Page 7 - RPVFC vs Alton FC
P. 7

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

 06  RAYNESPARKVALE.COM        RAYNESPARKVALE.COM                                 07
   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12