In a display noted for defensive solidity as much as clinical finishing, North Camp registered a 6-1 away win versus FC Barossa in the Trevor Wilshaw Inter-Divisional Cup. The contest was subject to thorough scrutiny and real-time tactical analysis from a mouthy camp chair w***** and his approving father.
Barossa looked threatening in the first 15 minutes or so, but the North Camp back line held firm with some decent blocks (including a goal line clearance from Josh King) and a few accomplished saves from new goalkeeping recruit “small” Joe Choularton.
The boys in blue and white started to get more of a hold on the game as captain Tom Dallison, fresh from a visit to the Isle of Wight’s Butterfly Sanctuary, put in some customary steely slide tackles. And the team officially burst out of their cocoon when Matt Butler slotted home neatly after a precise headed pass from his beloved strike partner Steven Schofield.
1-0 quickly became 2-0 with a sophisticated and highly technical work of art from Schofield that created scenes on the sidelines, bringing tears of joy to jubilant subs, supporters and random onlookers. After receiving the ball from Dallison, the Chorley Crespo twisted and turned in the box, creating space to slip past two defenders before cutting past another and sending a left-footed effort straight into the top right-hand corner. The MoMA of New York, the Tate Modern of London and the Louvre of Paris have all enquired about obtaining the rights to exhibit Schofield’s masterpiece.
3-0 seemed on the cards when the tricky Butler was tripped in the box, but Alex Barnett, who had carried the ball well all match, had his penalty well saved by the Barossa keeper.
However, the mighty North Camp didn’t have to wait long for a third. After some great interplay between the ball-playing backline of Ben Simpson, Josef Schoenwerth, Matt Webb and Matt Mynard, King eventually found himself with some space in midfield to get his sand wedge out and chip it to Schofield, who once again found Butler in the box to calmly finish for his second of the day.
The halftime whistle sounded, but not before Dan Knight entered the fray, replacing Shaun Kern, and Barossa were denied by a superb tip over the bar from Choularton, a save that he really had no right to make.
North Camp made a couple of subs early in the second half bringing on Ethan Kern and Josh Ferry Woodard for Matt Butler and Alex Barnett.
Having moonlit for Barossa at the end of the 2020-2021 season, Dan Knight was keen to show the home team what they were missing. And he soon made his mark, leaving two defenders howling like lunatics after a powerful run down the left before playing an inch-perfect switch to the feet of JFW who took a touch and slotted into the bottom left-hand corner.
Almost instantly, Schofield added a fifth, latching onto a flick from the younger of the Kern brothers, sprinting into space and lifting the ball over the onrushing keeper. Ethan was unlucky not to add more to his assist tally with some promising play on the counter attack.
In a sign of the incredible strength and depth of the North Camp squad, it was another sub who made it six, with the returning Modou Ceesay heading in from left-back Matt Mynard’s wicked out-swinging corner. The luxury of bringing on a player like Ceesay when already 5-0 up!
For 90 minutes it was a clinical, imperious performance from front to back. But in added time a failed attempt from Mynard to cut out a pass with his arse allowed one of Barossa’s forwards to stick one in the net, depriving Choularton and his back four of a deserved but elusive clean sheet.
Final result: 6-1 and North Camp march on to the next round of the cup. #UTFNC