DBFC Vets 6 Kennedy Town 3

When: 28 November 2022 with 21:00 KO

Where: King George V school pitch (KGV)

Squad: Bradders, Nin (Captain), Nik, Ping, Morse, Jonatan, San, Kwai, Sammy, Dog, Pierre, DJ, Ben, Emerson, Thierry and Tita.
Scorers: San, Pierre x2 and DJ x3.

DBFC Vets had a few more faces back this week; Pierre from new baby duty and Thierry from a long stay in France. This made it an impressive squad of 16 players available for this game against a Kennedy Town FC (KTFC) team completely different to the whipping boys of previous seasons.

Gaffa Gaz had warned that match reports indicated that KTFC had impressively strong games against two title contenders (HKFC and Spartans Masters) even though they narrowly lost and had many relatively younger players (35 to 38) in their squad. Gaffer was expecting a high tempo game that would test fitness over the full game period and so it turned out to be.

DBFC started the game somewhat cautiously in keeping lots of possession with good passing but mainly between the centre midfield and the back four and not pressing high enough. There were a number of warning signs to this laid back tactic when possession was lost, KTFC were immediately within striking distance of the DBFC goal. Gaffer Gaz was busting his lungs shouting for the defence and midfield to push up and play possession football in the opposition half. When DBFC got the ball wide they look very dangerous and had a number of half chances but this playing deep lasted for 20 minutes before Gaffer Gaz swapped Kwai for Ben and Dog for DJ. The first goal soon followed when a cross from Sammy was scrabbled away for DJ to pick up and lay back to San, just outside KTFC 18-yard box, to fire into the top left corner of the goal (fantastic finish). DBFC 1-0 up.

DBFC pressed for a second goal and looked in control, until KTFC cleared and followed up field with DBFC dropping deeper. DBFC won back possession and proceeded to revert to passing football in their own third until they lost possession, followed by a DBFC defender’s slip to allow the KTFC winger to be played round the back, coming in from the left, to fire into the far post as Bradders came out to narrow the angle. The score now 1-1.

DBFC were straight out of the blocks at the restart and pressed constantly on the KTFC goal with many chances going begging. Finally, a chance was converted when Sammy again crossed into the box for Pierre’s shot to be saved and the ball recycled in by Jonatan for a scramble in front of KTFC’s goal, from which DJ found a way to thread the ball into the KTFC net. DBFC 2-1 up.
DBFC looked well on top again and many half chances went begging. When KTFC cleared, their very good Centre Forward held possession looking for the lay-off. In these situations, the midfielders were good at intercepting the lay-offs and this was solid until Ben intercepted and attempted to pass back to the DBFC defence, only to see his pass go to a KTFC player. Nin quickly reacted with a good tackle to get the ball but the referee ruled a foul, seemingly because Nin had gone to ground in the tackle and because the KTFC player was rolling around screaming (soon on his feet when the free kick was awarded). At 25 yards out from the DBFC goal and in the last minute of the first half, the KTFC player’s toe-poke shot over the DBFC wall and over Bradders’ out stretched arms, sailed just under the bar into the net. Bradders was stood at the edge of the six-yard box with his feet nailed to the ground, when a little jump of 3 inches would have got his fingers to the ball. Bradders was seen after the game emptying lead from his footy boots. Half time 2-2.
Tita came on as CB for Nin to do the second half, otherwise the same players. This change may have been instrumental in a brain freeze at left back, when shortly after kick-off KTFC fired the ball across field into the space behind the DBFC left back who was stood about 25 yards out blowing bubbles and Bradders firmly on his line. The KTFC player gathered Santa’s delivery to see his early Christmas present being slotted wide of Bradders into the far post side of the goal, to put KTFC 3-2 up.

This was a wakeup call for DBFC and despite KTFC having their tails up with confidence the DBFC lads worked hard to gain the upper hand with some good and urgent football going forward and soon got the equaliser. After some good work through the midfield the ball was slotted through the KTFC defence for Pierre to run onto and slot the ball passed the out-coming KTFC keeper.
DBFC defence had settled and doing a good job repelling KTFC advances and especially keeping control of the KTFC Centre Forward. DBFC were growing in confidence and pressing forward time after time, which resulted in their fourth goal when once again a through ball was collected by Pierre on the left, to sweep around a defender and sweetly fire the ball into the far corner of the KTFC net to put DBFC 4-3 up.

KTFC pressed for an equalizer but Tita marshalled a solid defence. The KTFC press left openings in their defence and Pierre exploited again with a run through to collect and round the out-coming KTFC keeper, only to be cleaned out. The referee awarded a penalty and red card to the keeper (presumably he thought there was no clear attempt to get the ball, just the player). DJ stepped up to bang it home.
DBFC brought on the subs with Thierry coming on for San to be defensive mid field to keep the win. Emerson on for Sammy, Kwai on for Ben, Nin back on for Morse and Dog on for Pierre.

DBFC were fully in control of 10 man KTFC for the last 15 minutes and they saw a number of decent chances to stretch the lead but only one was taken and that was DJ to chalk up his hat-trick.
DBFC battled well for this win against a strong KTFC team.