OS Football Defeat

17 October 2015

Old Stoics 1, Old Chigwellians 3

Stowe's first home game of the season saw Old Chigwellians travel to Chiswick, just three weeks after the reverse fixture that opened the Old Stoics' campaign. The home side went into the game with fond memories after putting together arguably their most complete performance in beating Chigwell 4-0 with just 10 men, so surely the benefit of playing at home and this time having 13 players to call upon should result in another three points for Stowe.

Those band of 13 featured seasonal debuts for Kyle Jordan, Eddie Edsell, Giles Hoare and a first ever appearance for recent leave Nyan Patel. However, much of the side from the opening Chigwell game remained. After a lost toss from stand-in skipper Rowling, Stowe almost had the lead within the first 30 seconds as a neat exchange of quick-fire passes saw the ball zig-zag across the field before finding its way to Jamie Hirst who fired wide. 

After such a promising start, Stowe played much of the opening quarter in the opposing half yet it was Chigwell that took the lead. Edsell failed to adequately clear the ball and Chigwell's midfielder pounced on the opportunity to slide the ball into his centre-forward, who's first time lob left a stranded Mark Thompson-Royds in goal grasping at fresh air as the ball bounced once before finishing in the net. 

The goal didn't change the dynamic of the match as Stowe continued to control possession and looked the more threatening going forward without creating any truly clear-cut chances to find themselves still a goal behind at the interval. The message at half-time was not to panic and keep doing what the Old Stoics were doing and surely the chances would come. And sure enough, Stowe found the equalizer not long after the break as a ball played forward saw Hoare bursting on to it to outpace a slow-footed Chigwell defence before rounding the keeper and sliding the ball home from an acute angle. Indeed the goal capped an impressive performance from Hoare as his composure on the ball and ability to link up play making him look the best outlet for the home side. 

Since half-time, the men in yellow and blue had noticeably upped their tempo and the goal looked like being the catalyst for them to go and win the match. However aside from a dribbling run and shot from Dom Farr that found its way into the keeper's arms, the home side's dominance of this period of play again failed to yield a decisive second goal. So when a long ball from Chigwell was flicked backwards by a backpedalling Alex Jollivet, suddenly the away side were gifted a chance to take the lead again. And their nippy number 11 raced onto the ball to again find MTR in no-man's land and lob him for the second time in the match.
 
The same player was to benefit from a second defensive lapse to put the game to bed after a breakdown in communication between Farr and Harry W-G led to the two of them going for the same ball and both ending up collapsed on the ground with the ball at the Chigwell player's feet. He found no. 11 who ran at Rowling, who as the last defender had to time any challenge expertly, instead he was left groping at fresh air as the no. 11 raced around him as though he wasn't there before firing past MTR. 

The remaining minutes saw Stowe huff and puff in search of a route back into the game but despite a series of corners that saw Edsell head goalwards and Hoare again causing the away defence a few moments of anxiety, the three points headed back to Essex and left Stowe with just three points from their opening three fixtures.

This weekend provides the Old Stoics with an immediate chance to bounce back from a disappointing couple of games with the visit of Old Aldenhamians. This will be our first league encounter with them after an epic cup tie against them last season that saw Stowe win after a prolonged penalty shoot-out in the deepening gloom last winter.