been released by a nice bit of play from Chris Lewis.
A point's a point though and it was good not to lose another game in rubbish conditions.
Ben Plant

Saturday 6th February 2010

Old Lyonians 3s 1-5 BoE 3s
Despite the long trip to deepest darkest Harrow and a few last minute squad changes, the 3rd XI were determined to build on last week’s well deserved victory. With this in mind stand in skipper Adam had the players equipped to stick to the same 4-5-1 formation, and for the first time in a very long time there was an air of expectancy around the Bank changing room that the 3 points were there for the taking.

The game started with Old Lyonians very much the team on top for the first 10mins. With Bank struggling to get used to what can best be described as a very poor pitch and failing to convert the best opening chances of the match (mainly yours truly from a dangerous long throw in from Woody), before Old Lyonians took the early lead. It took this early deficit to wake Bank up and use their 5 man mid-field to start to get a grip on the game. With the tide of the first half changing it was evident that use of the Banks danger men on the wings Driver and Paddy were to be our greatest weapons on the day, and sure enough similar to last week Paddy was able to beat his marker for pace and get himself into the box before coolly finishing. Just before going in 1-1 at half time Bank were starting to enjoy the free-flowing attacking football that would dominate the 2nd half.

After a first half that took about 15mins for Bank really to get involved in the match before comfortably dominating, the skipper’s half time talk was about pushing Driver and Paddy further up the field and raising every ones work rate to that of last weeks. Jerry was replaced by Simon Walls as he headed straight off to Cardiff to roll around in the mud and drink beer with another group of lads for the rest of the weekend.

Again Old Lyonians started the half the livelier of the two teams, but this time it didn’t take long for Bank to get on top and dominate. From the back Peter Blood in goal had little to do as two very assured and solid performances from Rog and Tom Brooke Smith not only dealt with everything that was thrown at them, but the whole back four were very comfortable on the ball and we started many an attack via the defence with their distribution. The centre mid-field 3 of Woody, Masters and Mackie worked effortlessly all match to contain their midfield and provide the support and creativity going forward. Linking up well all game Woody and Mackie will feel aggrieved not to have got on the score sheet having both had a few chances, but it was Masters who took the glory for the three men’s hard work, finishing a well worked move down the right between Mackie and Driver that made it 3-1 at the time.

Out wide on both flanks Paddy and Driver were causing the biggest problems for Old Lyonians. With both men working selflessly in defence when needed, going forward the opposition couldn’t handle their pace and both men attacked the Old Lyonian box with purpose and confidence. With Paddy already on the score sheet, Driver proved to go one better with the move and goal of the match. Picking the ball up wide on the right touch line it was the Ronnie Driver of old as he effortlessly dribbled his way down the flank past opposition players then cutting inside the box to take on a further two Old Lyonian defenders before cutely finishing past the keeper into the side netting. This made it 4-1 to Bank at the time and we were cruising. The other two goals, one of which the sharper of you will notice has been skipped in sequence, were the result of the final piece of the puzzle, our lone striker SWJ. Another outstanding display up front from the big man who caused nothing but hassle all game for the Old Lyonian defence, as well as always providing the mid-field with a target he too effortlessly worked hard to put the opposition under pressure from the front. Calling for a positive attitude from the bank players throughout the match he rightfully deserved his two goals, both striker esc’ scrappy finishes from within the 6 yards and he was unlucky not to get his hat-trick before the final whistle as the oppositions young keeper dropped the ball from a corner with SWJ finishing, only for the ref to give in favour of the home team. At this stage, 5-1 up and cruising, Bank didn’t care as we saw the game out for another well deserved victory.

Man of the match: hard to pick, but Ronnie Driver just about stood out for me and his goal alone deserved it.

Plonker(s) of the match: Myself and SWJ. Stu – first half when you swung with your left inside their box and missed completely before hitting the deck, straight out of ‘you’ve been framed’. Me – trying to perform the slowest nut-meg in the history of football on the edge of their box. With the ball never in any danger of going through the players legs, my own team mates laughed at me.

Special mention to Peter and Simon for both playing well with injuries

After two games in charge and two rare victories to boot, it is evident to me that this was not just down to a new formation (although we should blatantly stick with it!). The communication on the field between each other has been excellent and the work rate to close the opposition down and put them under pressure superb. What’s made t more enjoyable has been some of the football going forward has been truly top class. Let’s keep it up everyone, for once with a winning team everyone should be feeling competition for places.

p.s. Can everyone bring their ‘Team Jerry’ t-shirts for next weeks game as a sign of support for the returning skip. I don’t need to go into it here but the past couple of weeks have been an embarrassment and emotional strain on the poor fella’.
Adam Mackie

Saturday 13th February 2010

BoE 5s 2-1 South Bank 7s (Vassar, Hunnable)
In the league fixture at South Bank earlier in the season the 5s had been beaten in a very high-scoring game featuring thirteen goals (!) so we knew that the opposition defence was vulnerable but also that a much tighter performance in defence was needed. And this was indeed the case, with David Cliffe and Andrew Hart providing cool heads and solidity, the Bank defence provided an excellent display. But going forward, things were also much improved on the past two weeks. The Bank, at last, started a match very strongly, dominated possession and creating a few chances thanks to the interplay between the midfielders and the front pairing of Barrett and Lancaster. The break-through came with a typical run from Dan Vassar through the opposition defence, but the Bank could and should have had more.

In the second half Hunnable replaced the injured Rehman, and provided some extra drive on the left side. South Bank did get a few openings, though, and taking advantage of a few minutes of confusion due to an injury at the back, found an equaliser. The 5s had to do it all over again, and after missing a good chance, Andrew Hunnable turned in a low cross from Vassar at the back post to make it 2-1. After that the Bank defence held firm, and indeed went close to scoring a third, but the three points were secured.
Alex Muscatelli

Saturday 20th February 2010

BoE 4s 1-4 Old Wilsonians 6s
Another disappointing defeat at the weekend, this time 4-1. Despite playing some good football, really good at times, and creating a decent amount of chances we conceded three terrible goals and one excusable header at a corner since their striker was around 6'5''. Our consolation goal saw Mike Mclennon continuing to build his portfolio of goal of the season candidates with a vicious strike from the edge of the area which pinged in off the far post. We now sit third from bottom in the table and have to start picking up points if we're going to avoid relegation.
Ben Plant

Saturday 6th March 2010

BoE 3s 7-1 Old Lyonians 3s
Having previously this season taken all three points away to Old Lyonians emphatically with a 5-1 win, Bank went in to this home fixture confident of a repeat performance. And like the mighty Newcastle United this weekend, Bank did not disappoint ...

With selection a bit of nightmare this week the Bank starting eleven lined up with a mixture of new faces drafted in and several key players starting out of position. But with a first half display that saw Bank convincingly put this match well beyond Old Lyonians by the half way mark, any one would have been forgiven for thinking this team had grown up playing together. The match started at quite a fast pace with both teams eager to draw the first blood. The dead lock was broken by Joao’s solid header from a Mackie corner, only for minutes later Old Lyonians to equalise with what would prove to be their only threat of the match. This proved to be the catalyst for what was a scintillating display of football by Bank for the remaining 30mins of the first half.

Another deadly Mackie set piece was converted by Driver, 2-1. Ian, who more than deserved a goal for his performance in the middle, finished a flowing Bank counter attack involving himself and Driver, 3-1. Stand in right-back Paul provided arguably the goal of match, picking up the ball deep he penetrated the oppositions half rounding a couple of players before beating the keeper from 25yrds with a ‘beauty’ of a finish, 4-1. Mackie provided one of the slowest finishes know to man as his unmarked cross field run in to the box finished another deadly midfield move, 5-1. Lone striker SWJ proved a handful for the opposition all day again and was able to provide the finish when Ian’s pass beat the off-side trap and set the striker free on goal, 6-1. Ronnie capped this brilliant first half display with his well deserved 2nd of the match, 7-1.

7-1 up at half time this was a Bank side full of smiles and confidence. The half time talk from the skipper for the day outlined that Banks main aim for the second half was to keep a clean sheet under the presumption that the goals would keep flowing at the other end. To Old Lyonians credit they came out in the second half a completely different team and began keeping the ball a lot better as well putting Bank under pressure for sustained periods. They still lacked the final ball in the Bank final third, and Steve still had very little to do in Goal. Bank themselves wasted the best chances of the second half with Paddy going close a couple of times after being pushed further up field to try and ease the pressure from the opposition.

With no goals in the second half, Bank left the victors with a score of 7-1. We kept our clean sheet for the second half as we set out to and despite the score line Bank were made to feel like they fought for it more after a completely different second half. Everyone knows the score line could have easily have been double given the amount of missed chances throughout the game.

It’s hard to pick out individuals when the whole team played so well, but special mention goes to the back four. Full backs Paul and Paddy were both playing out of position and had exceptional games defensively and offensively, and the reliable Rog allied with 4’s skip Ben to put on a faultless display at the back. Also, special mention goes to SWJ. Despite going over his knee early on in the first half Stu carried on for the rest of the match unfit and provided his usual menacing performance up top.

Man of the match: Ian in centre mid – absolutely bossed them in the first half.

Plonker of the match: SWJ – bright white boots mate, why?
Adam Mackie

Tuesday 20th April 2010

BoE 4s 3-2 Kew 7s
We played on a massive pitch. Good turnout, esp. some old faces. Started ok, but conceded a poor goal. Nice passing movement then Sam M scored a peach from outside the box. Half time, then Sam did the same again. Looking really good then a JCD/PP mix up gave them a goal again. Tony Mitchell bundled one home and headed off to the corner flag with his shirt over his head. Lots of good performances all round.
Simon Walls

Wednesday 28th April 2010

BoE 5s 1-3 Old Wilsonians 9s
The final game of the 5s season was a midweek encounter with a 6pm kick-off against Wilsons. Despite the unusual kick-off everyone arrived on time apart from Dan who had told us he would only be able to make the second half. However it appeared the Bank were only there in body but not mind as we switched off totally for the first 15 minutes and found ourselves 2-0 down. To be fair to Wilsons they took their goals well but the defending was very static. From that point forward the Bank were on top for the rest of the first half but could not find a breakthrough despite the efforts of our Italian front pairing.

The half time chat was all about how we just needed to keep on playing the same way. Fresh impetus was also injected in to the side with the late arriving Dan coming on for the start of the second half and immediately causing Wilsons problems with his raids down the wing. Unbelievably Wilsons then scored again on the break leaving the Bank 3-0 down. However our head did not go down and we kept battling and were rewarded when a superb cross from Dan was converted by Moss at the far post. An action replay of the goal almost followed straight after but Moss failed to shout to claim the ball and the chance and the game was lost.

So we adjourned to the bar to watch the Barca-Inter match which skipper Alex had a very keen interest in. Anyone who has seen Alex on the sideline of a 5s match would not be surprised by the intensity and Italian style gesticulations with which Alex watched the game. The post match analysis of our match was that we had done well but just not quite had enough of a cutting edge. Looking back on the match and the season as a whole everyone can be proud of their efforts which will be rightly celebrated at the Annual Dinner in a couple of weeks.
Andy Moss