Page 6 - RPVFC vs Alton FC

Match Report 18.02.23
COLLIERS WOOD UNITED 2 RAYNES PARK VALE 3

Who doesn’t love a derby?! providing a pivot from which Vale could start
to mount a threat again. Despite some close
Even before the first whistle there was a calls nothing came Vale’s way and with 20
sense of excitement in the air down at the minutes left on the clock Colliers Wood seemed
Wibbandune on a chilly but largely dry to decide that the game was in the bag just
Saturday. Raynes Park came to this game so long as they could disrupt the flow of the
with the recent knowledge of a double win game.
over their fellow Merton rivals and the mood
amongst the visiting Vale faithful suggested A phase of highly theatrical falling over by
that a triple was in the bag. the home side followed, in an attempt to
break up the increasingly threatening attacks
It wasn’t. from Raynes Park. These tactics seemed to
On 7 minutes a Jordan Gallagher corner was ignore the fact that the visitors were looking
met by a belter from Callum McAllister after a increasingly like a team that had rediscovered
couple of bobbles in the box and the number their mojo and rather than hastening the final
30 shirt became the first in the new Banquet whistle, as they would have liked, Colliers
Records-sponsored kit to hit the back of the Wood gave Vale more and more chances to
net. Despite the expectations this was the last regroup for the next attack.
we saw of a Vale threat for the rest of the half. The delays were clearly going to add a
On 21 minutes Shakir Kamara took advantage substantial amount of time onto the 90 and
of a misjudged attack by Vale following a on 85 minutes Timmy Obisanya delivered the
throw-in, to run in behind the last of the Vale inevitable response with a neat goal to put Vale
players. Kamara had the speed to lose any Vale back into contention.
attempts at stopping him and hit a crisp low
shot that richocheted off Billy Bishop’s foot and The remainder of the game was by no means
nestled in the back of the RPV net. a stroll for Vale. The shock of the equalizer
seemed to confuse Colliers Wood and their
On 30 minutes things were looking bad for response was to continue to try and disrupt
the team from Grand Drive. Again Kamara was the match with some gamesmanship that was
allowed to pick the ball up on the edge of the wholly unnecessary, given the quality of the
Vale area and take his shot. A slightly unlucky team and their performance, but they were still
bobble on the rough Wibbanmdune pitch retaining some kind of control of the game.
allowed Vale to plead misfortune but, in reality,
Colliers Wood were controlling the game and However, with the clock ticking toward a draw,
RPV were struggling. Far from equalizing it recent Vale signing Tom Barnes took to the
looked as though this was to be the home pitch and made good on his deal to make a
team’s day as Wood went 2-1 up. difference and with mere minutes to go Barnes
had put the ball in the back of the Colliers
A couple of substitutions followed - Jake Wood net.
Gallagher and Brad Sweeney coming on for
the injured Louie Downey and Cal Hope. Jake The visiting fans went crazy and the whistle
Gallagher had an immediate effect, suddenly finally blew on a game that, but for some
bringing an authority to the Vale midfield that unwise time-wasting, could have been a loss
had been lacking. In the 2nd half, following or a draw and some needless handbags from
Josh Gallagher’s half-time chat, Raynes Park a minority of understandably frustrated home
at last looked like a team that wanted to play fans at the final whistle failed to dent the
their game rather than the one on offer from elation of a team and its fans on a triple win
the home side. over local rivals.
Half-way through the 2nd half Raynes Park
started to show why they are the current Match report: Dom Tait/Mark Ferrari
league leaders with Jake Gallagher imposing
a presence on the shoddy midfield and

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