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YC&AC, Sunday 1st March.
The Clash advanced to the semi-finals of the TML Plate following a 5-3 victory over the Barbarians.
A cold and wet Sunday evening in Yokohama provided the backdrop for a compelling cup tie. Having shared nine goals in their last encounter, this game was always likely to provide plenty of goals. And so it proved.
The Barbarians took the lead within the first ten minutes when a clever through ball left a midfielder with a straight run on goal. His low finish was top class.
After a number of half chances the Clash drew level when James Stevenson, making his debut for the club, was quickest to a bouncing ball in the six yard box. The volley from close range almost breaking the roof of the net.
With quarter of an hour of the first half left to play, goal scorer James made way for Raph Colella to partner Daylan Cosco up front. The change brought almost instant reward. Following a huge kick from Simon Sanders in the Clash goal, the Barbarians defence played the ball towards their own keeper. The weakly hit pass was chased down by Colella and although the Barbarians keeper was first to the ball his attempted clearance was charged down by the advancing Clash striker. From the resultant rebound the ball hurtled into the unguarded net.
The Barbarians may have felt unlucky to go in at half-time behind. With just a few minutes left of the first half desperate measures were needed by the Clash defence to clear the ball off the goal line following a counter-attack by the Barbarians.
The Clash doubled their lead soon after the interval. Sprinting into the box with the ball at his feet, the pace of Colella took him away from the Barbarians left-back. Shooting low and hard from an incredibly acute angle from the right hand side of the six yard box, Colella buried the ball in the far left side of the net.
Despite the clear daylight between the teams the Barbarians were clearly not in the mood to surrender a place in the semi-finals without a fight. A strong tackle in the box by centre-back Dave Doyno resulted in the ball going out of play behind the Clash goal. The referee’s decision was not seen by all of the Clash defence and the quickly taken corner was headed home with at least a couple of the Clash players taking up positions for a goal kick. A rare lapse of concentration perhaps, however it spurred the Clash on to kill the game.
The Clash’s two goal advantage was restored almost immediately when Andy Drought found himself unmarked in the box. The midfielder’s work rate had been superb all game, tracking back diligently and linking expertly with his attacking colleagues. Jin Shiba’s in-swinging corner from the right cleared the advancing strikers to find its way to Drought, his free header going in to the goal like a dart.
With ten minutes to go Colella claimed his hatrick when he yet again sprinted into space behind the Barbarians defenders to collect a flick on from James. Colella’s placed shot from the right effectively made the game safe and was due reward for a tireless display from the diminutive forward.
As the rain became harder the closing stages of the game saw a number of tetchy encounters between the Barbarians forwards and the Clash defence as the strikers worked hard to get a consolation goal. Their perseverance was rewarded when a rash challenge brought down an attacker in the box. The decision to award the penalty was clear cut and the conversion by the Barbarians striker was emphatic.
At the final whistle the Clash were elated to have avenged the last minute defeat of the previous encounter in the league. Even more pleasing to the victorious players was the manner of the win with everyone in a yellow shirt having a good game and the Clash strikers and central midfielders having outstanding games.
By Andy Welch
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