Saturday 17th October 2009: Otterbourne 1 Bush Hill 2

Line Up: Flood, Willson, Jannaway, Kelly, A Kerr, Miczarek, Calder, Breeze, Cole, T Kerr, Knight, Subs: Clark, Beasley, Taylor

Potentially 5 games away from St Marys. Saturday’s visitors Bush Hill have proven to be a class act sitting pretty at the top of their division (winning it last term) and currently unbeaten. The Otters went into the game still licking their wounds after a 4 goal drubbing at home the previous weekend.

Manager Bruiser had to make a couple of changes, Tom Kerr partnered Chris Knight up front and Tom Miczarek slotted into left midfield.

The two teams started evenly with neither wishing to make any early mistakes. Wide spaces were opening up on the wings but The Otters couldn’t settle into an attacking 4-4-2 formation.

Bush Hill soon became the more physical and their gamesmanship also proved more professional than the home side, badgering the referee before every decision was made and riding tackles craftily ensuring free kicks fell to their advantage.

Bush Hill possessed a well organised midfield with their ostentatiously numbered 99 impressing with his reading of the game.

The visitors took the lead 15 minutes into the first half. A purposeful direct run from midfield provided a deep cross to the back post where their number 11 looped a header back to the opposite corner.

The Otters kept resilient and have Gary Calder to thank that the lead wasn’t doubled after his fantastic tackle just inside his own half which would have allowed the Bush Hill forward a one-on-one with Jamie Flood.

The talking point of the half (and perhaps the game) was when Chris knight skipped into the penalty area and appeared to have rounded the Bush Hilll goal keeper when he was brought down. Everybody, including the Bush Hill team and staff were amazed that the referee did not award a penalty kick. Quite simply astonishing.

Otterbourne came out with more purpose in the second half and Bush Hill soon started to appear that they were running out of steam.

Half way through the second period Knight was again upended and superbly winning the ball outside the box and forcing his way into the area. The moronic Bush Hill number 3 (due to spitting at Tom Kerr in the first half – nice!) showed his class at defending and chopped Knight down. Skipper Marc Kelly cooly stroked home the penalty.

With the score at 1-1 and Bush Hill showing no signs of regaining momentum the Otters should have engineered a much deserved comeback. This agonisingly came crashing down when Jamie Flood, who pulled off several class saves, fumbled a cross and when trying to regain the ball pulled down a

Bush Hill player. A penalty was awarded only a minute after the home side converted theirs. Flood was sent into one corner and the ball fired down the middle.

Otterbourne pressed hard, Knight had a header inches wide, Paul Beasley was causing Bush Hill problems and Paul Clark delivered several excellent crosses, all to no avail.

The final whistle eventually went and Bush Hill erupted in glee. Bush Hill were clearly the better side over the 90 minutes due to their driver and hunger. Shame about the social etiquette of a few of their players.