This is Cheshire | CommuniGate | AFC Bebington Athletic Feedback Latest News Matt's Page West Cheshire Fixtures and Results Awards and Honours The Team Sunday Fixtures and Results Chester and District Match Reports Where Are They Now? Sunday Match Reports Chester and District Fixtures Directions to Away Grounds Links for AFC Bebington Athletic Message Board Guestbook Event Calendar Mail Form Chester Manager Profile Chris was one of the early Beb Athletic heroes, playing in the first season when the team had just been founded. He was a successful A level Politics student (a role model for many of our younger players) before going to Leeds University to continue his studies. A qualified referee he appreciates the finer points of the game and is even considering playing himself when the team is really desperate. Although Chris manages the team, he is not responsible for the following match reports. These are completed by The Anonymous Match Reporter. End Of Season Review 2006/07 Barry Anonymous Writes: After last season’s promising first season in the Chester and District league, hopes were high that this season might bring silverware for the second string. This proved not to be the case but this season still marks an improvement and high point for the team with a fourth place finish showing a two place improvement on a year previously. More importantly, the team continues to improve and, excluding a semi-final penalty defeat to Parkgate, is currently unbeaten in eight outings. Like last year, if Athletic could find greater consistency across the whole season they would be a top team and for a second season running a mid-season slump put pay to any hopes of promotion. To overcome these hurdles remains the challenge for the team next term. The season began in disappointing style at eventual champions Kelsall but there were good early results to Crossway, Bank of Scotland and Barrow Athletic, with the results in the latter matches being 9-3 and 11-1 respectively to Latics. Perhaps this gave Athletic false hope for the season and they were soon brought back to earth with heavy defeats at Crossway and Cestrian Alex. Form after this remained up-and-down, although there were exciting victories over Kelsall and a last gasp winner by manager Chris Sladen at Ashton kept Athletic interested in the right end of the table. A dreadful run of form after Christmas mirrored last season’s efforts and heavy pitches clearly do not suit the passing style of the team. The Tom Gerraghty Memorial Trophy proved a frustrating competition with Athletic losing to Division Two teams in Parkgate and Runcorn Albion, although there was another victory over Crossway and a good performance over Robin Hood earnt a hard fought 1-0 victory. When normal league action resumed, Athletic suffered further poor results to Barrow and Bank of Scotland that effectively ruined any chances of promotion they might have had, before they went on their current run of form with two large victories over Blacon and narrow triumphs over Chester Nomads and Ashton. Indeed, had six points been achieved in the two defeats to Barrow and BoS as they should have been, Athletic would be playing in the top division next year. As it is, both Crossway and Kelsall will be playing in Division One and both of these teams were beaten by Athletic over the season. Infact Crossway have only recorded one victory over Athletic in six attempts which shows that Athletic really should be achieving more than they are at present. In the cups, Athletic have had an unlucky year. An extra-time defeat to AC Brookley in the first round of the Wirral Junior Cup was followed by a hard-to-take last gasp defeat at Eccleston Utd in prestigious competition The Northern Cup, before an even harder-to-take defeat to eventual winners Parkgate on penalties in the Cayzer Shield semi-final. This followed one of Athletic’s best performances of the season, but a final tie against rivals Crossway was not to be. In the earlier rounds however the team notched a superb 4-0 victory over Cestrian, and well deserved victory over Runcorn at the Quarter-Final stage. Blackburn based Pleasington were beaten in the Northern Cup. Athletic have benefited from a settled line-up and again Craig McCallum has been solid in goal, this year backed up by Sunday shot-stopper Terry Cairns who kept two clean sheets in his two appearances. In defence, captain Keith Jenkins has marshalled the troops as always and has been ably assisted by newcomer Stefan Hilton and Chris ‘Razor’ Rawnsley, who turned his and his team’s season around when he dropped into the back line from centre midfield. At full backs Mark Owen and Justin Aylett have been in possession of the shirts, with versatile Carl Aldred helping out in their absence. Aldred has played in a number of roles this season and if there were an award for versatility he would win it, helping himself to 13 goals along the way from a variety of positions. In midfield Glynn Halliday has been impressive since being converted from defender, and Chris Drew has lived up to his Golden Boy tag with goals and assists being his speciality. The final midfield role has been shared by a number of players with Kev Campbell, Greg NSD Harris and Gary Francis all producing key contributions towards the success of the side. In attack Chris Oakley and Dean Cavell have played in the lion’s share of matches and struck up a fearsome partnership. Backing them up, Josh Douglas, Craig Webb, and Chris Brooks have all featured. This season’s Player’s Player of the Season was a closed shop. Last year six players all picked up the votes to make it a very close contest. This time, Stefan Hilton was the choice of virtually all. This is much deserved and all commented on Stefan’s determination and commitment when voting for this player. Stefan has been a real find and has deputised as captain for injured Keith towards the end of the season, which coincided with the team’s good run of form. Congratulations to Stefan. Picking up the Manager’s Player of the Year is Mark Owen. Mark’s performances have been excellent all season and now he has rid himself of his obsession with the offside trap, has emerged as a quality defender, comfortable on the ball, committed in the tackle and hard working up and down the flanks as he adds an attacking dimension to his performances. Well done Mark. The only other contender for Player’s Player of the Year was Chris Oakley so it is fitting he does pick up one award tonight and that is top goal scorer. Defending his title, Oakley improved on his tally of 17 last time out to notch an impressive 29 this time around. It should have been the magical 30 but he somehow had a nightmare on the last day of the season, even fluffing a penalty in his mission to hit the landmark. Nevertheless he has had an excellent season, has improved his conversion ratio and been a nightmare to mark for opposition defenders all year. One thing is certain however and that is he will definitely hit the 30 mark next year! The last award of the evening is best goal. Dean Cavell was the almost unanimous winner of this one with his 25-yard volley against Bank of Scotland taking the plaudits. Congratulations to all winners and to the team for a good season, but one that can definitely be improved on next year. Barry Anonymous Season Averages 2006/07 Thanks to Mark Owen for working these out. This is the average mark for the website. Any dispute with the calcs, take it up with Mark Owen! Any dispute with the marks, take it up with Barry. Qualification 8 matches. First Place: Mark Owen; 7.82 (Hmmm....), 2, Stefan Hilton; 7.50, 3=, Chris Drew/ Chris Oakley; 7.42, 5, Gary Francis; 7.38, 6, Keith Jenkins; 7.31, 7, Chris Rawnsley; 7.21, 8, Kevin Campbell; 7.10, 9, Justin Aylett; 7.06, 10, Craig McCallum; 7.05, 11, Glyn Halliday; 7.00, 12, Dean Cavell; 6.87, 13, Carl Aldred; 6.76, 14, Greg Harris; 6.71, 15, Chris Sladen; 6.69. Pre-season 2007/08 After competing in Crossway's annual 5-a-side tournament and losing on penalties at the semi-final stage, Athletic played in five pre-season friendlies, winning three and losing two. The results were as follows: West Cheshire team. Lost 1-4. Meols FC. Lost 1-4. Barrow Athletic. Won 7-4. Robin Hood. Won 3-0. Crossway. Won 7-2. Last season's match reports have been archived on the sister website and can be viewed at: Sister Site Season Starts Promisingly City Bar 3-3 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Aylett; Jenkins; Daly; Rawnsley; Halliday; Webb; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Aldred. Subs: Sladen; Hilton, Higginson, Owen. Goals: Webb, Daly, Oakley. Title favourites City Bar welcomed Athletic for the season opener and a six goal thriller followed, in which Athletic led three times, only to be pegged back through a combination of misfortune and individual errors. There was much to give manager Sladen pleasure and Athletic produced one of their most hard-working performances under his tutelage. With both of last year's players of the season (Owen and Hilton) on the bench, Athletic also appear to have added quality to their squad and debutants Ben Ellis and Mike Daley produced impressive starts to their Athletic careers. After an even start, the first goal of the season was credited to hard-working Craig Webb who pressurised the City defence to cause an error by the centre-back who turned the ball passed his own keeper. Defensive uncertainty between keeper McCallum and Rawnsley allowed City to equalise soon after but Athletic were soon back in the lead when Mike Daly pounced to grab a debut goal when the ball fell to him after an Athletic set-piece. He struck a sweet shot across the box and it found it's way into the corner of the goal. The goals were coming thick and fast and within minutes the scores were level again as the watching crowd were treated to a goal fest. A long range free kick looked to be a straight forward take for keeper McCallum but he somehow managed to spill the ball into his own net. Undetered, Athletic showed great character and by half time they were again in front. This time, Chris Oakley being the beneficiary of sloppy defending, pouncing in the City Bar box to open his account for the campaign. In the second half, Athletic were often chasing shadows as City Bar passed the ball around with real confidence, but to their credit Athletic were always there with a well timed tackle or interception. The equaliser eventually came when midfield uncertainty allowed City Bar to take possession when Athletic had men committed forward. The resulting space that was left allowed the home team to pick their passes culminating in a un-opposed run at goal for the City Bar striker who cooly passed the ball into the net, wrong footing hapless McCallum in the Athletic goal. City Bar could have won it late on but Athletic defended resolutely and, in the end, a good point for both teams was probably the best reflection of the afternoon's events. If Athletic can produce performances that repeat the workrate of this one, they will fancy themselves having a decent year, in a division greatly stronger than last season's. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 5- Rocky start for McCallum. 2, Aylett 7- Good workrate. 3, Jenkins 7- Accomplished. 4, Daly 8- Impressive debut. 5, Rawnsley 8- Dominant. 6, Halliday 8- Fantastic holding role. 7, Webb 8- Good outlet. Worked hard. 8, Ellis 7- Solid start for newcomer. 9, Cavell 8- Team will miss his input now he is banned for a month following ridiculous report by referee to County FA. 10, Oakley 7- Often isolated up front but good team role, pressuring opposition defence. 11, Aldred 7- Some nice touches. Subs, Owen 7- Did well in unusual left wing role. Higginson 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Sladen 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Unusued: Hilton. Barry Anonymous Star Man: The most impressive thing today was the collective workrate, but at a push, puppet master Dean Cavell had a solid match. Got an alternative view on the match? Email your views to: Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net and they will then be printed on these very pages. One Step Foward... Two Steps Back Sutton Way Villa 4-1 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Aylett; Jenkins; Daly; Rawnsley; Halliday; Webb; Ellis; Aldred; Oakley; Owen. Subs: Sladen; Hilton; Gibson; Harris. Goals: Jenkins (pen). Division Two champions Sutton Way Villa welcomed Athletic to Stanney Grange for the first evening fixture of the campaign, as Athletic hoped to build on a good performance in the season opener. Stanney is an old favourite of Athletic watchers and the Latics have played here many times down the years, against various Ellesmere Port based outfits. Sutton proved to be as tough as any of these, and last year showed their qualities, beating West Cheshire sides in the Chester District Cup and only losing two league matches all campaign. After Saturday's opener against City Bar, Athletic had high hopes that their good start could be continued and this view was enhanced when skipper Jenkins converted an early penalty, after a foul on livewire Craig Webb. Yet, this proved to be a false dawn as Athletic continued their terrible habit of conceeding soft goals and by the half they trailed by three goals to one. A bouncing ball in the area was misjudged by Jenkins, Daly and Rawnsley, and McCallum appeared stuck to his line as the SWV striker kept his eye on the ball to nod home unopposed. Manager Sladen had foolishly accepted the argument that his team could be trusted with a 4-4-2 formation, but with no defensive cushion provided by a holding midfielder he was made to rue this decision as the home team dominated and Athletic struggled to get the ball down the flanks, a vital requirement of playing with wingers. That said, Mark Owen in an unusual right wing role, had a fine game. Having done the hard work of taking the lead, Athletic threw it all away within minutes. Villa gained the upper hand when a long clearance was not met cleanly by a below-par Mike Daly, the ball skimming his head and finding it's way into the top corner of the net; McCallum was deceived by the touch and was unable to adjust his body to take account of the deflection. What was annoying was that neither of the goals owed much to great skill and Athletic were as responsible for the goals as the opposition- improved decision making remains a target for the short term. A harsh offside decision by veteran referee Brian Cooke against Chris Oakley was bizarrely the moment that led to the host's third goal of the contest; the long free-kick eluding both Rawnsley and Daly to give the home striker a clear and unopposed run at goal before he lifted the ball over McCallum. Athletic remained lacklustre and only Halliday and Owen showed any real class in a game that was already effectively over. The second half saw an improvement in fortunes but Athletic still conceeded a fourth, this time a dodgy offside trap being their downfall. Athletic could have taken an even heavier beating as referee Cooke disallowed another two goals for offside. After the positives of Saturday, this was a real step backwards for Athletic as their old frailties returned in an forgetable match. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 6- Improvement, but a big year for McCallum. Can he become the top keeper we all hoped he would two years ago? 2, Aylett 6- Average. 3, Jenkins 7- The best Athletic defender on show today. Not difficult. 4, Daly 6- Slipped below his high standards today. 5, Rawnsley 6- Average. 6, Halliday 8- One of a few bright spots this evening. 7, Webb 6- Some strong running but often not involved. 8, Ellis 6- Shows promise of being a good signing for Athletic but quiet today. 9, Aldred 6- Ineffective. 10, Oakley 6- Not the best game for the Sniffer today. His time will come. 11, Owen 8- Unusual role for Owen but he gave his all as always and gets a deserved eight mark, mainly for top effort. Subs, Harris 6- Lacks fitness. Will be happy to have got 20 mins under his belt. Hilton 6- Return of Stefan after being unused last week, but he could not help Athletic's fortunes today. Sladen 6- Failed to make an impact. Unused; Gibson. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Glyn Halliday grabs the award from pal Mark Owen in a poor outing for Athletic. Captain Birdseye Speaks An alternative view of this match was received into the 'Barry Anonymous inbox' from an equally anonymous character, using the name 'Captain Birdseye'. After witnessing a very poor display from a bird's eye view on Wednesday some lads need to pull their socks up.............and fast!!!!It's about hard work and giving 110%; how many of the lads Weds can put their hands up and say "I did that" ? NOT MANY. Captain Birdseye's ratings KEEPER 6 .AYLETT 6.DALEY 5.RAWNS 7. KEITH 6. WEBB 7. HALLIDAY 5. ELLIS 5. OWEN 7. CARLOSKI 5. OAKLEY 6. subs STEF 6. GREGG 6. GAFFA 6 captain Birdseye's favourite chicken goes to MARK GARLIC FILLET OWEN>>>>>REPORT slow start due to first start but the only player who wanted to win and did well for a different position Feel free to express your opinion via the Barry Anonymous inbox at: Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net Athletic Notch First Victory Highfield Athletic 2-5 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Halliday; Ellis; Webb; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Sladen; Aylett; Harris; Gibson; Aldred. Goals: Oakley (4) and Ellis. Manager Sladen rang the changes for his team's visit to newly relegated Highfield Athletic, following a disappointing midweek defeat to Sutton Way Villa. Out went the 4-4-2 formation as he returned to his favoured 3-5-2 line-up. The casualties were Aylett and Aldred who made way for Hilton and Drew, whilst Webb was pushed forward to join last season's top scorer Oakley in the forward line. With Dean Cavell suspended, Ben Ellis continued in the midfield and a full bench included summer signing Graham Gibson. Sladen will feel vindicated in his decision to change formation as Athletic produced a good performance to easily win against a decent opposition. Chris Oakley found the perfect foil in attack in Craig Webb and Webb's determined running created opportunities for Oakley, who ran riot, bagging four, to get his season up and running. There were many impressive performances in the Athletic line-up and most pleasingly, keeper McCallum rediscovered his form, producing a near man-of-the-match performance until a late abberation blotted his copybook, and saw the award go elsewhere. Athletic showed controlled aggression throughout, with hard and well timed tackles being a characteristic of their play. Keith Jenkins and Mark Owen showed great fitness levels up and down the flanks and the Holy Trinity back three of Hilton, Daly and Rawnsley lived up to the pre-season hype surrounding them, as they worked in unison throughout. In midfield, Halliday had another inspired performance and Ben Ellis used his height to dominate in an area of the field Athletic have traditionally struggled in. Drew added some welcome craft and in Webb and Oakley, Athletic had a strikeforce in form, with good link-up play that was particularly pleasing. Hopefully this is the standard of play that will come to be a feature over the coming weeks and months, and more wins can follow. A pleasing afternoon. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 8- Would have had a 9 but he lost track of a hopeful cross late on, and it ended up in the onion bag. Encouraging improvement nonetheless. 2, Owen 8- Justified his inclusion. 3, Jenkins 8- Has made the left back role his own. 4, Hilton 8- Good return to the side, his mark is reduced by his penalty madness when he hauled the opposition striker down for no reason. 5, Daly 9- Got his timing right today. 6, Rawnsley 9- When he plays well he is very good. 7, Halliday 9- Top of his game at present. 8, Ellis 8- Grabbed a goal that was fitting reward for his efforts. 9, Webb 9- Strong running and good link-up play. If this performance can be repeated we have a new forward line. 10, Oakley 10- Sniffer at his best. It was a matter of time. 11, Drew 8- Worked hard and provided some guile and craft that has been badly missing. Subs, Gibson 6- Debut from the bench when the game was already over. Didn't have enough time to make an impact. Aldred 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Harris 6- Came on for a cameo for tired Ellis, and did a good job to keep things tight. Unused; Sladen and the unlucky Aylett. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Chris Oakley hit four good goals. Predatory insticts, which he displays both on the football pitch and also in high class establishment Burbeckers on a Saturday night. A real achievement. Do you think this report is nonsense? Drop me (Barry) a line and I will include your version of events on this page. Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net Stalemate At Levers AFC Bebington Athletic 0-0 Parkgate AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Halliday; Harris; Webb; Oakley; Ellis. Subs; Sladen; Aylett; Aldred; Douglas; Drew. Scoreless draws are very unusual at this level, especially for Athletic whose incapability to keep a clean sheet has caused concern for some time. On this occasion however Athletic produced a defensive performance of the highest order, against a well organised and competitive opposition. It was the same opposition who had cruelly knocked Athletic out on penalties at the semi-final stage of the cup last season so this game had a real edge to it, and threatened to boil over on numerous occasions. Fortunately Athletic's discipline was excellent and no player stepped over the line. To a man, Athletic were superb. Showing one change from the previous line up with Chris Drew stuck in traffic allowing NSD Harris to start for the first time this season, Athletic looked to counter attack using the electric pace of front man Oakley. The first half was a very even affair with neither side able to carve out any real chances. In the second half, it was very much 'backs-to-the-wall' stuff as Parkgate began to have more of the possession and Athletic found themselves on the back foot more often. Mark Owen saved Athletic on two occasions. Firstly racing back to clear the ball off the line when the Parkgate striker had rounded McCallum and then with a headed clearance from under the bar when it looked a certainty that the net would ripple. There was a controversial moment with fifteen minutes remaining that referee Brian Cooke eventually got right. Keeper McCallum had the ball in his hands and as he was about to kick it, the Parkgate striker nipped it away in a move reminiscient of the Gary Crosby and Andy Dibble incident from the 1980s. The result was that Parkgate put the ball in the back of the net and ran away celebrating wildly. It was clear that veteran Cooke was looking the other way and it seemed like he was to give the goal. As Athletic players surrounded Cooke in a Andy D'Urso like confrontation, McCallum had to restrained by defender Hilton such was his Roy Keane like fury. Eventually the pressure paid off and Cooke awarded Athletic the free-kick. This was the right decision but it was pretty clear that he never saw the incident. This would have been very harsh on Athletic who defended superbly all night. Late on, striker Oakley raced clear of the Parkgate defence and blazed over. Had he maybe taken the ball on a little further he might well have struck glory, but it was not to be. Overall, if Athletic produce performances with this much hard work attached they will continue to improve. This is a tough division but Athletic have already showed they can match top sides City Bar and now Parkgate. The challenge is to keep up this form, remain defensively solid and take their chances to win games by 1-0 and 2-0 scorelines. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 9- Craig at his best. Good decision making. Good vocally. Great saves. Can he keep this up? He loses a mark for wearing the worst goalkeeper shirt known to man. 2, Owen 9- Great workrate. 3, Jenkins 9- His ability to commit fouls that go unpunished is legendary. 4, Hilton 8- Solid. 5, Daly 9- A find. 6, Rawnsley 9- Made several timely interceptions and blocks. 7, Halliday 8- Another good performance. 8, NSD Harris 7- Decent, but fitness told in the end. 9, Webb 8- Another tireless performance. 10, Oakley 8- Often isolated but worked hard. 11, Ellis 8- Struggled with a neck injury but applied himself well. Subs, Drew 7- Some nice touches when he came on. Aldred 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Unused: Sladen, Aylett and Douglas. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Craig McCallum. Craig's form dipped but has returned. Today, an excellent performance. Key saves kept Athletic in it and he rightfully takes the award. Email your view to Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net Captain Birdseye Speaks Mysterious observer Captain Birdseye was once again in attendance at Levers for the Parkgate contest and had the following to say: Captain birdseye again had the best view at levers, with the son out he didn't miss a thing. <birdseye> "what a game! it had everything but a goal" SOCKS were certainly pulled up in this match. KEEPER 9 superb saves. OWEN 8 solid game. PRAWNS 10* awesome defending, unbelievable. DALEY 8 also solid. STEF 9 very good for a young chick. BEITH another good match. BEN 7 coped well with the talented parkgate midfield. GREG 6 didn't ever want to feed his brothers, below par for this man. ALLDAYEVERYDAY 9 is this boyo starting to learn???? superb. WEBB 8 hard work again but lacked service. OAKLEY 8 ditto ditto............... subs DREW 7 quickly got involved. CARL 6 not enough time for magic BIRDSEYES FINAL THOUGHT> chilli burger anonymously goes to PRAWNS, he was hot hot hot!!!!!!!!!! As always email your thoughts to Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net Not Good Enough AFC Bebington Athletic 1-3 Robin Hood AFC Bebington Athletic: Sladen; Owen; Aylett; Harris; James Douglas; Rawnsley; Halliday; Ellis; Webb; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Josh Douglas; Aldred; Gibson. Goals: Webb Athletic remain an enigma: good one week and well below par the next. This week, it was the turn of 'Bad Athletic' to take to the pitch. Missing key players in McCallum, Daly, Jenkins and Hilton, manager Sladen was forced to field himself in goal and drafted West Cheshire stalwart James Douglas into the starting line-up in an unsual looking defence that also contained midfielder Greg NSD Harris. Robin Hood are exactly the type of team Athletic must beat and it is evident that beating this type of opposition remains a problem for Athletic, as it has been over the two previous seasons. Athletic have always produced their best against teams at the top of the table, and this trend has resurfaced already this year, with the season only a month old. Athletic lacked the organisation of recent matches, and this could be attributed to Daly and Jenkins both being absent. That said, rookie keeper Sladen had little to do apart from pick the ball out of the net, and it was Athletic who created more goal scoring opportunities; Athletic must be more clinical and take half-chances in closely fought games: Rawnsley failed to score when one yard from goal; Webb blazed over after good work down the flanks by Oakley; Oakley himself was guilty of wasteful finishing; James Douglas headed over from a corner when he might have done better; Chris Drew dallied on the ball when he should have got a shot away. Robin Hood took the lead when Athletic cleared a corner but were left ball-watching when the return ball into the box bounced past several players. The Robin Hood striker was the only one who reacted and slotted with ease. Robin Hood extended their lead when Chris Drew was dis-possessed on the edge of the area when he should have got rid. He would not have expected the Robin Hood player to strike so superbly however and the resulting shot found its way into the top corner, despite Sladen getting a despairing hand onto it. At half time, some Athletic players were downbeat, but the message remained that one goal would see Athletic back into the contest. This arrived, when hard-working Webb got to a cross just before the opposition keeper to reduce the arrears. Athletic had still not found top gear but were still creating chances: Chris Oakley went clear but struck straight at the keeper when he would normally show much greater aplomb; James Dougles hit the post from one of his trademark free-kicks. With the game in the balance, goalkeeper Sladen made a blunder trying to control the ball from a back-pass when he should have just cleared, and the Robin Hood striker nipped in before squaring it to his colleague for a simple tap-in. The game was effectively over and the late substitions of Aldred, Douglas and Gibson did not bring the intended pressure on the away goal. Final score: a disappointing 3-1 home defeat at Not Much of a Fortress Levers. Match Ratings: 1, Sladen 6- Not much to do, but a major error for their third. 2, Owen 7- Another hard-working performance. 3, Aylett 6- Struggled with his fitness after playing the night before for the Sunday team. 4, NSD Harris 6- Did okay. 5, James Douglas 6- Threatened with his set-pieces but not at his very best. 6, Rawnsley 7- The best defender today. 7, Halliday 6- Below par. 8,Ellis 6- Struggled with his fitmess after playing the night before for the Sunday team. 9, Webb 7- Grabbed a goal and worked hard. 10, Oakley 6- Worked hard but no luck in front of goal today. 11, Drew 6- Below par. Subs: Gibson 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Aldred 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Josh Douglas 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Mark Owen takes the award. He wasn't particularly brilliant, but always wanted the ball and worked hard. Wellington Give Athletic The Boot AFC Bebington Athletic 1-2 Wellington FC Wirral Junior Cup Round One. This week guest reporter, Herman Anonymous is responsible for the Official Match Report: With manager Sladen’s head being turned by the offer of free food and booze in the big smoke, his reliable assistant ‘Coach’ Jenkins stepped into the breach. The day didn’t start well with a late cry off from playmaker Drew whose commitment to the cause is beginning to be questioned by a number of the Athletic faithful. With coach Jenkins’ plans in tatters, he decided to keep faith with manager Sladen's much maligned 3-5-2 formation. The game started well with Athletic creating good early chances. Powerhouse Owen was making good progress down the right with Oakley and Gibson looking dangerous, if not a little wasteful upfront. Indeed, as the team as a whole squandered a number of set pieces, coach Jenkins began to wonder if it was going to be ‘one of those days’. At the other end of the field, Athletic looked solid, with Chris ‘Alan Hansen’ Rawnsley and Mike ‘Arthur’ Daly looking more than capable of dealing with anything the Wellington attack could throw at the them. The first half ended in controversy with ‘Play Through The Pain Barrier’ Webb having to be dragged away from the referee at the half time whistle following a string of questionable decisions late in the half. Following an inspirational half time team talk by coach Jenkins, the team started the second half in sluggish fashion, and soon found themselves a goal down. Never Say Die Harris will have had a sleepless night about his decision to try and flick a long punt down field by the opposition keeper, a decision which was punished by some equally poor defending by the rest of the defence. Keeper 'Terry' McCallum forgot that he was a keeper and not Franz Beckenbaur and failed to clear his lines leading to the previously unnoticed Wellington strikers exchanging passes and converting.The Athletic boys responded in the correct manner and upped the tempo. A precision through ball by NSD Harris, put Oakley through one-on-one with the keeper. Not only did Oakley win the battle with the keeper, but also the battle with his personal demons, as he put his previous misses in the game behind him to level for the Latics. At this stage there was only one team who were going to go on and win the game. Unfortunately, within a minute of getting on level terms, Athletic had handed the initiative back to ‘da welly’. A uncharacteristic handling error by the latics keeper presented an unmissable chance to the opposition forward. With team moral visibly shaken, coach Jenkins initiated a number of changes. ‘PTTPB’ Webb was replaced by Higginson on account of an injured hip, swifty followed by coach Jenkins for Justin, who was by now walking a disciplinary tightrope following a booking for showing his displeasure at he referee's performance. Striker ‘Debbie’ Gibson was also replaced, somewhat harshly following a good performance, to make way for Carl ‘gunslinger’ Aldridge. The team reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation in a bid to level the score and take the game into extra time. What can only be described as on onslaught followed, with Athletic having a ridiculous number of corners and free kicks that they failed to convert, with Wellington jubilant at the final whistle, not quite believing that they had won the game. Coach ‘Sammy Lee’ Jenkins’ terrible record as stand-in manager continues with some on the touchline heard to mutter his name in the same sentence as Brian Kidd, John Gorman, and Colin Harvey! A poor day at the office for all concerned. Match Ratings: Keeper– 5. Uncharacteristic errors that have never been seen before and more than likely will never be seen again. May be attributable to ‘rustiness’ and it should not be forgotten that he did the team a favour by playing. Mark Owen– 8. Always gives his all, and continued to make surging runs down the line despite not always getting the ball. Justin Aylett– 6. Quiet game until he started shouting at the referee. Didn’t get much ball playing on his unfavoured left side. Chris Rawnsley– 7. Didn’t do anything wrong. Defends as a defender should. Mike Daly– 7.5. (See comments for Rawnsley, but gets an extra half point for finally caving in and taking the kit – his washing machine doesn’t work you know...) The Other Centre Back– 7. Solid. Will be kicking himself for not converting a couple of chances from corners. Craig Webb– 8. Solid, committed, good use of the ball. NSD Harris- 7. Good commitment to make it after the ****ton game. Should have done better for the first goal, but made amends with the ball for the equaliser. Glyn Halliday– 8. Good performance in his farewell game before going to the steel city (that’s Sheffield, not Liverpool Stefan!!!) All at Beb Ath wish him well. Chris Oakley– 8. Full of running as always and bagged yet another. Graham Gibson – 7. Impressed coach Jenkins with his clever touches and hard work. Needs to have more confidence in his undoubted ability. Subs Higginson – 7. Battled well when introduced Aldridge – 7. Nearly grabbed an equaliser when he forced the keeper into a fine save from distance. Jenkins – 6. Carried on where Jussi left off. Limited impact on proceedings. Douglas – unused. Sorry. Herman Anonymous Star Man: Mark Owen was the choice of stand-in manager KJ, taking the award for the second week on the bounce. Herman did it and so can you. Email your match report to: Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net Athletic Mauled By Lions AFC Bebington Athletic 1-2 Ashton Lions AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Aylett; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Harris; Ellis; Webb; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Sladen; Aldred; Josh Douglas; Gibson. Goals: Webb. Manager Sladen's future hangs by a thread after another bad result that leaves Athletic placed in a perilous position just above the drop zone. The vultures are circling over Levers pitch 2 and time may be called on his stewardship by concerned club chairman Marcello Lippi. Athletic were once again below par, leaving some to suggest that they are suffering from a serious over-estimation of their talents if they think they are a good team; they are merely mid-table cloggers on this evidence. Only a series of improved performances over the coming weeks can quash the fears that have developed over the last three performances; and manager Sladen's fate depends upon it. A once proud home record lies in ruins with this outing being Athletic's third home reverse on the spin. At half-time Athletic had looked comfortable, having gained a 1-0 advantage through Craig Webb, who latched onto a hopeful through ball by defender Rawnsley before rounding the Ashton keeper to slot with ease. Athletic had repelled the Ashton advances and the message at the break was 'keep it tight' and 'more of the same'. Alas, Athletic's old frailites returned as poor concentration from a free-kick left a man unmarked, allowing the dangerous Ashton playmaker Kilgannon to find his team-mate with a clever pass when everyone was expecting a shot on goal. Athletic were their own worst enemy; at half-time manager Sladen had warned his players about conceeding silly free-kicks around the edge of the area, and his words came back to haunt him as a needless free-kick was awarded to the visitors in such a position, that resulted in the goal. Ashton gained the advantage when an Athletic corner broke down and Ashton countered, exchanged passes and danger man Kilgannon struck a superb volley into the top corner of the goal. Athletic had chances of their own. Chris Oakley looked to have done enough when he beat the keeper to the ball, shrugged off two challenges and played the ball towards a seemingly gaping goal, but a despairing dive by the Ashton defender, who somehow got his head to the ball, kept Athletic at bay as they desperately sought an equaliser. As Athletic pushed forward, defender Chris Rawnsley had the greatest chance to earn a share of the points, but he drew a fine save from the Ashton keeper, who defied his massive size to get down to the ball in super-quick speed, turning it agonisingly just wide of the post. Athletic looked more threatening when they changed to a 4-4-2 formation and this is perhaps a formation that will be favoured over the coming weeks as Athletic look to get out of their rut, which has disappointingly arrived three months earlier that it has done in the previous two seasons. It is the opinion of your author however that Athletic are not a million miles away and should be bouyed by the return of Cavell (cruelly banned following a nonsense refereeing decision) and Francis (whose cricket season has finally ended) over the coming weeks. Mark Owen impersonator Mark Owen has also promised to use his university links to scout for new players, as Athletic look to add numbers to their squad. This was a bad day at the office, again, but hopefully Athletic will dig in, work hard for each other, and get some results on the board, using the West Cheshire side's example of sticking together and turning narrow defeats into narrow victories. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 7- Made one very brave save at the feet of the attacker and was faultless for the goals. 2, Owen 7- His second 90 minute match of the day and it showed as the game went on. 3, Aylett 6- Decent. 4, Hilton 7- Accomplished. 5, Daly 7- Solid as always. Makes defending look easy when he's at his best. 6, Rawnsley 7- Some fine defending but could have grabbed an equaliser for Athletic and blew it. 7, Harris 6- Still looking for his best form. 8, Ellis 6- Battled well but often got the ball stuck under his feet when the killer pass was needed. 9, Webb 7- Another goal but often isolated up top. 10, Oakley 6- Frustrating day for the strikers as they didn't really get a sniff. 11, Drew 6- Still waiting for him to find his best form. Subs: Sladen 6- Failed to make an impact as he did from the bench in this fixture last year. Gibson 5- Came on then went off with an injury. Douglas 5- Wasteful Aldred; Unused Barry Anonymous Star Man: Chris Rawnsley put his award in doubt by missing in the dying seconds when it looked easier to score but on the balance of the whole game, he was still probably the top performer- winning all his tackles, and (fortuitously) gaining an assist into the bargain. But a bittersweet award in many ways because he could have earnt Athletic a point and he didn't. Not Merry Men Robin Hood 4-3 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Cavell; Webb; Ellis; Francis; Oakley; Aldred. Subs: Sladen; Harris; Josh Douglas; Aylett; Gibson. Goals: Ellis, Sladen and Harris. Athletic's terrible run continued as Robin Hood notched the first double of the season, with these teams having faced each other just weeks earlier, and the same outcome resulting today. Despite a staggering seven changes from that meeting, Athletic were still second best to the newly promoted outfit, even though this Athletic eleven seemed to have a greater balance to it than in the last outing. On a small and sloping pitch Athletic were second best to everything in the first half and failed to win tackles, headers, pass the ball or create any chances of note. This was a forgettable first-half performance and at the interval the hosts led by two goals to nil, much to manager Sladen's obvious displeasure. The first goal came after the returning Dean Cavell was slow to pick up his man when Robin Hood had a throw-in deep inside the Athletic half. As the ball was played to his marker he desperately attempted to make a last gasp tackle but his opposing number took advantage of the space he had been given to rifle the ball home. With Cavell having just served a 35 day ban, it seemed evident he was missing some sharpness and fitness. Interestingly the referee for his first match back was controversial Joe Smith, who had so ridiculously reported Cavell to the County FA following last season's match against Chester Nomads, resulting in his recent ban. On that occasion Mr Smith had possible the worst refereeing performance that has ever been seen. He was better in this match, but only just. Needless to say, his performance has once again merited a report being written to the league by Athletic manager Chris Sladen, such is Mr Smith's poor aptitude for officiating. Three players went into the book on this occasion and another three from the opposition in what was not a game played in bad spirit. We all await who Mr Smith has reported this time to the County FA. Fullback Keith Jenkins is fearful that it might be him after his mistakenly did a foul-throw during the match and then foolishly sneezed in the presence of Mr Smith. Robin Hood's second goal was from a retaken penalty after a trip on the striker by Mike Daly, after Carl Aldred had lost possession of the ball in the midfield. This was a crucial error, and one that cost Athletic dear. Athletic came out to the second half of the match with much more determination: the midfield snapped into tackles; and there appeared to be a collective desire to up the performance. After a period of prolonged pressure, Athletic found the breakthrough after forcing a series of corners. After a couple of disappointing deliveries, Craig Webb found his range, and executed a delightful cross that was met, in a somewhat unorthodox manner by Ben Ellis, who turned the ball into the net. Game on. Athletic continued to apply pressure inspired by Craig Webb down the right who was working tirelessly as ever to get his team back into the match. With ten minutes remaining, manager Sladen made the brave move to switch the restored 4-4-2 formation to a 3-5-2 one, leaving his defence threadbare in the hope of snatching an equaliser. Both he and NSD Harris were brought into the arena at the expense of disappointing Carl Aldred, who didn't take his chance having regained a starting role and Dean Cavell, who was suffering with blisters. It was nearly inspired as both Sladen and Harris grabbed a goal apiece but unfortunately only after Robin Hood had put the game to bed with two breakaway goals to take a 4-1 advantage. The way Sladen and Harris scored with such ease was frustrating as it took just a long hopeful punt forward with an added bit of pressure on the home defence, to unsettle them and result in the goals. It is disappointing that it took until the 89th and 90th minute to realise this chink in the home team's defensive armour. Overall, this was a poor first-half performance by Athletic but with the fight shown in the second half, Athletic at least lost showing a bit of pride, and had the elusive equaliser arrived, Athletic might have gone on to snatch a win. Pushing men forward ultimately was their undoing. Final score 4-3 to the boys from the Hood, as Athletic's bad results continue. Next week, the distraction of cup competition is a welcome one as Athletic face Liverpool based South Mersey College in the Northern Cup. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 6- Nearly made the retaken penalty but it was agonisingly just out of his reach. 2, Owen 7- Frustration got the better of him on occasion as he lashed out with his tongue at some of his team-mates. In hindsight, perhaps they deserved a mouthful. 3, Jenkins 7- Always gives his all. 4, Hilton 7- Defended well in the main. 5, Daly 6- Couple of rash moments. He will want to forget about the penalty tackle. 6, Cavell 6- Returned from 35 day ban and it showed. Some nice touches but off the pace. 7, Webb 7- Driven performance with great desire to win. 8, Ellis 7- Grabbed a goal. An unusual combination of great touches and skills with timely tackles. 9, Francis 5- Returned from the Cricket season to earn his first start of the season but a quiet game. 10, Oakley 6- Frustrated and had few if any chances. 11, Aldred 5- Failed to take his opportunity after being recalled for a first start in six matches. Subs: Sladen 7- Grabbed a goal in ten minute appearance. Laughed at by some when he brought himself on but unsettled the defenders. Harris 7- To mis-quote NSD 'he did enough to show the manager that he shouldn't have been dropped'. Unused: Douglas; Gibson; Aylett. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Mark Owen and Graig Webb consistently produce the most hard working performances and in a game low on skillful contributions these are the only contenders this week. Craig Webb edges it on this occasion however. We've not had any alternative match reports for a while so please email your thoughts to: Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net From the Archives If you ever wondered about the history of the mighty Beb Ath, check out the link below. Tricky First Season Hat-Trick Hero Oakley Steals Show AFC Bebington Athletic 3-2 South Mersey College Northern Cup Round One. AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Sladen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Drew; Ellis; Oakley; Cavell; Aldred. Subs: Harris; Josh Douglas; Higginson. Goals: Oakley (3). Athletic returned to winning ways, ending a four match losing streak, in the Northern Cup on Saturday. Athletic produced a fine hard working performance full of desire and heart as watching club chairman Marcello Lippi ran the rule over several of the second string. Lippi was once an unlucky omen for this team and his every appearance resulted in an abysmal performance but this year he has become a lucky charm, with both of Athletic's victories this season being observed by the first team coach. Athletic were forced to make several changes from the last outing and their squad was stretched to its limit. Aylett and Webb were missing as they were attending a stag do in Benidorm. Gary Francis was unavailable, and the normally reliable Mark Owen jumped ship and elected to play for Liverpool University seconds, much to manager Sladen's displeasure. Graham Gibson was also ruled out as he was away for the weekend. Sladen recalled himself to the starting line-up for the first time this year and there was a return to the side for Chris Rawnsley, who had taken a week of warm weather training the week before this match, following an early season 'burn-out', to use his words. South Mersey were an unknown proposition but it was clear within the first few minutes they would be no walkovers. They looked to have quality throughout. Nevertheless, Athletic seemed up for it today and were soon in the lead. It was like old times: Athletic defended well and looked dangerous on the counter. Dean Cavell, dropped deep and became an extra midfielder where necessary, linking well with Drew on the right flank. After 15 minutes Drew worked some space in the middle and played a well weighted pass between fullback and centre back. The electric pace of Chris Oakley meant the race to the ball was no contest and he outpaced his marker, drew the keeper and placed the ball in the net. Classic Athletic and a welcome return to a move that has been worryingly absent in recent weeks. This was how Athletic always used to score and it was back! Athletic were battling hard against a very competitive opposition and they frustrated their Liverpool counterparts into needless and sometimes nasty fouls, as the temperature of the game reached boiling point: several of the opposition were cautioned for dissent or foul play. Athletic doubled their lead following a goalkeeping error and poacher Oakley was there to take advantage, having the easy task of walking the ball into the net to perhaps give Athletic a fortunate 2-0 lead. South Mersey probably had the better of the possession and passed the ball around the park with much greater purpose than the hosts, but with men behind the ball, South Mersey were unable to find a killer pass and keeper McCallum mopped up successfully when they did breach the back line. Athletic's counter attacking was illustrated again when Chris Sladen made a timely defensive tackle as South Mersey threatened down their left. The ball found Dean Cavell who played a long and hopeful ball to the predatory Oakley. He once again out-paced his marker and his finish was no match for the keeper as Athletic went further ahead at three goals to nil. As is customary Athletic did their best to throw their first half endeavours away when captain Keith Jenkins felled the right winger with just seconds to go in the half to give South Mersey a penalty. The Gods were smiling on keeper McCallum however and a dreadful penalty was hit down the middle leaving Craig with the straight-forward task of smothering the ball, which he did with ease. Ultimately, this miss was crucial. In the second half, it was one-way traffic as South Mersey showed tremendous character to fight their way back into the game. With some Athletic players dead on their feet, it was only a matter of time before a goal was conceeded. A long range shot cannoned off the bar and the on-rushing attacker was quickest to it as the Athletic defence remained motionless and glued to the floor. He had no trouble converting the open goal. Athletic changed the exhausted Ben Ellis for NSD Harris as the half progressed, and dropped the equally tired Rawnsley into a more defensive formation. There was no hiding place for stand-in right back Sladen however and in the last twenty he offered little other than the occasional clearance onto the neighbouring pitch, much to the annoyance of the visiting touchline who seemed to be under the strange illusion that Athletic should help them in their quest to get back into the game, by only just putting the ball out of play so they didn't have to run after it! Their second arrived following a strong run down the right and a good low cross that the South Mersey striker beat Sladen and McCallum to. For the last 15, Athletic hung on desperately as chances came and went for the Liverpool visitors. Had the game gone to extra-time there was no doubt who would have emerged victorious. Chris Oakley almost made the game safe after another counter-attacking move but this time the keeper got a hand to it. Athletic nearly shot themselves in the foot by stupidly committing five men to an attack and then losing the ball leaving no midfield whatsoever but they just about hung on to claim a very hard fought victory against a much better team. This was an excellent performance and showed great character given recent form. What was pleasing was the will to win, to dig in, to match South Mersey's aggression and competitiveness and to get the result. A fine response. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 8- Good decision making. Saved a penalty. 2, Sladen 8- Will be pleased with his first 70 minutes. For the last 20, he was a spectator as his lack of fitness showed. 3, Jenkins 8- Solid. Will be disappointed to have conceeded a penalty. 4, Hilton 8- Tough performance. 5, Daly 8- Impressive. 6, Rawnsley 8- A very hard working performance but tired as game went on. 7, Drew 8- Nice work up and down the flank. Grabbed an assist. 8, Ellis 8- Gave his all. Eventually withdrawn due to having nothing left in the tank. 9, Cavell 7- Struggled with a fever but did well. The ball 'stuck' up front for the first time in weeks. 10, Oakley 9- Up and down for Oakley so far this year but a fine performance today. Another 'trick. 11, Aldred 6- Worked hard but must be more aggressive and committed if he is to keep the number 11 shirt. Subs: NSD Harris 7- Did well and added fresh legs in the middle when it was needed. Higginson 6- Late substition and not enough time to make an impression. Unused: Douglas. Barry Anonymous Star Man: A real battling performance this week and all should take credit, but Oakley grabbed the goals and goals win matches, so he takes the award. Oakley On Fire AFC Bebington Athletic 5-1 City Bar AFC Bebington Athletic: Cairns; Aylett; Jenkins; Hilton; Rawnsley; Webb; Owen; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Sladen; Tanner; Higginson; Halliday. Goals: Jenkins and Oakley (4, inc 1 pen). Fantastic in-form striker Chris Oakley and his heroic team-mates inflicted a first league defeat of the season on league leaders City Bar, with a four goal haul from inspirational Oakley pointing the way. Athletic again showed that on their day they can beat anyone. This was only City Bar's second defeat in two seasons and for Athletic to have now taken four points from them this season is a great achievement. City Bar are rightfully favourites for the title but Athletic showed they can mix it with the best of them when they want to, with a disciplined and aggressive performance. Athletic were forced into a couple of changes from their last outing with keeper McCallum unavailable, replaced by Sunday shot-stopper Terry Cairns and centre back Mike Daly ruled out with a niggle. Manager Sladen dropped Chris Rawnsley into the back line and made a surprise decision to move Mark Owen forward into an unfamiliar wing role. Justin Aylett and Craig Webb returned to the side after their omission last time around. The early exchanges were tense and neither side took control of the game but by twenty minutes in, Athletic had settled the better of the two sides and were playing some good football. A free-kick ten yards into the visitors half was played deep towards the back post. Mark Owen rose like a salmon and his powerful header was too good for the 'keeper. Unfortunatley for Owen his header struck the woodwork before finding the unlikely boot of captain Keith Jenkins who converted to break the deadlock. 1-0 to Latics. As is customory, Athletic had a brief wobble just before the half and nearly allowed City Bar back in but at the break they held a slender advantage, achieved through a combination of hard work and good fortune; City Bar might count themselves unlucky not to have grabbed an equaliser when their striker ran through a static home defence, rounded Cairns and saw his attempt strike the foot of the post. Athletic came out with real determination in the second half and there was a pleasing 'will-to-win'. At this point there were concerns only over striker Chris Oakley, who looked a funny shade of green. Gourmet Oakley cooked up another of his infamous 'half-blood/ half potato' pizzas at the break following a heavy night on the ale the night before. This purging of himself proved to be a important point in the afternoon's events and he went about producing a second half performance of real class, now that he was not burdened by the contents of his stomach. Before he sprung into life however, Athletic did allow City Bar back into the game and the score was briefly tied at one each. Penalty obsessive referee Mark Turner once again awarded a soft spot kick, this time Chris Rawnsley being the unfortunate 'victim'- Mr Turner spotting a handball when the ball appeared to strike Rawnsley's chest. Turner would be a decent ref if he managed to get through a game without his one compulsory random decision. This was converted and for a while it looked like a case of 'here we go again'. But this time Athletic, led by Oakley had other ideas. Oakley worked tirelessly for Athletic; chasing lost causes and always threatening with his electric pace. A well weighted pass by Chris Drew after a patient build up saw Oakley contest possession with his marker just inside the City half. Oakley outpaced his marker and ran onto goal before slotting with confidence to send the Athletic touchline into raptures. As City Bar pressed and pushed men forward their defence began to resemble a swiss cheese and Athletic knew if they were patient more chances would come. A route one move left Oakley clear of the defence and he lifted the ball past the keeper to extend the lead further and as the game progressed into the final stages he was fouled for a penalty (another dodgy decision by penalty king Turner), which he converted and then after good work by substitute Sladen grabbed his fourth, aided perhaps by a demoralised goalkeeper who made a mess of a deflected effort. Oakley's finishing was top class and clinical and a fine reward for his non stop efforts. He was nearly in the manager's bad books for turning up in such an hungover state, but once he had got his head together he went on to produce a memorable performance. Mention should also be made to the other end of the field; stand-in keeper Terry Cairns once again showed why he is regarded as the best keeper in Wirral Sunday League as he transferred his form to the Chester side- two superb saves kept Athletic in the lead at 2-1 and 3-1 respectively and ensured there was no way back into the contest for the league leaders. He inspired confidence throughout the team and when your keeper makes such vital contributions it gives everyone that little bit more to push on. Elsewhere in the team, there were excellent performances throughout with Ben Ellis and Mark Owen in the midfield particularly standing out. Hopefully this will not be a false dawn for Athletic- they must reproduce their efforts at basement side Barrow. It has been seen time and time before; Athletic can lift their game against the top teams but they have also been guilty of dropping their game against the strugglers. Match Ratings: 1, Cairns 9- Match winning saves. 2, Aylett 8- Strong performance from Justin. 3, Jenkins 8- Grabbed his second of the season. Solid. 4, Hilton 9- Fantastic performance. Prompted City Bar touchline to shout 'keep the ball away from him'. 5, Rawnsley 8- Quality. Timing superb. Will be very disappointed to have had a peno awarded against him (it could be argued that he put himself in the position where it invited the referee to make a decision!.....or maybe not) 6, Webb 8- Battled well in central midfield. 7, Owen 9- Such an angry man on occasions, but channels his anger superbly. An important player. 8, Ellis 9- Very pleasing performance. More of the same next week. 9, Cavell 8- Often unsung, but plays vital link role. Team has got results since he retunred. A coincidence? No, important team player. 10, Oakley 10- Another four to add to his three last time out. Should be a doctor. Clinical. 11, Drew 8- Some lovely accurate passing. A tireless worker. Subs: Sladen 7- Grabbed an assist for Oakley's fourth. Halliday 8- Weekend return for Sheffield based Halliday. Good sub to have and was introduced as fresh legs for tired Ellis. Higginson 7- He said he didn't want the comment 'not enough time to make an impact' so he gets: 'not enough time to make an impact!'. In fairness he did well on this occasion when he came on. Unused: The returning-from-cruciate-injury Matthew Tanner. More to come from him over the coming weeks I'm sure. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Chris Oakley. Press Reports Local rag 'The Chester Evening Leader' are carrying match previews on a Friday and match reviews on a Monday at the attached link. Flavour-of-the-month Chris Oakley has attracted their attention and is referred to as 'prolific' in their weekly round-up. Chester Evening Leader Sport Goals Galore As Barrow Floored Barrow Athletic 4-7 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Aylett; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly, Webb; Gibson; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Sladen; Aldred. Goals: Oakley (3), Gibson, Cavell (pen), Aldred, 1 o.g. Athletic made it three wins in a row at basement boys Barrow in a game where they showed only glimpses of the top form of recent weeks. This was a below par Athletic but with the goal scoring prowess of Chris Oakley again on show, they always had enough in the tank to overpower a poor Barrow outfit, now winless in seven matches. Athletic welcomed keeper Craig McCallum back into the starting line up following his absence last time out and Graham Gibson earnt a first league start of the campaign at the expense of stay-away Mark Owen who once again chose inexplicably to play for Liverpool University rather than Athletic. There was no return to the side as expected for Mike Daly, who was still nursing an injury. The game started in terrible fashion for Athletic and within two minutes they found themselves a goal down. A cross into the box had been flicked away by Aylett at the back post. As Barrow regained possession of the ball there looked like little danger on the cards but the cross into the box was unchallenged as the defenders seemed to expect keeper McCallum to come and collect and keeper McCallum expected the defence to head away. This indecision was not shared by the Barrow striker and he nodded home. Maybe this was the wake-up Athletic needed and within minutes they had not only equalised (via the boot of red-hot Oakley following a great ball by playmaker Drew), they were in the lead as a Craig Webb free-kick was turned into the net by a hapless Barrow defender under pressure from Chris Oakley. This should have settled Athletic but in a crazy first half further goals were to follow. A howler by keeper McCallum saw the scores levelled again before a Dean Cavell penalty again gave Athletic the lead, following a very fortunate decision by the rookie referee. Athletic then gifted another equaliser to Barrow, this time a free-kick into the area was not attacked and the home team were gifted another soft goal before Graham Gibson produced a piece of rare skill in the game to again give Athletic the lead. He picked the ball up on the left wing, pushed the ball past his marker, before unleashing a low drive to give the Barrow keeper the job of picking the ball out of the net for the fourth time in the afternoon. Not content with this, Athletic then showed more poor play allowing Barrow another equaliser as the defence chose to play with too high a line. As they pushed forward, the Barrow striker timed his run to perfection and despite a terrible pass from the Barrow midfield (a feature of Barrow's passing all day) he was able to run through and slot past an unfortunate McCallum. In their two previous outings against quality opposition, Athletic had conceeded just three in three hours of football. Today, four in just 45 minutes to relegation canditaes Barrow left much work to be done in the second half. Athletic knew scoring goals would be no problem, but greater concentration was needed at the back. The half time message was quickly heeded and within 30 seconds of the restart Athletic were back in the lead. A Dean Cavell free-kick was too hot to handle and predatory Chris Oakley was on hand to force the ball over the line to grab his second of the match. This was clearly Oakley's goal despite Cavell's animated appeals that he should be awarded the decision. On this occasion, Cavell will have to make do with the assist. With Athletic defending much deeper this half, the Latics looked much more solid; the through balls that had caused them difficulties in the first half were now running beyond the back line through to McCallum. Patience was the name of the game and further goals eventually arrived through Oakley, a great finish after a poor goalkeeping clearance and sub Carl Aldred. Aldred rediscovered his goalscoring knack with a great team goal. He had picked the ball up on the half-way line and after exchanging two passes with his team mates found himself one-on-one with the keeper. He drew the keeper and, when he was committed, slid the ball under him to seal the victory. Final score 7-4. This was a strange match in many ways, but Athletic had enough quality to see off a battling opposition, despite conceeding so many goals. Much greater defensive concentration is a must however and there will be a much sterner test on Saturday in the next round of the Northern Cup, to Wigan based Bickerstaffe. On a sour note, full back, and Sunday team manager, Justin Aylett suffered a nasty injury in this match and was carried from the field with half-an-hour remaining. Later scans showed his ankle injury was a confirmed tendon tear, ruling him out for six weeks at the minimum. With Mark Owen proving unreliable, Athletic potentially now have a player shortage in the right full back slot, and manager Sladen may look to the loan system to bolster his team's fortunes in this area. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 5- Didn't command his area as demanded by manager Sladen. 2, Aylett 6- Nasty injury may mean Juzzy will not be seen on the pitch again until 2008. 3, Jenkins 6- Individually not a bad match but collectively the defence were poor today. 4, Hilton 6- As above. Much better in second half. 5, Rawnsley 6- As above. Much improved second half. 6, Webb 7- Always a willing worker but didn't always get the rub of the green. 7, Gibson 7- A fine goal and some promise shown. Must work harder at defensive side of play. Also suffered a nasty ankle injury. 8, Ellis 7- Good battling qualities. 9, Cavell 7- Draws men to him and creates space for Oakley. It could be argued he is a key reason for Oakley's form. 10, Oakley 8- Took his chances well. 11, Drew 7- Some nice play and good battling. A fine pass for Oakley's first stands out. Subs: Sladen 6- On for Aylett. Didn't do very well defensively but did well offensively. Aldred 7- Fine goal. Barry Anonymous Star Man: No stand out performances but another 'trick sees Oakley take the award. Email Barry at Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net and your match report will feature here. Training Training is now confirmed as Tuesday evenings 9pm-10pm at South Wirral High School sports hall. After the time and effort spent getting this organised ALL players are expected to attend. This week's first session resulted in the appalling attendance of just 5 players! As the session costs £28.00 and as everyone has previously confirmed their commitment to this, those who didn't turn up will be expected to contribute to the shortfall that the club is not able to fund. Please make every effort to attend from next week- it's in all our interests! Bickerstaffe Too Strong AFC Bebington Athletic 1-2 Bickerstaffe Northern Cup Round Two. AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Rawnsley; Harris; Gibson; Ellis; Webb; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Sladen; Daly. Goals: Oakley. Athletic's good run came to an end on Saturday against free-flowing Bickerstaffe from the Wigan and District Football League. Bickerstaffe look a good bet to make the final stages of this competition, as they displayed fine one touch football all afternoon that threatened to overwhelm the Latics at Leverhulme playing fields. Despite a double booking on the pitch, the game kicked off on time, with Rangers Breaks and Alf Roberts being relegated to inferior Green Lane much to his annoyance. But this was the right decision on this occasion. Athletic made two changes to their last outing with NSD Harris and Mark Owen restored to the side as Aylett, injured, and Cavell, working, made way. Athletic were prepared for a tough game and set themselves up to be hard to beat with a 4-5-1 formation, with NSD playing the anchor role. It was clear that Bickerstaffe were a class act and they were obviously a well drilled team, at ease with each other and knowing instinctively where their team-mates were; often playing the ball first time accurately without looking for their colleague. They moved into space quickly and often Athletic were chasing shadows to keep up. Despite this, Athletic defended superbly in the first half and their was a collective desire to dig in and match Bickerstaffe's skill with hard graft. Revitalised keeper McCallum was Athletic's hero in the first-half with three top class saves when Athletic's defence was breached. At the other end Athletic created on the counter attack. A good run down the right channel and then cross by Oakley was volleyed narrowly over by Ben Ellis and Oakley himself went one-on-one with the keeper but lifted the bouncing ball over the bar. At the interval the scores remained tied. After the break, the game followed the first-half theme, and it was still Bickerstaffe who had the lion's share of possession and chances. Eventually, their slick passing unlocked the door and McCallum was picking the ball out of the back of net. A move down the left saw the ball squared and, this time, no one had tracked the striker who slotted to give his team the advantage. Shortly afterwards, Athletic found themselves further behind: a threatening corner was eventually turned in at the back post. Striker and top-scorer Chris Oakley had had a frustrating afternoon to date, and despite his hard work and running, hadn't quite had the luck in front of goal. That changed with twenty five still on the clock. Again in the right channel, a promising run looked to be petering out as a lack of support limited his options. In-form Oakley however had other ideas and, aware that the keeper was slightly off his line, lifted the ball over him from just outside the box to grab Athletic a lifeline. Suddenly it was Athletic who looked the stronger side and a change to a more attacking formation produced further chances as Athletic pushed for extra-time. In the dying minutes Chris Oakley was presented with two clear-cut chances but in a crowded penalty area the keeper pulled off two good saves to keep his team in the slender lead. As referee Kinnear indicated only injury time remained, Chris Drew had a fine chance to grab an equaliser but, stuck in two minds between striking at goal and squaring the ball to the waiting Webb, Rawnsley and Sladen, he did neither and passed a nothing ball straight at the keeper. Drew had also missed a sitter earlier in the match when a Oakley run down the left saw the ball crossed into the area. Drew had timed his run to perfection but on that occasion hadn't anticipated a defensive slip and he misjudged his shot. For all Bickerstaffe's possession Athletic's tactics looked spot on- they defended well in the main and they created numerous chances throughout the afternoon but most of these were wasted through indecisive finishing, seen most frustratingly in the dying seconds. With the final whistle, Athletic's hopes of progressing were finally extinguished but they should take heart in a solid rearguard action, and the chances they created on the counter. This could have been a different story but in fairness this was the right result with the more talented team going through. It will be interesting to note Bickerstaffe's progression in the competition and they are probably the best team Athletic have faced in the Northern Cup over the past two seasons. Next week there is more cup action as Athletic take on Newton Reserves at Coronation Park. If Athletic approach the game with the same work ethic they should see their name into the next round, but this is Athletic's big challenge as they have frequently shown an inability to be 'up for' games aginst so called lesser opponents. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 9- Topsy-turvy season so far. Dominant one week, indecisive the next. The former this time out. 2, Owen 7- Fortunate to be recalled but there was no one else! Decent. 3, Jenkins 7- As solid and committed as always. 4, Hilton 8- Commitment and determination a speciality. 5, Rawnsley 8- Fine defensive performance. 6, Harris 7- Best performance so far this season. Heading in the right direction. 7, Gibson 7- Did well today. Must have more confidence in his ability. Should run at defenders and have the confidence to strike at goal. 8, Ellis 8- Proving to be a real find. 9, Webb 7- Worked hard. Still some debate over his best position. 10, Oakley 8- Always a threat with his running. A fine goal, but his recent clinical form deserted him in front of goal on a couple of occasions. 11, Drew 8- Really good performance. Good tackles. Good workrate but he will be disappointed to not see his name on the scoresheet. Subs: Sladen 6- Didn't offer much when he came on. Daly 6- Didn't really have much to do. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Craig McCallum grabs the award today. Fine handling. Good decision making. Patience Is A Virtue Newton Reserves 0-5 AFC Bebington Athletic Tom Gerraghty Memorial Trophy Round One. AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Rawnsley; Harris; Webb; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Gibson. Subs: Sladen; Aldred; Daly. Goals: Ellis, Oakley (2), Cavell, Sladen. Athletic marched into the second round of the Tom Gerraghty Cup with a comprehensive victory against a young and immature Newton Reserves, on a muddy Coronation Park. Athletic recalled Cavell for the missing Drew but there was still no place for Mike Daly, who has been unable to regain his position following an injury layoff. Carl Aldred returned to warm the bench, following his one week 'loan' to Birkenhead side Wirral Wanderers. On a cold and windy day, it was clear Winter had well and truly arrived and a boggy and uneven pitch meant Athletic struggled to play with any fluency, as passes were badly timed or the elements contributed to sloppiness. Athletic saw more of the ball but there was a danger that their frustration might be their downfall- several players were becoming agitated with their colleagues after a misplaced effort. That said, Athletic were never really troubled at the back as Rawnsley and Hilton were on top-form, with concentration being the order of the day. At the other end, Athletic didn't really test the Newton keeper, who had been drafted in just minutes before the kick-off, and repeatedly struck shots straight at him, providing confidence to the rookie number one. Prolific Chris Oakley wasted a couple of opportunities but the biggest miss was by Craig Webb who ran clear of the defence and un-oppossed went one-on-one with the keeper. All composure was lost and he placed a bobbling shot wide of the upright. Newton also cleared a couple of times off the line. Most disappointingly, Athletic wasted a series of free kicks and corners as no one attacked the ball and it ran clear of danger. At half-time some players were over-excited, looking to lay blame at others for Athletic's failure to gain the advantage- but the message remianed that the breakthrough would come if the team stuck to what they had been doing. This duly arrived when dominant Ben Ellis attacked a long throw-in from Mark Owen and bulleted a header into the net on 55 minutes. On 56 minutes Athletic had doubled the lead. Almost from the kick-off, Dean Cavell took advantage of some lazy defending to make his first real contribution of the afternoon. And soon after, the game was over as prolific Oakley found his shooting boots to despatch twice, once after a fine through ball from Webb. With the game meandering towards the finish, all three Athletic substitutes were utilised and player-manager Chris Sladen grabbed Athletic's fifth taking advantage of terrible defending to slot with ease. Newton fell to pieces in the second half as indiscipline proved their downfall. A very young side with an average age surely in the teens, they showed some decent touches in the first half but once Ellis had broken the deadlock, they descended into stupidity, with immature insults and nasty tackles increasingly becoming a feature of the game as it progressed. Referee Morgan deserves credit for his sensible handling of the game, in which he chose to have a word with players rather than throw the cards around (Joe Smith take note!). Overall, a job well done by referee and Athletic alike. Next week, basement strugglers Chester Nomads are the opponents at the changed venue of The Garrison Ground (so no complimentary food after the game!). Nomads always give Athletic a decent game and it would be folly to think this match will be a walkover despite Nomads' lowly position. More of the same needed next Saturday. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 7- A clean sheet but not much for Craig to do this week. 2, Owen 7- Under the weather with a cold but a solid performance. 3, Jenkins 9- Looked good today both defensively and with his powering runs forward. 4, Hilton 9- Won everything. 5, Rawnsley 9- Played 80 minutes at the back and was superb. Last 10 in the middle of the park and was equally effective. 6, Harris 7- Worked well until knee pain caused withdrawel as a precautionary measure. 7, Webb 7- Key player in team. 8, Ellis 8- Another fine performance and a goal this time out too. 9, Cavell 6- Grabbed a goal and much better second half performance. Didn't look interested in the first half. 10, Oakley 8- Another two for top scorer but could have had a hatful. 11, Gibson 7- Shows glimpses of his ability. Must show more. Good performance. Subs: Sladen 7- Will be pleased to grab a goal. Aldred 6- Not enough time to make an impact. Daly 6- Settled well into back line for last ten. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Chris Rawnsley takes the honours. As Athletic struggled to find the breakthrough at the other end, he made a number of timely interceptions to keep the scores level. Hard Fought Win Chester Nomads 3rds 1-2 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Sladen; Rawnsley; Gibson; Ellis; Webb; Oakley; Drew. Subs: Tanner. Goals: Jenkins (pen), Oakley. Athletic made it three wins in a row to keep up their good form with a hard fought win against relegation threatened Nomads. Nomads looked better than their lowly position and if they perform like this each week they will surely improve their league standing. Bare-bones Athletic were without Daly and Aldred for this outing (both working) and also Harris and Cavell (both at Everton) and Higginson and Aylett remained injured. Manager Sladen partnered Stefan Hilton at the back, allowing Chris Rawnsley to link up with Ben Ellis in the middle of the park. Matt Tanner was named as the only sub on Athletic's bench. The lack of understanding at the back nearly caused an early embarrassment for Athletic and Nomads threatened twice in the opening ten minutes; fortunately both efforts were way off target. The first half was a mostly frustrating affair with the wind and pitch contributing to poor play. Nomads put men behind the ball and Athletic found it hard to break through, with precise passes often being diverted from their destination by a sudden gust of wind. Tempers were becoming frayed and this game had some familiar features to the match a week previous but the same approach was needed; patience with the conviction that a breakthrough was more likely for Athletic than the opposition. This attitude was vindicated within minutes of the second half. A promising run down the right by Mark Owen saw him uppended just outside the area. His roll into the area persuaded referee Mr Drew that the foul was indeed inside the white line and a penalty was given. A definite foul but the referee clearly made an error on it's location. Captain Keith Jenkins wrestled the ball from a posse of contenders to take the spot kick and he duly converted to grab his third of the campaign, to give Athletic a slender lead. Athletic were now well on top but a final pass was often lacking or a cross was overhit when more composure was needed. A great run from the right full back position by Mark Owen produced Athletic's second of the day. He ran strongly with the ball before he exchanged passes with Chris Drew on the edge of the penalty area. He looked certain to score when Drew returned the ball to him just 10 yards from goal. Goal hanging Chris Oakley got in the way of the shot however and despite calls for offside he readjusted his body to score with a swivelling overhead kick. 2-0. A good finish by Oakley as he took his season tally to 20, an amazing achievement given that November isn't even over yet. But frustrating for Owen as he looked certain to break his four-season goal-scoring duck. Athletic could have added to the score after the introduction of Tanner with twenty to go. Tanner worked well in an unfamiliar left wing position as he returned from a two year cruciate injury. Any fears about the strength of his knee were dismissed after a strong tackle on the Nomads right winger, following a great bit of tracking back. And he also looked to be a threat offensively too. With just seconds remaining on the clock, Stefan Hilton was harshly penalised for handball as the ball struck his arm. Standing just two yards from the Nomads player as he struck a shot at goal, Hilton could do little to get out of the way. The penalty was converted despite keeper McCallum's best efforts but there was no frantic hanging on as the final whistle was blown just moments later. This was an important result and keeps the momentum going. It was vital not to drop points here, and if Athletic can get something from next week's encounter with third placed Helsby they will be back in the mix. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 7- Didn't have much to do in all fairness. 2, Owen 8- Did well for both goals. 3, Jenkins 7- Dependable. Took penalty with aplomb. 4, Hilton 7- Solid. Conceeded penalty in dying seconds but this was a harsh decision. 5, Sladen 7- Will be pleased with his performance. 6, Rawnsley 7- Despite turning up in a state performed well in the middle. 7, Gibson 6- As always shows some nice touches but must get involved more. 8, Ellis 8- Another good performance. 9, Webb 6- Frustrating afternoon for Quacker. 10, Oakley 7- Largely quiet but popped up when it mattered. 11, Drew 8- Some nice touches. Subs: Tanner 7- First appearance for two years and he settled in well. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Ben Ellis. Much of his work goes un-noticed but not this week. The award however is withheld until he pays his debts. Lone Ranger Voices Concerns The 'Lone Ranger' has taken the opportunity to voice their concerns over Athletic's reliance on top scorer Chris Oakley, via the Barry Anonymous mailbox. The full email is attached: Beb Athletic notched up a 3rd win on the trot at the weekend against lowly Chester Nomads 3rds. In a comfortable 2-1 victory, Athletic profited from a refereeing blunder that saw a penalty wrongly awarded for a foul on Right Back Mark Owen that replays have since shown to be outside the area. The other goal came from in-form 'super striker' Chris Oakley who secured the win following a fortuatous rebound off a Mark Owen strike that would have seen him score his first competative goal in over 4 years. Take nothing away from the scorer however, the finish resembled one Tim Cahill against Chelsea weeks earleir as Oakley showed fantastic agility to score a bicycle kick from close range. That said, if it wasnt for Oakley's instinct to find the net, Athletic would have again lost points in a game where 3 is the expectation. This seems to be a similar story for the Latics as out of their 37 goals scored this season, Oakley has bagged an impressive 20, explaining why he has been attracting the attention of clubs across the country and has been rumoured to have been approached by a mysterious Argentinian Buisnessman regarding the rights to his signature. So lets suppose Oakley had been snapped up in the close season... that means Athletic would have scored a poor 17 goals this season with Jenkins, Webb and Ellis topping the scoring charts with 3 a peice. Now take into consideration the amount of goals conceded this season - 31, which would (in theory) leave Athletic at the foot of the table in a hopeless position. It seems that this has caused unrest amongst the supporters and has left many wondering what could have been if Oakley had not signed his 1 year contract extension in the summer. If goals dont start coming from other parts of the park soon, there will be a huge amount of pressure on Manager Sladen to sign big in the January transfer window as well as hanging onto his deadly striker from the clutches of other clubs. Other worries surround Oakley's age. He is still as deadly as ever but it is common knowledge that with time against him, his pace wont last many more years and this could leave Athletic in big trouble if another source of goals isnt found soon. Hopefully against Helsby at the weekend, the players can take it upon themselves to dig deep and add to the teams tally for the season. Email you views and match reports to Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net. Athletic Give Their All AFC Bebington Athletic 0-1 Helsby Reserves AFC Bebington Athletic: Sladen; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Drew; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Webb. Subs: Harris. Long time Athletic watchers had a tear in their eye as they recalled Athletic's first ever win against the same opposition way back in 1997. Then known as BICC Helsby Reserves, Helsby provided Athletic with their first ever points haul, as a Ben Jenner double sent Athletic on their way in their first ever season. Helsby's second string have disbanded and reformed on a couple of occasions since but in their current incarnation have enjoyed good fortune since their entry to the Chester League last season. There was no three point reward for Athletic on this occasion however, as the visiting team edged a closely fought match, coutesy of a single strike from a free-kick that was too good for stand-in keeper Chris Sladen, who had featured in the same match a decade earlier, the only survivor from that contest. Sladen stepped in at the eleventh hour after a Friday night kickaround resulted in an injury to regular number one Craig McCallum. Sunday shot-stopper Terry Cairns was unable to step in as cover as he was also injured. Mike Daly made a welcome return into the side and Dean Cavell came into the line up at the expense of Graham Gibson, who was unavailable. Again only one substitute was named in NSD Harris, and Athletic are really at their bare bones at present. From the kick-off it was evident Helsby were physically strong and a number of long balls indicated that the Athletic defence would have a battle on their hands, as Helsby favoured a direct approach. However they also had a gem in their team and no 7 Dison had pace and trickery down the Helsby right aplenty. An early Helsby attack nearly caught the returning Daly out but the Helsby striker, Lee Banner, placed his short wide. Had he been more composed, he would have realised Sladen had rushed from his goal and a open net was waiting but he snatched at his shot to save Sladen's blushes. As the teams settled chances were a rarity. Helsby were well set-up with two tall and strong defenders heading the ball clear and intercepting well. In goal the Helsby keeper came and won everything to give the away defence a solid base. Athletic's best chance of the first half came following a great bit of passing involving Jenkins, Webb, Ellis and Owen as the ball was switched across the park from left to right. A deep cross from Owen on the right should have been met by Chris Drew who had timed his run to perfection. Just yards from goal and under no pressure from the defence or keeper he perhaps was too concerned at running full pelt into the goal post. He took his eye off the ball and the chance was gone. This should have been one-nil. The breakthrough unfortunately came at the other end of the field as Stefan Hilton was ruled to have outmuscled the Helsby striker unfairly. Hilton was having a right ding-dong battle with the physical presence of striker Banner and he was perhaps harshly adjudged to have committed a foul just outside the penalty area. Minutes earlier Athletic had successfully defended a similar set-piece but keeper Sladen's calls for a three-man wall were ignored and a wall of Jenkins and Webb was not a sufficient obstacle to block a well-placed free-kick that hit the back of the net, high into the top corner. The rest of the half was evenly contested with neither keeper really tested. This remained a feature of the second half, but as Athletic pressed they looked the most likely to grab a goal. Athletic were well on top and were now playing some good football, particularly down the flanks with Webb and Jenkins on the left linking up well, as too were Drew and Owen on the right. A quiet first half by midfielders Rawnsley and Ellis was quickly forgotten as they were both excellent in the second half. But chances came and went. Chris Oakley was having a frustrating afternoon and he snatched at chances, a far cry from his recent electrifying form. When Athletic did look like they had grabbed an elusive equaliser it was denied at the last second: Chris Rawnsley made space in a crowded penalty area and placed a shot into the top corner only for a remarkable save from the Helsby keeper to keep the ball out; Dean Cavell had a shot cleared from the line when all were expecting to hear the net rustle. Athletic were helped when striker Banner was dismissed with twenty to go for lashing out at Chris Drew as Drew shielded the ball to win an Athletic throw-in. This meant Helsby attacks were increasingly few and far between, prompting Sladen to push centre-back Daly forward for the final 4 minutes. This nearly paid off as Daly made a nuisance of himself in the opposition area. One superb lay off to top scorer Oakley could have been the pass to level the scores but instead of taking the ball on, Oakley lashed his shot over the bar from the edge of the area. Another good pass by Rawnsley was also not executed by Oakley with just minutes remaining. As the referee blew the whistle for full time, Athletic knew there was no repeat of the jubilant scenes of a decade earlier and there would be no carrying players from the pitch shoulder-high as happened on that glorious 1997 afternoon. This was a fine Athletic performance and credit to all for having the belief to continue to the final whistle. But in the end, a cruel defeat ends Athletic's three match winning run in the league. A two week-break now starts but a busy Chistmas period sees Athletic play on both the 22nd and 29th Decemeber. It is hoped all will be available, and Athletic can approach the new year in the best possible shape. Match Ratings: 1, Sladen 7- Will be pleased with his performance. 2, Owen 7- The current Manager's Player of the Year says the manager doesn't know what he's doing. He later apologised but ill-discipline and tantrums remain a worrying feature of this palyer's character. 3, Jenkins 7- Solid as always. 4, Hilton 8- Strong and committed performance. 5, Daly 9- Thoroughly justified his inclusion with his best performance for some time. 6, Rawnsley 7- First half 6/10. Second half 8/10. 7, Drew 8- Always a threat. 8, Ellis 7- Same as Razor Rawns. Much better second half. 9, Cavell 7- Cruelly robbed of his best form by his ridiculous ban, he is lacking a bit of sharpness at present. 10, Oakley 7- Always a threat but didn't take the half-chances that came his way. The expectations raised by the player himself, means we just don't expect him to miss anymore. 11, Webb 8- He has admitted to being frustrated by his constant position shuffle but a good performance on left today. His versatility is vital to the team. Subs: Harris (unused). Barry Anonymous Star Man: Mike Daly was the star man today winning timely headers, tackles and interceptions. Email your views to Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net. The only communication we've had so far have been from Captain Birdseye, The Lone Ranger and a chinese phising scam trying to get our bank details!, so make use of the forum and get your views in! League Tables (click here) Other News The Chester team have a bit of a financial crisis at present with bills mounting up. The training scheduled for Tuesday nights at South Wirral High School (9-10pm) has had such a poor turnout that the plug may be pulled. At a cost of £28 sessions aren't cheap so please make every effort to attend. Subs have been increased to address the shortfall in funds. As said previously, it is in everyone's interest to attend. It's a pretty good guess that City Bar, Helsby, Sutton Way Villa etc.. will be training every week and if we are to compete with these teams, we need to be having a midweek session to maintain our sharpness and fitness. The club is determined to improve and remains committed to this training but the players (you lot!!) must make it work. Please show the same level of commitment to training as we already show to matches. __________________________________________ Xmas night out confirmed 15th Decemeber. Details to be confirmed. __________________________________________ Referee Crisis- A league meeting has been called for tonight (Thurs 6th Dec) to discuss the ref's crisis in the league. It is expected fees will be increased to try and attract more referees to the league, as there is a shortfall each week. So far, this has yet to cause a problem for Athletic but it is a matter of time. If you know any refs who are interested in adding their names to the ref's panel let your manager know and their details can be passed on. ___________________________________________ Player recruitment- Athletic have struggled for numbers over the past few weeks. If you are interested in playing and currently aren't email Barry.Anonymous@talktalk.net and Barry will get back to you. __________________________________________ The next set of fixtures are out, confirming free weeks on the 8th and 15th of December but there are games on both the 22nd and 29th. If there any issues of un-availability please contact your manager or email the Barry Anonymous inbox. It is vital we are at full, or nearly full strength for these matches. Fixtures/ Results (click here) Off The Waggon Waggon and Horses 2-1 AFC Bebington Athletic. Tom Gerraghty Memorial Trophy Round Two. AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Aylett; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Drew; Halliday; Cavell; Oakley; Aldred. Subs: Sladen; Ellis; Tanner; Webb. Goals: Aylett. With the Christmas season in full swing, it was perhaps not completely surprising that Athletic felt the force of the party period, with several of their alcohol reliant players showing the obvious side-effects of a heavy night on the ale the night before. With Christmas just days away perhaps Athletic should have asked for a free-week, but hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially when reflecting on such a shambolic afternoon. Late cry-offs from several players was not ideal preparation for a game against top-flight opposition and the very late arrival of manager Chris Sladen set the tone for a dis-jointed display. Midfield lynch-pin Ben Ellis was removed from the starting line-up due to alcohol related confusion and it was fortunate that Athletic had a ready made replacement in the returning-from-university Glyn Halliday. With Athletic arriving late at the ground there was little time for an suitable warm-up or team talk and the game started with Athletic receiving little instruction on how they were best suited to progress in this cup competition. Yet, they started decently, and although the game was mostly played in the Athletic half there was little to really cause concern. The rookie referee's performance was the main talking point of the match thus far. He had had a promising start to the game but he then proceeded to baffle with his constant stopping of the game for a series of bewildering decisions. It was as if he had swallowed the whistle and was powerless in stopping himself blowing it, at every exhale of air. As the game progressed, he slowly got worse and Athletic players Cavell, Oakley, Daly, Drew and McCallum were all duly booked, with only the decision to caution McCallum being the right one. Waggon looked to have a few decent players and were occasionally capable of slick passing moves, but Athletic were well marshalled at the heart of their defence by stand in skipper Hilton (Jenkins being one of the late omissions) and the impressive Mike Daly. However, a foul by Hilton on the edge of the area led to the breakthrough goal. Stefan is a committed and aggressive tackler but sometimes he must curb his enthusiasm, and this was the case here as the referee ruled he had unfairly challenged for the ball. The Waggon midfielder hit a hard and low shot on target and although keeper McCallum got his body to it, he could only push the ball to the on-rushing striker who left his marker Chris Drew for dead to slot for the opener. At the other end, Athletic's best chances had come to Chris Rawnsley but a good save and a good block denied him, in an otherwise poor display from the midfielder-turned-defender-turned-midfielder. A second free-kick for Waggon from virtually the same position as the earlier one, produced the second for the hosts. A similar low and hard shot again evaded the Athletic wall but this time there was no need for the striker to win the race to the second ball, as keeper McCallum made a mess of the save and the ball slipped under his body in a Massimo Taibi style error. Two set-pieces, two shots on target and two nil to the favourites from the higher division. There was redemption of some kind for McCallum as he later pulled off two top drawer saves in one-on-one situations. Waggon however were probably good value for their lead so far, and club founder Robin Lee, who was in attendance, was perhaps regretting his decision to come and watch the Chester team over their West Cheshire counterparts. At the interval, manager Sladen was far from happy and a re-shuffle saw Justin Aylett pushed forward and Matt Tanner introduced, at the expense of Carl Aldred. The result was almost instant and Aylett reduced the defecit to one, sticking his leg at a cross from Dean Cavell after a good lay-off from Mark Owen, who managed to contol his temper in this match, not rising to the provocation of the referee's performance as he has in the past. As Athletic improved greatly in the second half they looked the more likely to score next. The one clear chance they produced should have been an absolute certainty but stand in skipper Hilton later admitted that he thought the ball was already in the net and was celebrating when his chance at glory was presented on a plate. On this occasion, an Athletic free-kick had been awarded 25 yards from goal. Dean Cavell struck an excellent effort at goal but, with the keeper well beaten, it struck the post with real venom rebounding to Hilton five yards from goal. With the keeper prone on the floor it looked easier to score but he blazed the ball over the bar. As Athletic pressed they couldn't manage to get the leveller to take the tie into extra-time, and the final entertainment of the afternoon involved keeper McCallum who, in response to a corner decision, petulantly threw the ball at the attacker to earn a yellow. This match showed that the difference between the divisions is minimal and the difference between winning and losing can be a mistake in attack or defence. It is important Athletic eliminate these mistakes and they can move forward. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 5- Both good and bad from Craig in this match but big mistakes cost Athletic dearly. 2, Owen 7- Decent. 3, Aylett 8- Did well. 4, Hilton 7- Almost brilliant. But crucial miss and careless fouls blot copybook. 5, Daly 8- Becoming an important player for Latics. 6, Rawnsley 5- Well below par. 7, Drew 7- Average. 8, Halliday 7- Ditto. 9, Cavell 7- And again. 10, Oakley 7- Poor service but ran his legs off. 11, Aldred 5- Didn't look interested. Subs: Sladen (no mark)- Not enough time to make an impact. Ellis (no mark)- Not enough time to make an impact. Tanner 7- Did well when he came on. Unused: Webb. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Mike Daly edges it. Christmas Cheer Cestrian Alex 0-3 AFC Bebington Athletic AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Tanner; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Webb. Subs: Sladen; Aldred; Halliday; Aylett; Drew. Goals: Tanner, Oakley and Cavell. It was back to winning ways for Athletic on Saturday as they marched to a three goal victory over Cestrian Alex, a team who had managed to do the double over Athletic last season. Based on this, Athletic approached the game cautiously well aware that marksman Adi Gough could cause them serious damage as he did in a five goal rampage a year previously. There was no repeat of this feat and Cestrian have failed to live up to their form of a season previously. A win was a must in this encouter given Cestrian's inferior league position this time out. In winning, Athletic put to bed the idea that Alex's pitch was a bogey ground for them, having previously struggled to beat Bank of Scotland, Crossway and Alex here in previous seasons. Manager Sladen rang the changes with three of the midfield making way, and only Chris Rawnsley retaining his jersey. This was particularly harsh on Glyn Halliday who had slotted into the team a week earlier at short notice and performed decently, but Sladen was anxious to re-unite Rawnsley with his midfield partner Ben Ellis, with whom he has built up a sound working relationship. Matt Tanner, after a couple of promising substitute appearances earnt a first start since his return from a cruciate ligament injury and his resulting performance will no doubt have delighted all in attendance, not least the player himself, as he was at the heart of much of Athletic's good play until a hamstring strain caused his withdrawel on the hour. It was Tanner himself who scored the opening goal. After a tense start, Athletic began to assert their authority on the game and were probing for an opening particularly down the flanks with Tanner and Webb the chief tormentors of an ageing defence. A ball down the right flank was played by Mark Owen and he found the ever eager Chris Oakley. Oakley was being screamed at by strike partner Dean Cavell to play the ball back to him, as he too found himself on the right flank. Oakley used Cavell by not using him, ignoring his appeals and pushed on before delivering a front post cross to Craig Webb, who had made a Ljungberg type run from the left. As he shaped to strike the cross at goal, he performed a classic dummy to bamboozle the home defence. The ball fell to the returning Tanner and he swivelled to strike into the net, 1-0. A great goal involving Athletic's most dangerous players. The first goal is always important in close contests and it was a relief that Athletic grabbed it before their opponents who had threatened a number of times, helped by the terrible conditions the match was played in. Five minutes later and it was 2-0. A precise pass by Cavell to Chris Oakley was despatched with class as Oakley lifted the ball over the keeper under pressure from the defence to end a two match drought in front of goal. It should have been three before the break but the impressive Tanner narrowly failed to find the net with a glancing header six yards out. With Hilton and Daly's partnership at the back getting better by the game and with McCallum looking assured in goal, this game was always going to be Athletic's, the issues being just how many could Athletic notch and whether Cestrian could drag themselves back into the game. They couldn't and the game was effectively over when Ben Ellis set up Oakley with a slide rule pass ten minutes into the second half. His shot was saved by the keeper but Dean Cavell followed up as all good strikers should do to make the game safe. With Tanner's injury, Carl Aldred was given a run-out and he produced his best performance for a long while, as his tricks and flicks could not be answered by the opposition full back, repeatedly making him look foolish with well-executed skills that were well-suited to a game already won. A fourth goal was well-finished by Cavell but refereeing veteran Mr Dodsworth ruled it out for supposed offside; a harsh decision in an otherwise good game from the veteran official. As the showers became a downpour full-backs Owen and Jenkins pushed forward and were full of running (mostly in an attempt to keep warm) and further goals seemed likely but they never materialised as Alex kept the score respectable. This was a fine performance from Athletic, and some encouraging performances give boss Sladen the much-wanted selection headaches against high-flying Sutton Way Villa who they face next week. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 8- Solid today and a couple of good saves were made at 0-0 that proved crucial. 2, Owen 8- Another consistent performance from Owen. 3, Jenkins 8- Playing very well at present. 4, Hilton 8- Has struck up a great partnership with Daly. 5, Daly 9- Another superb performance from Daly. 6, Rawnsley 8- At sea without a paddle last week but back-to-his-best on this outing. 7, Tanner 9- Impressive return to a Beb Ath shirt. 8, Ellis 8- Has really improved the Athletic midfield. 9, Cavell 8- Another player who produced the goods this week after some uncertain performances. 10, Oakley 8- A fine goal and two assists. 11, Webb 9- What was really pleasing was the way Craig battled back when he, or others, lost the ball and also his support for the attackers. Really good. Subs: Aldred 9- Superb display from the bench. Why can't he play like this every week? Halliday 7- Only got 15 and added defensive role to Athletic midfield in final stages. Drew 8- Some great touches and great harrying of players. Unused: Sladen and Aylett. Barry Anonymous Star Man: Lots of contenders this week which is great but Daly again takes the honours. Successful teams need a solid base and Athletic have this now. In the last 450 minutes Athletic have only conceeded from set-pieces, which is something to sort out but from open-play Athletic look solid and Daly's return coincides with this. Visit Cestrian's website (click here) Refereeing Blunder Costs Athletic Dearly AFC Bebington Athletic 1-3 Sutton Way Villa AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Owen; Jenkins; Hilton; Drew; Rawnsley; Tanner; Ellis; Cavell; Oakley; Webb. Subs: Daly; Aldred; Aylett; Halliday; Boston. Goals: Oakley. * A much briefer match report this week as the computer crashed on 'submitting' and the previous lengthy report was lost!* Athletic failed to shorten the gap on the teams ahead of them, falling to a home defeat to promotion chasing Sutton Way Villa at Levers. This was a closer match than the scoreline suggested and with different circumstances, the outcome might have been different. After a lively Athletic start that saw a goal disallowed for a supposed foul on the visiting keeper on three minutes, Athletic were awarded a penalty on just seven minutes after a fine ball from the middle of the park by Cavell found top scorer Oakley who raced clear, rounded the keeper before being delibrately tripped by the SWV number one. A stonewall penalty but to the amazement of all referee Mark Turner decided not to dismiss the keeper and he duly saved the spot kick by skipper Jenkins (his first ever miss from the spot), before thwarting Athletic throughout the match with key saves. Turner admitted at half-time that he had made a blunder (not quite his exact words), and that he should have sent the player from the pitch, as he delibrately denied a clear goalscoring opportunity and was the last man. But Turner's honesty was no consolation to Athletic who would surely have taken a 1-0 lead had the keeper not delibrately taken Oakley out, or at worse, had a man adavntage for 83 minutes of play had the law been correctly applied. The punishment for Sutton was nil when Jenkins failed to open the scoring. For the following twenty minutes Cavell came closest to scoring in the match, hitting a post before the deadlock was broken on the half hour, after Athletic indecision in the centre of the field resulted in SWV gaining possession. The resultant through ball caught Chris Rawnsley out and with Craig McCallum not being as alert as he should have been in coming of his line, the Sutton striker Ramsey lifted the ball over McCallum's head to give his side the advantage. The lead was doubled after a McCallum parry from a dangerous cross saw further indecision, this time amongst the Athletic defenders and the Sutton striker nipped in ahead of them to score, with just minutes remaining of the first half to see Sutton in at the interval with a two goal advantage. In the second half Athletic continued to work hard but their passing was rushed and a final ball was crucially lacking; on more than one occasion a real chance was wasted as a man in a good position could not be found, despite it being a relatively straight-forward task to pass it to him. Sutton put the match beyond Athletic with the crucial third, after a good 'one-two' move got the better of the otherwise solid Hilton. Oakley grabbed one back with a sound finish but could have made it a real granstand finish when he went one-on-one with the keeper with a quarter of an hour left on the clock. On this occasion he took his shot early striking the keeper and the chance was gone. In hindsight perhaps he should have rounded the keeper as he had done for the penalty but possibly fearing another whack he took the early shot and keeper Colclough was equal to it this time. As the game progressed, Aldred and debutant Boston were introduced and they linked up well on a couple of occasions only for the lively Boston to just miss out on connecting with an Aldred throughball, in a good opening for Latics. Aldred himself had a great chance to score, dancing through the Sutton defence but being unable to beat the Sutton keeper, who had a fine game in the visitor's goal. This highlighted the bad decision making of the referee and had he rightfully dismissed Colclough this game might have had a different outcome. The difference between winning and losing remains a small one, and on this occasion Athletic fell just short, but it has to be reiterated this was more due to the official's errors rather than Athletic's. Match Ratings- 1, McCallum 6- Mostly solid. 2, Owen 7- Did okay. 3, Jenkins 6- Was given a torrid time by the lively right winger. 4, Hilton 8- Caught out for the third, he was otherwise good. 5, Drew 5- Disappointing today. 6, Rawnsley 6- Turned up with his paddle this week but without his boat. 7, Tanner 7- When he was involved he looked good but didn't get as involved as much as he did a week previous. 8, Ellis 8- Good performance. 9, Cavell 7- At the heart of Athletic's best play in the first half-hour he faded from the game as it progressed. 10, Oakley 8- Up front on his own for much of the game he was fouled for the penalty and notched a fine goal. 11, Webb 8- Hard working performance. Subs: Aldred 7- Lively when he came on but should have scored. Boston 7- His introduction coincided with a lot of chances being created. Halliday (no mark)- Came on in the final seconds for the exhausted Ellis. Unused: Daly (no show) and Aylett (unable to regain his place following his return from injury). Barry Anonymous Star Man: Hilton edges the award. No-one stood out particularly and on the basis of a sound performance, Stefan grabs his first award for some time. 3 Off; 4 Conceeded; Sorry Day for Athletic. AFC Bebington Athletic 1-4 Highfield Athletic (Reserves). AFC Bebington Athletic: McCallum; Sladen; Aylett; Hilton; Daly; Rawnsley; Tanner; Ellis; Boston; Oakley; Webb. Subs: Aldred; Gibson; Drew. Goals: Oakley. In scenes never before witnessed, Athletic saw three of their number dismissed from the field of play by referee Mark Turner, thereby doubling the number of players dismissed since the inception of this team four seasons ago. Athletic finished with a ridiculous 8 men, after Sladen, Oakley and Webb were all given their marching orders. Highfield themselves ended the contest with 10 in a match that broke records for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps the visitors were fortunate to only lose one man, such was their brutal treatment of top scorer Oakley, kicking and fouling him at every opportunity. It was this rough-house treatment that eventually led to Oakley losing his temper and calling the referee a joke (mild version) resulting in a red card for insulting language. In fairness the referee had little option to do otherwise, as he did seconds later when hothead Webb was also ordered from the field of play, for arguing about Oakley’s dismissal a little too vigorously (mild version). Earlier, player-manager Chris Sladen, earning a rare start at full back in place of the injured Mark Owen, was dismissed for the first time in his career for violent conduct after retaliating with a petulant kick to his opponent’s back following a horrific two-footed shin-high tackle by the Highfield full-back which also earnt the Highfield player a straight red, such was the disgraceful nature of the tackle. All hell briefly broke loose, and referee Turner was again probably right to dismiss both Sladen and his opponent (for violent conduct and serious foul play respectively). This ill-discipline cast a deep shadow over the afternoon’s events and it is hoped that such scenes do not return for a long time (or ever again), as it is vital the club is not brought into disrepute- something for the manager to be aware of more than anyone. Football-wise, Athletic were mostly disappointing in their first match for nearly a month. Having beaten the same opposition comprehensively earlier in the campaign to lose by such a margin was initially a hard blow to take. However, on closer examination perhaps Athletic should not be too down-beat as Highfield were clearly not the same outfit as the last time out, and with their first team having a free-week, they simply relegated their best players to the second string, hence a much stronger line-up. Highfield Firsts are currently riding high in the top division, second only to West Cheshire bound Castrol Social. Their superiority was clear for all to see in the second half but it was Athletic who were the stronger team over the first 45, despite going in at the interval 1-0 down. A horrendous mistake by Sladen let in Highfield for the first, but was the visitors only real opportunity of note. At the other end, Ben Ellis should have troubled the scorers as too should have Chris Rawnsley who headed narrowly wide on two occasions when it looked easier to convert. Chris Oakley twice skinned his marker only to be hacked down as he raced in on goal; a wasted free-kick on both occasions meant no punishment for the Highfield defence. Later, it was another hack on the striker, this time in the area that acted as the catalyst for Oakley losing his temper and being sent off. On that occasion referee Turner allowed the advantage rule but there is no advantage when you are the victim of a deliberate trip and are lying prone on the ground. Whilst Turner was left with no option on each of the dismissals, it was his decision making in the lead up to these boiling points that will disappoint Athletic most. In Athletic’s last outing in January against Sutton Way Villa (also reffed by Turner), Turner admitted he had made a major error when he failed to dismiss the SWV keeper for taking out Oakley. But he has clearly not learnt from his mistakes, and gave no protection to Oakley for the second match in succession. There is only so much frustration a person can take and this was evidently too much for messrs Oakley and Webb. Oakley did grab his mandatory goal prior to his dismissal, but Highfield grabbed three further second half goals following more blunders in the Athletic defence. First McCallum spilled a straight-forward shot and Aylett, earning his first start for some time, was seemingly stuck to the floor and didn’t react to the follow up allowing a simple tap in. Then, McCallum failed to come for a cross to give the striker an easy finish and to leave the game beyond Athletic. In the dying stages, Highfield completed the scoring, but by that stage Athletic were happy simply to get to the final whistle without losing any more players. A disappointing day all round: Beb. Ath. 1; Highfield Firsts 4. Match Ratings: 1, McCallum 5- At fault for goals 2 and 3. 2, Sladen 4- At fault for the first and then dismissed deservedly for the first time in his career. In between, he proved beyond doubt he isn’t a full back, or a footballer for that matter. 3, Aylett 5- Rocky return to the starting line-up for Juzzy. 4, Hilton 6- Some indecisive play but mostly satisfactory. 5, Daly 7- Slightly below par. 6, Rawnsley 6- Worked hard but looked short of match fitness. 7, Tanner 6- Didn’t really get going in this match. 8, Ellis 6- Worked hard but looked short of match fitness. 9, Boston 6- First start for newcomer. In the second half he was totally isolated but he showed some nice touches in the first. 10, Oakley 7- Another goal. Was a constant menace to the defence but needs more protection from the referee than was shown today. Dismissed for foul and abusive language. 11, Webb 7- Played well until his dismissal for foul and abusive language. Also booked for dissent to result in a costly afternoon for Quacker. Subs: Gibson 6- Welcome return to action following injury problems. Also went into ref’s notepad but just the yellow version of the cards was shown. Aldred 6- Not really enough time to make an impact. Drew (un-used as he was also warming the bench for the West Cheshire side on the adjoining pitch!). Barry Anonymous Star Man: Difficult decision in a flat, tired performance. Craig Webb took the award following an online vote, despite being sent off. Training Cancelled The training on Tuesday evenings has been cancelled due to poor attendance. It cost too much money and nobody paid. If people want to moan about fitness levels they should probably be moaning at themselves for failing to make this work. This wasn't due to lack of effort on the club's behalf, especially as individuals had to put their hand in their own pocket to pay for it. Back to the drawing board. Any ideas? Concerned Fan Speaks Up! Into the Barry Anonymous inbox came the following post. Interestingly, 'concerned fan' gives virtually the same marks as the official Barry match report: PROBLEMS AT LEVERS: Athletic went in the game on the back of only playing one game in 2008 and this was clearly e