MATCH REPORT: SPORTING HACKNEY VETS 1-2 OLD BARKABBEYANS
20/10/2018
A Jeff Badu first half strike wasn't enough to see the Parrots through in the cup following poor second half showing by the Parrots.
It was cup duty this week at the Marshes for Sporting Hackney Vets. With the visitors and the Parrots both unbeaten in the league so far this season the first half began at a predictably high tempo as the teams tried to assert themselves.
A bullish Player-Manager, Jamie Duff, was proud of the team. He said, "the lads are very disappointed not to be in the third round of the cup. I thought their attitude today was brilliant against a good team. Our preparations were great, I looked every one of them in the eye and said I wanted every one of them to be a Red Kite when they cross that white line. The Red Kite is my favourite bird, the apex predator around the Marshes. They are voracious hunters and have been known to take out rabbits and other small mammals as well as scavenge on the carcasses of sheep and other carrion. As Shakespeare said: “when birds do sing they ding-a-ding, ding”. That's what I wanted from the lads today and they didn't disappoint in the first half. We switched off at key times in the second and were duly punished. Our focus is now well and truly on the league".
It was arguably one of the best first half performances of the season with some fine one-touch passing. The Parrots came close after twenty minutes when a training ground pass-and-move routine saw Duff feed Colvin who had advanced at speed from right-back to right-wing and although his delivery caused disarray in the visitor's box it was eventually cleared.
There was an increasing edge to the match as the first-half went on and with the referee allowing play to continue following a Barkabbeyans player's studded lunge there was a 10 minute spell when tempers flared. With the referee seemingly intent on not getting involved the melee culminated in a flying Barkabbeyan elbow which tested the resistance in Watson's jaw. No protection was forthcoming as the referee, somewhat unsurprisingly, didn't see it.
In spite of the disruption the Parrots continued to press and were rewarded for their efforts. A ball into the box could only be punched in the air by the Barks' keeper and after a few seconds of pinball Badu popped up to add to his tally for the season and secure a half-time lead.
Within a few minutes of the restart the scores were level. A large gap between the Parrots' midfield and defence was fully exploited as Barks' poured forward. With defenders outnumbered Barks got in behind and finished low and hard.
As the game went on the home side drifted further back into their own half and tried to soak up the pressure. There were corners to defend but no clear chances were created until with 10 minutes to go a speculative ball was played across the penalty area and the quickest to react was the Barks' winger who tapped in at the back post.
The Parrots didn't throw in the towel and should have equalised in the dying seconds when Badu had a good shooting opportunity, however, the keeper smothered the opportunity.
A Jeff Badu first half strike wasn't enough to see the Parrots through in the cup following poor second half showing by the Parrots.
It was cup duty this week at the Marshes for Sporting Hackney Vets. With the visitors and the Parrots both unbeaten in the league so far this season the first half began at a predictably high tempo as the teams tried to assert themselves.
A bullish Player-Manager, Jamie Duff, was proud of the team. He said, "the lads are very disappointed not to be in the third round of the cup. I thought their attitude today was brilliant against a good team. Our preparations were great, I looked every one of them in the eye and said I wanted every one of them to be a Red Kite when they cross that white line. The Red Kite is my favourite bird, the apex predator around the Marshes. They are voracious hunters and have been known to take out rabbits and other small mammals as well as scavenge on the carcasses of sheep and other carrion. As Shakespeare said: “when birds do sing they ding-a-ding, ding”. That's what I wanted from the lads today and they didn't disappoint in the first half. We switched off at key times in the second and were duly punished. Our focus is now well and truly on the league".
It was arguably one of the best first half performances of the season with some fine one-touch passing. The Parrots came close after twenty minutes when a training ground pass-and-move routine saw Duff feed Colvin who had advanced at speed from right-back to right-wing and although his delivery caused disarray in the visitor's box it was eventually cleared.
There was an increasing edge to the match as the first-half went on and with the referee allowing play to continue following a Barkabbeyans player's studded lunge there was a 10 minute spell when tempers flared. With the referee seemingly intent on not getting involved the melee culminated in a flying Barkabbeyan elbow which tested the resistance in Watson's jaw. No protection was forthcoming as the referee, somewhat unsurprisingly, didn't see it.
In spite of the disruption the Parrots continued to press and were rewarded for their efforts. A ball into the box could only be punched in the air by the Barks' keeper and after a few seconds of pinball Badu popped up to add to his tally for the season and secure a half-time lead.
Within a few minutes of the restart the scores were level. A large gap between the Parrots' midfield and defence was fully exploited as Barks' poured forward. With defenders outnumbered Barks got in behind and finished low and hard.
As the game went on the home side drifted further back into their own half and tried to soak up the pressure. There were corners to defend but no clear chances were created until with 10 minutes to go a speculative ball was played across the penalty area and the quickest to react was the Barks' winger who tapped in at the back post.
The Parrots didn't throw in the towel and should have equalised in the dying seconds when Badu had a good shooting opportunity, however, the keeper smothered the opportunity.
