10/4/13 – Geoff Ellis Junior Shield Final – AFC 3 Worcester Park ‘B’ 0
After over a month of anticipation, excitement and nerves, the evening in which AFC Ewell hoped to bring home a long awaited trophy had arrived. Another arrival, the team’s new kit, had been delivered just hours before kick-off and was masqueraded at the well-attended pre-match meal, in which the players sat down to fuel up for the evening ahead. The sharply attired players arrived at the theatre of dreams (or War Memorial Ground), home of Carshalton FC, and having conducted a tour of the stadium they proceeded to warm up, before preparations were concluded by Williams A’s inspiring team talk. The sound of the alarm at 7.20 saw the team head to the tunnel, and soon after they were heading out onto the pitch to be greeted by...50 or so die-hard fans who had braved the elements and were occupying the ‘John Carpentiere Stand’, although as the game progressed the attendance soared into the triple figures, an outright record high on this year’s turnouts to date – to which the players and management are both grateful for.  After completing the pre-match handshakes the players got into position, defending the end in which the majority of their fan base were located, and they knew attacking that end in the second half might well be aided by the crucial twelfth man factor. However, the first job was to start quickly and kill off any prospect of an underdog upset, as the manager’s scouting operation the previous fortnight revealed that Worcester Park’s physical and direct approach, coupled with a few tricky wingers, could pose problems; and must be treated with respect.
The match began frantically, which is unsurprising due to the high stakes the occasion entailed, with neither side unable to string together prolonged passing phases. The driving rain and bobbly pitch also contributed to this, yet Ewell were able to make a couple of probing runs deep into the opposition territory, but to no great avail. A nasty looking injury to Clancy added to the stop-start nature of the game, enforcing an early change which saw Stroud enter the fray. Whilst Ewell failed to create any chances of note they had looked threatening at set-pieces, and when Steven’s was bundled over 25-yards out from goal they were presented with their best opportunity of the half, after around 20 uneventful minutes had already raced by. Right of centre, the left footed Bullock stepped up and lifted the ball over the wall and into the bottom left hand corner of the goal, as the Worcester Park keeper stood motionless – triggering wild applause from a crowd who had not yet been treated the sort of performance Ewell had hoped to deliver.
The strike served as a valuable cushion that Ewell arguably had not yet earned, but it nonetheless helped to suppress a few lingering nerves. Offensively Ewell struggled to carve out opportunities whilst their opposition began to test the rearguard with a series of half-chances, with Bunde pulling off a vital one-on-one save that helped to preserve a slender lead. The half time whistle came a as reprieve, allowing the players to regroup in the dressing room and receive a reminder of the instructions that they had not entirely implement during the opening 45 minutes. At 1-0 the game was far from over and so more goals were called for, the sooner the game could be put to bed the better.
The first 5 minutes after the restart demonstrated that the various messages had sunk in, as Ewell were able to get the ball down calmly and use the slick surface to their advantage. The crowd erupted when the lead was doubled prior to the hour mark, when Stroud rose to glance an inswinging Chipperton free-kick beyond the despairing keeper, much to the mingled joy and relief of the players. Ewell had defended resolutely throughout and this formed the backbone of their attacks, with the reintroduction of Clancy and Hitch’s movement both stretching Park’s defence. Neat and patient build up saw Davies in an advanced position on the right flank, and his cut back from the by-line was controlled and finished impeccably by Stroud in two composed touches, again to the delight of players and spectators alike.
With the match now in their hands, Ewell were methodical and calculated when in possession, forcing the tiring Park players to chase the ball and exploiting the gaps left as they pushed up in the attempt to salvage something. Inevitably this led to chances, though these were mostly limited to long range or resulted from set pieces. The final whistle sparked joyous scenes, as the players immediately congratulated one another before recognising the efforts of the opposition as the runners-up trophy were awarded, and for once it wasn’t Ewell who were receiving them! Captain Groves held the prestigious shield aloft, before Clancy and others stole in for their turn, and it was paraded around as the fans took pictures of the victors.
Relief summed up the over-ridding emotion – as whilst Ewell expected to win their first half performance ensured the game was far less certain then they would have liked. For many, the realisation had not yet sunk in, but a boozy visit to Oceana allowed the troops to revel in their success, and the evening’s outcome has intensified the team’s desire to secure the league trophy in the coming weeks, a task that hinges on them delivery 4 massive performances in the remaining fixtures.