Maple Old Boys 2 - 1 Current Maple Squad A friendly match played on the evening of Tuesday 6th May 2008 at the Bromsgrove Rovers FC stadium (The Victoria Ground).The idea of staging this friendly game was a small gesture to say thank you to some of our former players for their past contributions in helping make Maple Leaf Rovers Football Club what it is today - and also for everyone to meet up again, have some banter, and have the experience of playing a match at a proper football stadium.
Bromsgrove Rovers FC kindly gave us the full use of their stadium - ie, the changing rooms, dugouts, stands, and the club bar post-match.
Teams: (with Roll-on/roll-off substitutions.)
Maple Old Boys:- (blue shirts, blue shorts, blue socks)
Mike Kain
Paul Milsom
Chris Shingles (captain)
Phil Terry
Jason Sadler (player/manager)
Pete 'Wicksey' Parks
Matty Hillyer
Phil Varley
James Checketts
Nick Glover
Adrian Lewis
Chris Brinton
Gary Millership
Ian Willetts
Adam Chester
Current Maple Squad:- (white/red shirts, red shorts, red socks)
Nathan Bull
Jon Gater
Simon Mole
Ste Asante-Boakye
Mark Kirby
Adam Phipps
Dean Lycett
Iain Mitchell (captain)
Ollie Ansell
Duncan Burns
Ben Woodall
Paul Homer (player/manager)
Rob Campbell
Jon Rudge
Bob Gibbons
Goals: own goal (Milsom), Checketts, Willetts.
Maple Old Boys Man Of The Match: Millership.
Current Maple Squad Man Of The Match: Burns.
Cautioned: Shingles, Burns.
Thanks To: Bromsgrove Rovers Football Club, Steve Daniels (BRFC contact), the referee and linesmen, everyone who came to watch the game, Paul Homer for managing the Current Maple Squad & more, Rob Campbell for organising the referees and linesmen & more, Ollie and Shingo (Old Boys Captain) for helping get contact info for players past and present, and 'finally' and most importantly to the players who not only played this game - but to EVERYONE who has ever supported, watched, been the wife/partner/girlfriend/loved one/family of the players, helped organise events & other stuff, given lifts to & from, donated time and effort to, sponsored, managed, and played for Maple Leaf Rovers Football Club.
Thanks also go to Meriden Athletic Football Club for providing the Maple Old Boys with a kit to play this match in, as well as to Chris Brinton for standing in to play for the Maple Old Boys at the last minute
Match Report:- 'For the purpose of this match report the Current Maple Squad will be called the 'Youngsters', and the Maple Old Boys we be called the 'Old Boys'
A dry sunny day on a rock hard pitch probably weren't the ideal conditions for the Old Boys - especially with only 5 of the 14-man squad still playing regular football, and both Maple squads being hit by last minute withdrawals due to injury and also the hastily re-arranged date after the original playing date of a week earlier was postponed due to 'a waterlogged pitch'. However, it was hoped that age and experience would make up for any lack of fitness and that some of the Old Boys had not played along side each other before.
The first few minutes of the game showed a few rusty moments from the Old Boys - as well as showing just how hard the pitch was the matchball frequently popping up at unfortunate moments for both sides. The Youngsters settled into the game the quicker, and began to open up space and possession in and around the opposition half. A couple of early probing crosses proved initially tricky to deal with for the Old Boys, and a succession of corners and throw-ins were conceded.
The Old Boys seemed to have weathered the initial storm, and even started to create a few half chances at the other end of the pitch, when on a Youngsters attack saw Woodall's high cross to the near post turned by the unfortunate Milsom for an own goal. 1-0 to the Youngsters.
Immediately the Old Boys responded at the other end with Chester skipping past 2 defenders, feinting to shoot, skipping past another 2 defenders before hitting an unstoppable shot onto the crossbar and then out to safety. Lewis and Millership were working the ball well out wide and could have had a penalty after Millership was felled in the box - which wasn't seen by the referee. Again, the Old Boys went close with good early switches of play (nicely done by Wicks, Varley and Shing) finding their midfielders arriving late in the box on a couple of occasions with the shot going narrowly wide or being saved well by Youngster goalie Bull.
The Youngsters then had a solid spell of possession which saw gk Kain make a superb low reflex save, and then coming to calmly collect several crosses pumped into the Old Boys penalty area shortly after.
At this point the Old Boys managed to scramble an equaliser - a set piece into the Youngster penalty area resulted in the ball not being cleared, before Checketts popped up to follow up on a saved shot to smash the ball in past the helpless Bull. 1-1.
Shortly before half-time both sides had decent spells of possession with the Old Boys again testing gk Bull, and the Youngsters starting to pile on the pressure with a succession of throughballs and crosses. Though overall, at half-time it would have been difficult for any of the watching neutral supporters to have known just who exactly the team were that played every week, and who were the cobbled together team...
The 2nd half saw the Youngsters kick off and attack down the slope. Some quality interceptions from the Old Boys defence smother any Youngsters impetus after their half-time teamtalk, with Terry and Milsom sniffing out any danger. The dogged Glover, the tireless Checketts and classy Brinton were providing a solid base in front of the defence - forcing the youngsters to play wide so that their numerical advantage in centre-midfield would not come to any fruition.
Again, selfless work from Chester, Willetts and Millership not only gave the defence a much needed break - but also created chances for themselves and put pressure on the Youngsters' defence - aided by Varley and Lewis who were both getting into attacking positions with ease.
However, as the 2nd half wore on the superior fitness levels of the Youngsters began to take hold and the Old Boys were pushed back into their own half, and were then forced to defend their 18 yard box from onwards of 60minutes - with the occasional counter-attack, probing run or set-piece providing the Old Boys defence and midfield with a rest, and just giving the youngsters a reminder of the quality in the aged-side's forward line.
On 65 minutes Campbell broke free on goal 1-on-1 for the 1st and only time in the game - however gk Kain outfoxed him and bravely smothered the ball at his feet. More corners and throw-ins were putting pressure on the Old Boys goal - however determined last-ditch defending - together with some opportunistic shooting from the Youngsters was keeping the score at 1-1.
As the minutes ticked by the Old Boys team were visibly tiring, and the Youngsters were now dictating possession through Mitchell, Ansell and Burns. Again, more crosses were collected by gk Kain or cleared by the defence, and shots were starting to rein in - though often off-target - from 20 yards out. Only the odd attack and hard work of the Old Boys forward line kept the youngsters from piling everyone forward in search of winning goal...
Again, more crosses from Woodall and Phipps out wide, and shots from Ansell, Bull and Rudge reined in on gk Kain's goal - yet many of flew over or wide, or were tame and easily saved. Kirby then missed a great headed chance from a corner - just failing to get his head over the ball as it ended up sailing over the bar.
With just minutes remaining, and a penalty shoot-out looking on the cards to decide the game, a superb piece of skill out side from Chester saw him win a freekick, and from Lewis' superb flighted cross Willetts lost his marker to head in at the near post to give the Old Boys the lead. 2-1.
The Youngsters then threw everyone forward in search of an equaliser, with even manager Homer coming on to give width and passing momentum, yet it was not enough as the final Youngsters' pass or rushed shot went astray - coupled with some dogged defending and hard work from some very aching limbs to give the Maple Old Boys an unlikely, yet deserved victory.
2-1 the final score.'
Photographs:-
^ Back Row (L to R): Ian Willetts, Pete Parkes, Mike Kain, Adam Chester, James Checketts, Matt Hillyer, Jon Gater, John Rudge, Ben Woodall, Nathan Bull, Chris Shingles, Jason Sadler, Iain Mitchell, Ollie Ansell, Rob Campbell, Duncan Burns, Adrian Lewis. Asst. Ref 1, Asst. Ref 2.
^ Front Row (L to R): Chris Brinton, Phil Varley, Mark Kirby, Paul Milsom, Nick Glover, Phil Terry, Gary Millership, Dean Lycett, Simon Mole, Bob Gibbons, Paul Homer, Ste Asante-Boakye, Adam Phipps. The Referee.
^ 2am in the morning and still waiting for Andres to work out the camera
^ retouched picture from above photo 1
^ retouched picture from above photo 2
^ Back Row (L to R): Ian Willetts, Pete Parkes, Mike Kain, Adam Chester, James Checketts, Matt Hillyer, Jon Gater, John Rudge, Ben Woodall, Nathan Bull, Chris Shingles, Jason Sadler, Iain Mitchell, Ollie Ansell, Rob Campbell, Duncan Burns, Adrian Lewis. Asst. Ref 1, Asst. Ref 2.
^ Front Row (L to R): Chris Brinton, Phil Varley, Mark Kirby, Paul Milsom, Nick Glover, Phil Terry, Gary Millership, Dean Lycett, Simon Mole, Bob Gibbons, Paul Homer, Ste Asante-Boakye, Adam Phipps. The Referee.
^ Milsom and Ade seem unimpressed with Mitchell's sudden transformation into Liza Minelli's ex-husband David Guest
^ Matty Hillyer putting in a shift
^ Maple Old Boys Assistant manager Andres is confident of victory - and of scaring away small children
^ another Current Maple Squad attack is repelled
^ the Maple Old Boys defence holding firm (yet again)
^ another Maple Old Boys counter-attack (see Kirby and his 'tennis-elbow'
)
^ the Current Maple Squad start to break down the Old Boys midfield...
^ Moley moving so quick the camera can't catch him
^ a dangerous Old Boys set-piece....
^ Rob takes a breather after more solid Old Boys defending
^ Mole & Ollie try to get to grips with Adam...
Maple Leaf Rovers FC hopes this will not be the last time a 'Current Maple Leaf Squad vs Maple Old Boys' friendly match takes place...
...The Maple Old Boys will return...Please feel free to add your own thoughts / views / comments / questions / banter / bragging rights etc below...
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