Oatlands went into this weekend’s game on the back of a great fightback against AFC Gomshall and despite the fact that AFC Hersham are flying high up the league, we certainly felt that if we put in a good performance, we should be able to take something out of this fixture.

For Baynezy, injury has probably ruled any chance of player of the year, top scorer or any of the main end of season accolades, so instead our colourful right sided midfielder has clearly set his sights on the Dave Ewan fairy award and pulled out the team for the second week in a row prior to kick off, this time citing food poisoning as the reason.

We were forced into a number of changes prior to the game and with a few senior players not available this week such as Sam, Ross and Sonny, Oatlands probably fielded the youngest team in their history. Our team included 6 teenagers in the starting line up four of whom are still 17. It was only veteran Chris Harper’s 34 years that edged the average age of the starting eleven to over 22.

This week’s team; Harps in goal. Tom, Fraz, Furno and Mike at the back. Clarkey, Joe, Butterz and Gravy in midfield. Jim and Jiz up front. On the bench Pete Hallam, Pod and Andy.

Good starts are always what we hope for, but rarely what we get. But this week we seemed to be carrying a bit of momentum from the previous game and actually made a decent start.

It was after about 5 minutes that the first chance came; some trickery from Butler who had manoeuvred himself into the right hand corner of the pitch bought enough time to whip in a superb cross that flashed across the 6 yard box. Had Jiz made any sort of connection with his head it would have been 1-0.

Throughout the opening 10 minutes we did everything right. We were industrious, first to the ball and passed it nicely. It would be fair to say that Oatlands made easily the better start to the game.

It was probably about 15 minutes in when the referee made one of a couple of rather bizarre decisions. We had a put a bit of pressure on the AFC box and the ball was subsequently cleared out. I can’t remember which OFC player it was, but the ball was then drilled low and hard back into the area where Fraz was waiting. Fraz could have scored but the keeper made a brilliant save to deny him. We should have a corner, but the ref dubiously overruled the AFC linesman (also a GWA referee) and frustratingly gave an offside.

We took the lead on 20 minutes. It was again Butler who was causing trouble. This time Oatlands central midfielder had worked his way into the left hand corner of the pitch was again twisting and turning to try and find a bit of space in which to cross. Again Pete managed to find a yard of space and crossed it in with his left foot. This time Jiz got it all right and after making a diagonal run across the 6 yard box to the near post, his glanced header beat the keeper and OFC took a 1-0 lead.

During the next 10 minutes we continued to play well when in possession and while the ball was mainly stuck in the midfield area, we looked particularly dangerous when breaking out from the back. Our good play was interspersed with a few nervy moments. Chris Harper who was forced to take the gloves this week from Sam had a couple of nervy moments in the sticks forcing the inevitable call of “sorry..” and AFC were desperately unlucky not to do better with a great free kick that came off the woodwork.

On half an hour OFC doubled the lead. This time it was from a corner. It wasn’t one of Pete’s best deliveries, but even Furno couldn’t miss from a yard to score his first goal of the season. 2-0 Oatlands.

Heading towards half time there was little to criticize from an OFC point of view; we were solid at the back industrious in midfield and lively up front. In fact we might have increased the lead further had Jiz managed to get a head on another nailed on opportunity, which came from a great Jim Beckram cross.

At half time Phil was pleased with the way that OFC had played, it wasn’t quite at the same level as the performance in the second half against Gomshall, but there were plenty of positives to be taken and more of the same in the second half would give us a fighting chance of remaining in the chase for promotion.

Prior to the start of the second half it was obvious that AFC had changed things around and would be coming out all guns blazing in order to haul themselves back in to the game and subsequently back in to the title chase.

Almost immediately after the second half started the game was a much more even affair. The first half had belonged to us and it was clear that our opponents were out to make sure that the second half belonged to them. In the first half it was OFC making the nice little triangles, but in the second half our opponents found an extra dimension to their game and began passing it crisply to leave us chasing the shadows and out of shape. Their no.8 had taken the responsibility of leading the AFC charge and was now running the game from midfield.

Despite doing a lot of ball chasing the net result of AFC’s efforts in the opening 10 minutes of the second half were some nice crosses into the box which Harps cleared very competently with his fist. However that was all about to change.

On 55 minutes a ball was played from central midfield area and into the gap between our full backs. For a split second Mike and Furno exchanged glances with each other before deciding who was going to go for it, but that was all their bright no.10 needed and he was onto the ball in a flash, between our centre backs and left with just Harps to beat. He finished well and low and to Harps left hand side 2-1.

I was in the process of checking the time of the goal and writing a description of what happened when a crescendo of high pitched shrieks from the army of AFC Hersham supporters on the other side of the pitch told me I needed to look up because no.10 was through on goal again. In a goal that was almost identical to the first all the hard work of the first half had been undone in 30 seconds in the second half.

Having seized 2 goals in the blink of an eye, AFC Hersham were now in the ascendancy and controlling the game.

From our perspective there were a few problems creeping in. While our backline were doing a pretty good job of defending the edge of the box, there was little now little protection coming from the midfield. The trouble seemed to be that as result of Pete and Stew doubling up all over the pitch to help out, there was no OFC presence in the centre of the pitch either when we did have the ball or when it fell loose. With Ross away and Mike Taylor already deployed in central defence there was no-one with the experience to add an extra bit of steel to and additional leadership to our midfield and we were just going to have to dig in deep.

For the next 20 minutes we defended quite well dug deep but it was with 15 minutes left and at a time when we were beginning to make a bit more headway that we pulled the gun out and pointed it at our foot and pulled the trigger. AFC Hersham won a throw deep in our half and in what should have been a simple situation to defend, we all looked at each other while the ball bounced all the way across the box to the back post where an AFC player was waiting and had the simple task of heading in from 3 yards. 3-2 AFC.

At 3-2 down we made some changes to present more of an attacking threat. Pod and Pete Hallam came on and Clarky and Jiz left the pitch.

We made a decent fight of it in the last 10 minutes, but the spark of the first half was clearly gone. A bad second half was further compounded when a seemingly harmless ball popped out of midfield and bounced toward the edge of our box. To be fair the ball was in what would be described as the “corridor of uncertainty” in cricket and there was again a slight moment of uncertainty between keeper and defence. There was no hesitation from AFC’s no.10 and he was there first to punish our errors. 4-2 and game over.

The game pretty much summed up our season so far. It was one in which we were great in one half and poor in the other and you only have to look at the 14 games that have passed so far to see that in some games we have been great and others simply not good enough.

We can take some positives from the game. In the first half, an extremely young starting 11 played exceptionally well and maybe if we had taken some of the clear cut chances that fell our way, we might have ended the game before half time. Sadly though, it was probably a lack of experience that contributed towards the second half decline and on another day we would have been able to probably call on a bit more experience or have had the players available to switch things round.

In terms of OFC man of the match, this week it went to Tom Pryce at right back. Again another young player and although it was only his 3 rd game in adult football, he showed a great touch and self belief and looks like a superb addition to the team.

It would be an injustice to AFC Hersham to say that the events of the second half were mainly our fault; after being outplayed in the first half, they came out in the second half and played superbly well. Their no.8 dominated midfield and their number 10 took everything that came his way and in the end they were the worthy winners. AFC Hersham were also very well supported and a sporting team to play against. We look forward to returning to our old home at Whitely Village for the rematch where hopefully we can make it a bit closer.

As for us, mathematically we are probably still in the hunt for promotion but it will now take a phenomenal run against some tough teams to get there, but with a bit more consistency there may still be some hope.

Next up Lightwater at their place. We usually draw at Lightwater, but after another failure to score 3 points, a win next week is imperative.

Thanks to all those that came down to support the lads.