Page 27 - Raynes Park Vale vs Sheerwater

Match Report ior slotted into the bottom right at the ers and it was about to get worse. With

Grand Drive end and added notch No. all three subs committed by B&L man-
21 to his tally. ager Fawzi Saadi in an attempt to close
RAYNES PARK VALE 6 A neat finish the gates and put some momentum into
BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY 2 The second goal shocked Blackfield and their attack Stephen Hodder in the B&L
Langley into action and they started to goal had been receiving treatment for
show the quality and spirit that has con- a persistent injury throughout the 2nd
CCL • Saturday 20th November 2021 • Grand Drive, Raynes Park tributed to their season so far. Whether half and with about twenty minutes to

Raynes Park Vale Ease Into The Next Round Vale were deliberately sitting back or go signalled to the bench that his after-
were just getting too comfortable was noon was over – a cruel twist for a team
Coming back to Grand Drive after the unclear but as the Wessex men started that had really put great effort into their
debacle that ended the league game to shift through the gears Vale found football. As Hodder was applauded off
against AFC Croydon (still being adjudi- themselves absorbing pressure until, the pitch it fell to B&Ls No.5 to swap jer-
cated on by the FA) felt nervy. The scenes mere seconds from the half-time whis- sey and don the gloves for the remainder
that flared up after last week’s game tle, some lovely, crisp interplay from the of the game.
meant that a suitably chastened but defi- Vale right saw Seanan McKillop showing Slotted away RPV’s 6th
ant Josh Gallagher who became involved the new boys how the RPV originals can With fifteen minutes to go Rafa Ramos
when defending RPV players from a bar- put them away with a neat finish that saw finally got the breakthrough B&L had
rage of punches had a diminished squad the teams go in to the break with a very been fighting for with an exquisite shot
to select from. James Smith was called respectable 3-0 scoreline. from the left of the Vale box that left
back into 1st team action from RPV Re- Keep the game alive James Smith – who had been having a
serves to fill Billy Bishops considerable After the break the game settled down great game – little chance. 5-1, Vale. Less
boots between the sticks while others into more familiar territory for the first than 10 minutes later and a clear penalty
were called upon to start. thirty minutes with B&L still looking gave the visitors another chance to score
Some mixed results for the breakthrough that they needed – and one that Sami Makhloufi wasn’t
Blackfield & Langley arrived off the back to keep the game alive. Unfortunate- going to waste. A neat shot from the spot
of a 6-1 drubbing of Cowes Sports in off the near post. The resulting ball was ly for the men in Green and White the and B&L were still determined to show
the Wessex Football League and a sea- collected as it spun into midfield, was next goal came from Vale’s No. 17, Brad South London what they were made of.
son that has seen some mixed results for lofted in to the opposition area where it Sweeney who put it away for his 6th of Sadly for the Wessexers it was a matter
The Watersiders but who were still clear- was expertly brought under control by the season. RPV 4 – B&L 0. of too-little-too-late and with the whis-
ly contenders in the Vase and were sat Seanan McKillop. The inevitable shot Jordan Gallagher tucked away tle practically at referee Andreas Ana-
comfortably at 9th in their league. was well-stopped by Hodder in the B&L There was a feeling of inevitability in the stasiou’s lips, Nes Bellikli heroically held
A good contingent of B&L fans added to goal who failed to hang on and a ruth- air now and that feeling was reinforced off the B&L defence and calmly laid off
a great atmosphere at RPV and with Vale less Jordan Gallagher instantly pounced less than five minutes later when – who a ball to Cal Davies who slotted away
playing down the slope play got under- on the loose ball to put Raynes Park one else? – Jordan Gallagher tucked away to RPV’s 6th and final goal for the day. Fi-
way. Within five minutes it became clear up with his 20th goal of the season. The put RPV 5-0 up. nal score: Raynes Park Vale 6 – Black-
that this was going to be no stroll in the home crowd had hardly got their gloves Bad day at the office field & Langley 2
park for the visitors. A free kick to RPV back on on the chilliest afternoon of The visit to Raynes Park was turning into
on the edge of the B&L box ricocheted the season so far before Gallagher jun- a bad day at the office for The Watersid- Match report: E.I. Addio