On a damp and blustery day at the St Anne’s sports ground, the hosts launched their 2008/9 campaign with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Teddy Hall.
It is often said that league titles are never won with the autumn leaves still littering the floor, and although it’s far too early to talk of championship contenders, the hosts could hardly have been more impressive. Their performance oozed attacking flair, but also contained something for the purists – a back four marshalled impressively by Ryan Fox and Richard O’Duffy who stifled any offensive run that Hall could muster.
In a frenetic opening which was a welcome change to more traditional nervy first-game exchanges, both sides created several half-chances, Anne’s striker Ed Border coming closest with an acrobatic effort that flew just over the bar in the fifth minute. With their next attack, the hosts had the ball in the net, Hasan al-Wakeel latching on to Border’s through-ball and slotting home, only to see the linesman’s flag raised for offside.
With al-Wakeel and the impressive George Kynaston starting to cause both Hall full-backs some severe discomfort, one sensed that a goal was coming, and when it came there was no surprise that Kynaston was the provider. A quick throw-in down the left hand side was picked up by Kynaston, who beat two men before firing in a low cross. Stuart Clarke, charging forward from his midfield berth, arrived just in time to slide the ball past Tom Harrison in the Hall goal.
After Border had gone close with a snap-shot from close range, Clarke and his namesake, Steve, began to stamp their authority on the midfield battle, and the home side began to take charge. Both could have doubled the Anne’s advantage before the 20-minute mark, Stuart Clarke shooting straight at Harrison from long range and Steve Clarke fashioning a half-chance from nowhere that grazed the top of the bar.
On the half hour, the hosts made it 2-0, Kynaston again causing mayhem down the left. The left-winger was involved twice in a move that ended with Ed Border flicking the ball over Harrison and walking the ball into the net.
Against the run of play, Hall almost grabbed themselves a lifeline just before half-time, Tim Hoffman hitting the underside of the bar with a cross-cum-shot that had Anne’s keeper Mike Butler stranded. Hoffman nearly scored again on the stroke of half-time, but his powerful long-range effort was well saved by Butler, and Anne’s went in at the break two goals to the good.
After a sloppy first-half performance, Hall came out with much more purpose, but were again let down by their final ball. Indeed it was Anne’s who had the first clear sight of goal in the second half, Kynaston setting up Stuart Clarke, who fired into the side-netting from 15 yards.
On the hour, the hosts should have wrapped the game up, a lucky ricochet falling to Stuart Clarke ten yards out, but Harrison pulled off a terrific one-handed stop. And Hall nearly capitalised as they went straight down the other end of the pitch and came agonisingly close to pulling one back. Ed Halliday’s cross-shot fell invitingly into the path of Charlie Storey five yards out, but Butler in the Anne’s goal dived bravely at Hall midfielder’s feet to smother the chance.
The opening seemed to re-galvanise Anne’s, who had perhaps taken their foot off the pedal early in the second half, and the hosts duly made it 3-0 with their next attack. Dan Gilbert, who had played 90 minutes for the Anne’s reserves 24 hours previously, showed good energy to win the ball down the right-hand side, and released Steve Clarke whose shot was brilliantly tipped on to the bar by Harrison.
Unfortunately for the Hall keeper, the ball rebounded straight to Border, who made no mistake from ten yards out. Hall never let their heads drop, and came close through substitute Max Krahé, but with Fox and O’Duffy dominating the aerial battle for Anne’s, the visitors never really created a clear-cut opportunity to get themselves back into the game.
Border was the next to come close, as he nearly grabbed his hat-trick with a terrific solo effort, curling a 25-yarder just wide. Both teams then made several changes, perhaps seeking to assess whether any of their fresher talent had the ability to become key figures in the long season ahead, and any life that was left in the contest duly evaporated.
There was still time for Border to ice the cake, however, as he beat two men before rounding the keeper to complete a memorable hat-trick, and make it 4-0, with five minutes to go. Hall kept on fighting, and the fourth goal was perhaps a little harsh on them, but there was no doubt that Annes deserved their victory.
And so, after all the pre-term hype, and conjecture about who could mount a serious challenge to Worcester’s all-conquering presence, we have a little more idea about the aspirations of these two sides. After finishing second last year, and with expectations buoyed by such an impressive opening-week victory, Anne’s must surely fancy themselves to be the team waiting in the wings to pounce on any Worcester slip-up.
A tough game against Wadham next week ought to give us even more insight into how their season will shape up. Hall, who face newly-promoted St Catz next week in a game they will now be even more eager to pick up some points in, must improve if they are to avoid a long, hard winter.
Final score 4-0