Sportspy Reports – Sunday February 7th 2010

Link to Berry's Beds – Blackpool

Link to J&S Body Repairs

Berry's Beds FC are officially a new side in the BFSFA this season but they're sprinkled (literally) with a few old faces who have plied their trade across the lower Divisions with the old Brun Grove FC for many seasons.  This morning the club were down in ninth place.  At the half way mark of the season they've won three and drawn four of their opening twelve fixtures.  The three wins came aginst Lane Ends FC and FC Newton (Twice).  They've rarely taken a hammering and generally, they've given a good acount of themselves against the better teams as they've picked up draws against Number Four Celtic FC (Twice), Teamsport 90 and the Falcon.  In the Gledhill Cup and Divisional Cup they exited both in the opening round to today's opponents.

Last season J&S Body Repairs FC finished eleventh in Division 3B but re-structuring saw them elevated into Division 3A.  They're currently struggling down in twelfth spot a point ahead of bottom club Lane Ends FC although they do have games in hand on many of their rivals in the bottom half of the table.  They've only won one and drawn two of their first eleven games.  Their single league win came against Lane Ends back in mid August.  In the Gledhill first round they beat Berry's Beds after extra time before crashing out to Spindles in Round 2.  In the Divisional Cup 1st Round they again beat Berry's beds but last week went out to 3A rivals AFC Ansdell Excelsior.  Both of these teams were meeting in the league for he first time this season.

Early doors the sky was blue but shortly after 8am the fog rolled in.  At kick off time it was thankfully clear once again. Today's match official was Trevor Eagle and at 11am and with Stanley Park beginning to fill up with visitors we we were underway with Berry's kicking off defending the Sports Centre end.

Berry's Beds FC 2009/10

J&S Body Repairs FC 2009/10

Referee Trevor Eagle with the two Captains

'Ready keeper?'   The big clock says it's 11 o'clock and we're underway

Dagger

Berry's centre half Paul Drinnan making his 1,014th appearance in Fylde Coast Sunday football this morning – surely he's the all time record holder?

The mist still lingers at Stanley Park

Winter football in the park

Watched it safely over

'Sumo' – Testing the elasticity of those shorts to the MAX!

Mr Eagle has a word in the ear of Dagger (Has anybody ever seen his ears?)

On seventeen minutes Berry's took the lead.  A through ball wasn't dealt with by the centre half, Karl Holmes took it on and fired it past J&S keeper Luke Rogers.  1-0

Gutted

Ecstatic

Stuart McPhee

Tough tackling Jamie Ayre is pulled up by Mr Eagle.  'You're joking ref'

'No I'm not' – free kick……………get back

More unpleasantness

Goal kick from one end

………………….and then from the other

A lucky escape for J&S as the ball flashes across the goal mouth and out to safety

Half time score :  Berry's Beds FC 1 – 0 J&S Auto Body Repairs FC

Berry's fan Katie out watching the team

Karl Holmes (Left)

Holmes is far from happy with Daryl Burgess

Yellow card for Holmes

Head to head.  This time it's a RED as Mr Eagle dismisses a J&S player for……..well, let's just say dissent

On 55 minutes ten men J&S were 2-0 behind.  Good link up play between strike partners McPhee and Holmes led to the latter shooting past Rogers.  2-0

Danny Cowell (Left)

54 year old player manager Wai Hon Tsang comes on for the Bed's

That's one 'Body Repair' required that even the sponsor wouldn't be able to manage

Referee Mr Eagle

Another young Berry's Beds FC substitute prepares to enter the fray

Chris Brook in goals for Berry's

J&S go close but it's hoofed clear.

But on 88 minutes McPhee lobs the onrushing J&S keeper to seal the points.  3-0

……….and into injury time J&S's misery is complete as Holmes notched his hat-trick.  J&S unlucky as referee Eagle missed a foul in the build up.  4-0

The whistle goes and Berry's Beds FC get their 4th win of the season

Final score :  Berry's Beds FC 4 – 0 J&S Auto Body Repairs FC

This Division 3A game wasn't the best match I've seen this season by a long way.  For long periods it was unnecessarily bad tempered with neither team allowing referee Eagle time to sort out problems before trying to take retribution themselves.  If you get fouled at least give the referee five seconds to give it before remonstrating with your opponent.  Mr Eagle did well to only show the few cards he did. 

A hard working performance from Berry's Beds FC who don't win many.  A solid performance in goal by Brook provided the backbone to a good team performance.  McPhee never stops running up front and Holmes took his chances well.  Dagger and Ayre in the middle of the park do most of the ball winning and this allows the more mature members of the squad to get their weekly fix of Sunday football.  A decent win that in part makes up for the two Cup defeats.

The scoreline was rather harsh on J&S who conceded two goals in the dying minutes.  Going down to ten men at only 1-0 down didn't help either.  To be fair they have a one or two very good players, especially Burgess and Cowell who would get a game with many Division 1 side not only for their skill but for the 100% effort they put in.  They have a decent sized squad and a little more tinkering with the formation they might get better results.  Burgess is wasted in the back four and really needs to be centre mid as they lack a good distributor in my humble opinion.  Good honest Sunday football in the lower Divisions.  Hopefully, both sides can finish as near to mid table as their talents deserve.

'1,014 Sunday mornings putting up with all that goes with it.' Veteran Paul Drinnan needs his head examined.

Sportspy 2009/10

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