It’s an ill wind, as they say and certainly as an exuberant VCD Athletic celebrated a first league win of 2015/16 they had cause to be pleased that a storm called ‘Barney’ had been a most welcome 12th man, helping to blow away fellow Ryman Premier strugglers Farnborough at a very blustery Oakwood on Tuesday.
The conditions were never likely to be conducive to playing football and poor Farnborough keeper Aaron Bufton must have known it wasn’t going to be his night when his first hurried clearance with the boot went twenty yards and then turned tail and came half that distance back at him!
With the corner flags hovering horizontal to the pitch and two large fence panels gone down behind the hapless keeper’s goal in the opening minutes, it was clear the home side had a fair wind to their advantage in the first stanza of this basement battle,
And it took just 21 minutes to break the deadlock. The ever-willing Kojo Awotwi was causing havoc of his own down the wing, and linking up time and time again with front men Lheureux Menga and Donavan Simmonds – both big men going close early doors.
But when the goal came it was to be from a rather less likely source. Another ineffectual clearance from the beleaguered Bufton put his defence under pressure but having said that, there was plenty of time for Farnborough’s Gary MacDonald to recycle the ball.
Instead of which the ever alert Ritchie Graham intervened and the VCD’s silky no 7 sent a hopeful effort towards goal from a full 25 yards.
It’s fair to say under different atmospheric conditions this effort would not have likely hit the target, let alone find its way into the net – but to the shock of all the ball lay nestled in the corner and the home side had the start they needed in pursuit of that elusive first win.
If ever there was a day more designed to blow away the cobwebs of the longest early season hangover VCD have suffered in their 100 year history, this was it; and as Farnborough continued to travail against the dual assault of a very lively Vickers performance and ‘Barney’s helpful driving wind, a second goal seemed inevitable.
It came from that combination of the super strong Menga and Simmonds again, the muscular centre forward heading on for his no. 10 partner to sweep the ball home.
The questions at halftime were, would the storm worsen enough to put the game under threat – with an ominous portent of several advertising boards becoming dislodged, as ‘Barney’ finally seemed less of an ally and more of a pernicious force during the interval; and would the change of ends and losing the wind behind them cause the sometimes fragile Athletic side to fold.
Fortunately neither scenario developed. Farnborough began with renewed vigor as the second 45 opened, with replacement introduced for the second half Lewis Collins looking every inch the Professional back-up their loanee no 9, Bogdan Vastsuk the Estonian will have been longing for, in his up to then lonely isolation; and winger Keith Emmerson was finally calling the tune.
But the Hampshire outfit blew hot and cold, whilst the growing storm just blew and after not too long Spencer Day’s charges began to run out of ideas.
Indeed, Bogdan went close to getting what would surely have been a decisive third for the homesters – the big no. 9 hitting the bar just after the half hour mark.
Sod’s Law demands that after such a narrow escape Farnborough would suddenly out of the blue hit back and sure enough less than three minutes later, for once the VCD defence were caught ball watching and the player from the Baltic, who’s shipped up at Farnborough via his parent club, Championship side Reading, Vastsuk showed his undeniable class by breaking through and shooting low and hard past the otherwise impeccable Rob Budd.
Ten minutes left on the clock and time for the jitters which are inevitable for a side pondering the uncharted territory this term of three points for a win!
That friend turned foe ‘Barney’ then blew again with suddenly increased vigor, as if wanting to even up matters; and with the zephyr-like advantage behind them the visitors from Hants mounted a fierce assault on the Vickers’ goal.
However, there’s a new resolve behind this much improved outfit now and with man of the match. Frantz Tchonang as hard to shift as the proverbial Flint stone, ‘Barney’ was not destined to turn the hopes of the homesters to Rubble!
When the referee’s final whistle signaled three points at last, VCD fans were able to go to Bedrock happy!
VCD Athletic line up: Rob Budd; Mathias Bakare; Ricardo Joseph; Ashley Probets; Joseph Bruce; Frantz Tchonang; Ritchie Graham; Davidson Tejaiye; Lheureux Menga; Donavan Simmonds (Mark Nwokeji 90+3); Kojo Awotwi (Arron Wickham 45)
Farnborough line up: Aaron Bufton; Darryl Siaw; Freddie Grant; Courtney Fearn; Gary MacDonald (Lewis Collins 45), Tom Broadbent; Marcus Moody (Josh Francis 67); Perry Ryan; Bogdan Vastsuk; Tommy Wright; Keith Emmerson
Goals:
VCD Athletic 2 (Graham 21; Simmonds 34)
Farnborough 1 (Vastsuk 79)
Officials:
Referee Stuart Butler
Assistants: Louise Sanders & Ivan Gelov