Season Review 2010/2011

August and September saw a slow start to the season.  Training was getting us up to speed and saw several new faces, but lack of pitch availability meant that only one pre-season friendly was possible.

A game against Beaconsfield Town, that saw 4 debuts and Jon King and Andy Gledhill sharing the goalkeeper’s gloves, ended in a 2-0 defeat to Beaconsfield Town – not a good way to mark the new manager’s birthday!  Despite a promising second half display, chances that day were few and far between.

Meanwhile in the season’s only poll on the club’s website, 33% of respondents said that the thing they would most like to do in the 2010/11 season was to win the league and 27% prioritised a decent run in the Nationals – ultimately neither were achieved.

A four-week gap followed - as we requested free-Saturdays due to holiday and Webber’s wedding – before the league opener against the Vets on 25^thSeptember.  A game of few chances seemed to be heading for a draw before an 88^th minute cross into the heart of the Gold Hill box left Mark Chamberlain reaching to intercept, only to deflect the ball past the wrong-footed Stuart Laws: a cruel late blow that few felt was deserved.

The first game of October was almost certainly the team’s easiest of the season, defeating New Park United by 11 goals to 1.  There was a Chris Vickery hat-trick, first goals for the club from Chris Briant, Samuel Fons and Craig Gibson, Tim de Vletter scored direct from a corner and the first competitive goal in 8 years from Graham Wilkinson, who dinked the ball over the keeper to round off an excellent day.

The first league points of the season came away at St Peters Iver as Chris Briant scored a fine goal against his old club in a 3-1 win.  Goals from Jon King and Simon Webber meant that no-one need remember goalkeeper Stuart Laws’ vent at a defensive free kick wall that ‘didn’t jump’.

The best performance of the season so far came away at Windsor Saints.  A 4-1 win, featuring a bullet Chris Vickery header from a pinpoint Tim De Vletter cross, was almost overshadowed by Rich Barter’s sublime banter (during a left-back cameo) with Windsor’s manager on the touchline.

Justin Mendleton made a scoring return to the team in the trip to River Santos as a line-up with several absentees pulled off an excellent result.  After resisting countless Santos throw-ins – with some excellent work by Stuart Laws, numerous sound defensive headers, the referee and the crossbar all playing their part – we emerged with a first clean sheet of the season.  Perhaps this was where our excellent defensive record this season really started.  There would even have been a first Gold Hill goal for Munya Mauzhendi, but for a fine stop from the Santos keeper late in the game.

Rich Barter was amongst the scorers as Datchet Cricket Club were dispatched 4-1 at the start of November.  2-goal Andy Gledhill played through injury for much of the second half as Gold Hill shut up shop to retain their 2-1 lead over St Peters Iver on a day when a 3^rd goal proved elusive - Andy also had a penalty saved.  A 3-0 win over Holy Trinity saw Simon Webber score within the first minute – he’d probably rather the game be remembered for that than for the chance that he had later on in the game, 6 yards out, unmarked, where he only managed to stand on the ball.

Meanwhile, away from matches, Mark Chamberlain was taking Gold Hill round the world with social meals of various nationalities and Handy Cross was becoming bitterly cold for Monday night training sessions.

Yes, then came the harsh winter.  Postponements were a key part of the season as no less than 6 Saturdays saw games called off on the day due to frozen, waterlogged and snow-covered pitches.  Many a journey to Gold Hill to meet-up was cancelled at the 11^th hour or diverted to the Village Hall for match-replacing drinks.

2 games that did go ahead saw Gold Hill progress to the last 32 of the Berks and Bucks Cup.  A 3^rd round game against Chalvey in Slough, which most later admitted that they didn’t enjoy, began with a poor first half display.  The Hill went behind to an early goal and were lucky to go in all square at the break thanks to a fine Chris Vickery finish in off the post from near enough Gold Hill’s only chance of the half.  A much improved second half saw any Chalvey attacking threats snubbed and Gold Hill pass and attack with far greater purpose.  Wasteful finishing meant that the game was heading for extra time however.  That is until when 10 minutes remained Josh Briant breezed down the right-hand-side to cut the ball back for Andy Gledhill to power into the roof of the net with a left foot shot – a goal that in some ways was a taster of things to come at Adams Park 6 months hence.  Our 3^rd round game was moved to BA Clubs, Heathrow, to beat the weather, but in Iver Gold Hill came up against a far superior side and could have few complaints about the 3-1 defeat.  2 goals from set pieces saw Iver add goals to their dominance of territory and possession and whilst Gold Hill rallied after conceding a 3^rd goal and losing Andy Gledhill to injury, Craig Gibson’s goal was never going to be anything more than a consolation (and offside, Rich Gledhill told me to add!).  Iver went on to be runners-up in the B&B, narrowly losing 1-0 in the final.

Next up was the return fixture against the Vets – and the 1sts were confident – they were, after all, at home this time!  A James Cansdale poacher’s goal in the dying seconds of the first half proved decisive.  For all the first team’s good attacking play in the second half the Vets stood firm and strengthened their position at the top of the league.

The National Christian Cup proved to be both the longest and the shortest of sagas at the same time.  When UCF Kent cancelled the original fixture the competition ruled that the game should be rearranged, rather than handing Gold Hill a bye.  Two weather postponements followed as well as one due to a county cup game rearrangement, meaning that the game was played no less than 3 months after the 1^st round date at a time when most teams were looking ahead to the quarter finals.  With Stuart Laws phoning in sick on the morning of the game, Chris Briant stepped up to the plate and donned the goalkeeping jersey.  He made some fine saves as Gold Hill went behind early on (not a lob apparently!) before equalising through Craig Gibson and looking the more likely team to go on and score a winner.  With 15 minutes to go however, a sweetly struck volley from a UCF player found the bottom corner and there was no way back for Gold Hill.  UCF went on to win their league comfortably averaging more than 4 goals a game, but succumbed to Westside of London in the next round of the NCC.  The NCC Final would be contested by two Liverpool-based teams at Tranmere’s Prenton Park, whilst the National Church Trophy final at Charlton’s The Valley featured teams from Hertfordshire and Kent.

January had been a month to forget with three defeats – and February didn’t start off much better.  A game at St Clements played in a gale force wind brought about a 1-0 defeat.  Gold Hill had the better chances in both halves and as they toiled in the terrible conditions, frustration grew and was directed towards the referee as the clock ticked down.

The silver lining to come out of the cloud of the NCC defeat was an experiment with a form of the 4-3-3 formation – an experiment which continued in the next February game against Windsor Saints.  With Tim De Vletter in an advanced right-sided position and Simon Webber wide-left, either side of Chris Briant, Andy Gledhill was given licence to push on ahead of a central midfield Wilkinson-Finlay duo.  It was a formation that was to be retained for the rest of the season, as Gold Hill entered a glorious spring run in which both the fluidity (several glowing spectator reviews of our attacking play followed) and resilience (5 clean sheets March-May) of the team increased – at least in the eyes of the manager.  In terms of the Windsor league game, Chris Briant scored 2.  Simon Webber got kicked and booked in the build up to the 4^th goal.  Richard Awbery made a cameo as a bandana-ed substitute.

March began with a cup 2^nd round game against St Clements (after a bye in the first round).  Chris Briant’s early goal was cancelled out before the break.  A fairly balanced 2^nd half ultimately saw a conclusion that was perhaps a turning point in Gold Hill’s season.  With the scores still locked at 1-1 going into the last 10 minutes, goals from Andy and Craig clinched a cup semi-final place.

St Clements returned to Gold Hill in the league on the following Saturday, but Gold Hill turned on the style with a performance that was appreciated deeply by all but the St Clements folk – even referee Alex Micallef admitted it was difficult to referee the game such was the enjoyment derived from watching one of the Hill’s best shows of the season.  3 goals in each half, including a brace for Justin Mendleton, saw Gold Hill close the gap on the top two as Tom Duvall looked assured partnering Rich Gledhill at centre back.

League wins over Holy Trinity (4-2, unconvincing), Hazlemere Crusaders (3-0, hard fought) and River Santos (5-1, comprehensive – with Jonty Fadipe imperious in midfield) followed.

The cup semi-final at Amersham Town FC saw Gold Hill on top in the first half and they led at half time through an Andy Gledhill penalty after his fine mazy run was impeded.  The second half was far more of a backs-to-the-wall effort with Gold Hill battling to clear their lines and attempting to hit Windsor Saints on the counter attack.  The back four of Josh Briant, Chamberlain and the two elder Gledhill brothers stood firm though and Gold Hill had a host of chances late in the game either side of a Windsor red card.  When one of these chances was finally dispatched by Mendleton with seconds remaining, GH’s cup final berth was secure.

A 6-4 defeat to Hazlemere Crusaders saw Gold Hill’s league goals conceded figure increase alarmingly from 0.8 to 1.2 per game in the final league game.  Goals from Tim De Vletter, Andy (2) and a fine Justin Mendleton volley from the edge of the box counted for nothing on a day when Gold Hill’s midfield was pourous and defence fragile.  Goalkeeper Laws, wearing a bib so as to avoid a colour clash with the referee, was left with little protection.  It was sweltering and the Hill were tired 4 days on from the cup semi-final and playing their 3^rd game in a week, but fortunately these reasons/excuses did not affect the ultimate league position – Gold Hill already knew they were guaranteed to finish 3^rd regardless of the outcome of that game – so the defensive record was the only real victim.

On Monday 16^th May Gold Hill headed to Adams Park, home of Wycombe Wanderers, for the CCFL Cup Final against River Santos.  For more on that do read the excellent match report from DA, but suffice to say that the cup was retained and the first piece of silverware was in the bag.

After the league reverted to teams playing each other twice, rather than three times as planned until March, the Invitation Cup was established to bring some extra competitive football to the first division teams.  After a draw with River Santos and a 2-0 win over Holy Trinity featuring first goals for the club for Josh Briant and Greg Proc, other results meant that a 3-goal victory over St Peters Iver was required.  Another fine display here with Andy Gledhill running the show resulted in a 7-2 victory, which set up a final against Hazlemere Crusaders.  The Invitation Cup Final was the last match of the season.  Gold Hill, without Chamberlain, Mendleton, Webber, De Vletter and Fadipe, turned on the style one last time for the 2010/11 season and ran out comfortable winners.  A Chris Briant hat-trick (an empty goal finish, an acute lob and a fine rounding of the keeper before beating the defender on the line) was added to by a smart Dave Finlay finish from a Josh Briant centre.  What better way to round off the season than with a watertight defensive display, some fine passing given the bobbly surface and an attacking show that could so easily have brought about even more than the 4 goals scored.  As the squad collected their second set of medals in less than a week in the late May sunshine, there was much to enjoy looking back on from the 2010/11 season.

PG, 18/06/2011