Surrey Classics FC v Fort United
Denny Ross
14th. February 2010

Weather: Field was wet, temperature warm with occasion breaking sunshine
Fort surrenders under Classics barrage ..........
The Classics continued to roll on after last weeks away 6-0 thrashing of First Capital when they took on Fort United at Denny Ross. It took less than ten minutes to find the net and it came after a fine piece of build up work from Jim Eden on the left wing. Eden fed the ball to Pat Rohla and he finished the move in deft style by striking a finely placed shot to the left of the Petr Cech look-alike goalkeeper. A little more than ten minutes later Rohla was at it again in another one-on-one with the keeper. This time he totally confused the keeper by doing exactly the same thing and placing it calmly to the left of the goalkeeper, but this time it was higher and lobbed over his shoulder (so in other words it was the same but different). There wasn't to be any more goals (or is that goal) in the half but there were more opportunities. It was a very professional display from the Classics and they knocked the ball about with purpose. The only criticism is that sometimes they are too clever and would prefer to do the easy one-two instead of cracking the ball goalwards. It can be frustrating, especially for a player who is keeping goals as a stand in, when he can see the midfield and forwards playing tic-tac-toe when a wallop is in order. Hit the thing - if it hits the corner flag then so be it - as you can't win the lottery without buying a ticket.

fort united    fort united

The first quarter hour of the second half was a case of consolidating the lead. The Classics defence were outstanding with Rick Geary putting in another solid shift, while Danny Jensen was his inimitable self and was sending some intelligent splayed balls to either side of the field as the need arose. Gene Crowley, Fisher Crockett and Larry Thorlakson completed a solid back line that gave little away and left stand in keeper Dave Moore as a virtual spectator for the majority of the game. The lead was increased in the 60th. minute after an unusual right wing corner from Eden. Unbeknownst to the rest of the team, Eden and Thorlakson had been secretly working in training on an unorthodox move. Eden pretended to scuff the corner and the 'Silver Fox' cunningly laid the ball to Thorlakson who sent over a cross from an oblique angle which landed at the feet of G. Crowly who took one touch past the defender and finished off with another low slotted goal past the disconsolate keeper. Crowley was playing at left-back at the time.

fort united    fort united

Twenty minutes from time the score was increased to five. It began with another telling pass from defence by Jensen which was worked out to Eden on the left wing. Eden sent a through ball for Chuck McGill to chase who squared the ball to Gordie Macklin, via a dummy from Eden, who stroked the ball home with a powerful left footed shot. Ten minutes from time the rout was complete when Rohla, relegate to full-back by self appointed coach Alan Massender (why does he put high goalscorers into the back line?), made a right wing dash and centred a text-book cross to Macklin who provided a powerfully struck similarly text-book header that would have graced any level of football. It was the goal of the game and was an absolute pleasure to watch. McGill fired a good chance over the crossbar but all round it was an impressive performance from the Classics. In fairness to McGill, he did have what looked like a perfectly good goal disallowed. A right wing move by G. Crowley was pulled back from the dead ball line and was well finished by McGill but the referee, under duress by some complaining from the visitors, chose to award a free kick for offside.

When the score was 4-0, Massender did some other unorthodox switching by pushing Jensen forward and putting Thorlakson in as a makeshift centre-back. The Axe confessed after the game that he was very nervous in the middle of the line and he admitted that it was a difficult role as "you've got to look both ways in the middle." What can't be taken away from the result is the fact that Massender has 'masterminded the last two wins' and with a record of two wins, eleven goals scored and none against, who can argue with him?

Final Score 5-0 (2-0)

Stats:
MWG: P. Rohla
You were crap award: C. McGill