Follow the terrors on Facebook and Twitter

Thanks to: Ian Bullock, Bondy, Dave McCann. The Near Post & Kaz for all your help.

Tues 16th September 2014


1-1

Nkoma(52)

HT 0-0

Rowlands(90)


Despite having the majority of play and certainly most of the chances, Tooting came away with just one point for their endeavours. As in a lot of the matches this season, the Terrors played a very attractive brand of football but once again were unable to convert their superiority into goals.

Both Nathan Gordon and Tom Jelley in particular were making fine runs in the early part of the match, and were causing the Whitstable defence many problems. An early cross from Jelley found an unmarked T J Nkoma who unfortunately sliced the ball wide. In the 14th minute a shot from Francis Quarm was deflected to Sol Pinnock who shot past Luke Watkins in the Whitstable goal, but was deemed to be an offside position. Soon after, Scott Heard somehow escaped a booking for a bad tackle on Tom Jelley.

Whitstable were defending in numbers, hoping to hit Tooting on the break. The nearest they came to scoring in the opening half was when a back pass from Nathan Gordon was intercepted by Matt Guila but his shot was parried by Paul Smith and cleared.  The Terrors best chance of the first half came when a great ball from Sol Pinnock released Howard Newton who unfortunately shot wide when well placed.

The second half started in the same vein as the first with Tooting doing most of the attacking. The deadlock was broken in the 52nd minute when a David Graves pass dissected the visitor’s defence and T J Nkoma raced away to score with ease. Two minutes later a defensive mistake led to the ball rolling towards the Whitstable goal but Watkins running back managed to prevent it crossing the line and giving the Terrors a two goal lead.

Stung into life the visitors started to mount more attacks and for the first time in the match started to threaten the Tooting goal. It was the home side however who were unlucky not to score when a Sol Pinnock shot from a Jordan Clarke pass forced a great save from Watkins who palmed the ball on to the crossbar.


Still just one goal behind and with time running out, Whitstable’s captain Ian Pullman shot just over the bar when well placed and then Nick Treadwell found himself with space in the penalty area but his shot was deflected for a corner. Jordan Clarke then had a shot saved on the line by Mackenzie with Watkins beaten.

Paul Smith suffered a blood injury after a melee in the Tooting goalmouth and after receiving several minutes treatment was substituted by Harvey Cheadle. This spurred Whitstable on and in the first minute of injury time a long throw from Reiss Crimmen somehow found
Kane Rowland unmarked on the six yard line who headed into the net, and earn the visitors a share of the points.

This really was a match Tooting should have won comfortably.


Team: Paul Smith (Harvey Cheadle), Tom Jelley, Nathan Gordon, David Graves, Jordan Cheadle, Harry Knock, Billy Marshall (Liam Wright), Francis Quarm, Sol Pinnock, TJ Nkoma (Jordan Clarke), Howard Newton.

Report by: Chris Jackson

Sat 13th September 2014


FAC 1st Qualifying Round

1-2

Larin(81)

HT 0-1

Jelly(40), Nkoma(90)

The benign opening 89 minutes of this game gave little hint of the drama that was to unfold in the closing moments of this somewhat lack lustre encounter.

The only moment of note in the first half came on 40 mins when a probing ball from David Graves down the right-hand side intended for Sol Pinnock was intercepted at speed by Tom Jelley who was making a darting run into the Wands' penalty area. Despite the pace at which he took the ball he was able to keep it under control cut inside and toe poke the ball goalwards. As the ball sailed over the head of Darren Bechet, the slight deflection it took on the way caused it to dip sharply as it dropped in under the crossbar and into the roof of the net. HT 0-1 to The Terrors

There was no meaningful action in the second half until the 61st minute. A long ball from Cheadle found Billy Marshall on the edge of the box, who then turned the ball inside to Liam Wright who screwed his shot wide of Bechet's right-hand post. 10 minutes later Billy Marshall broke clear and this time fired his shot straight at the former Terrors' No.1. In the very next minute, new boy Liam Wright found himself in the clear. From just inside the box he tried to chip/flick the ball over the advancing Bechet however his effort went just over the bar. This was his final piece of action as a double substitution by Craig Tanner in the 72nd minute saw Wright and Marshall replaced by TJ Nkoma and Howard Newton. 7 minutes later, Elliot Simpson came on for Jordan Clarke.

No sooner had Tooting made their final change than Cray broke forward and from the ensuing shot were awarded at best, a very questionable corner. The result was a high hanging ball put into the Tooting box which was met with a firm header by one of Wanderers' centre backs which sent the ball past Paul Smith and into the net to make it 1-1.

On 84 mins a well worked move saw a curling left foot shot from Sol Pinnock on the edge of the box which just went the wrong side of the upright. 4 minutes later Howard Newton carried the ball forward and finding himself in space 25 yards out took a firm strike on goal only to see his shot go safely into the arms of Darren Bechet.

In the 89th minute a free kick on the left found TJ in space. He carried the ball, cut into the box and shot but ballooned the ball over the bar. In the final minute of normal time, Elliot Simpson clipped the ball in from the left onto the head of Sol Pinnock but he was unable to to get his effort on target.

From the resultant re-start, Cray broke forward however their attack was abruptly broken up as the player in possession was brought down by David Graves just inside the Tooting
half for which he received a straight red card. From the free kick that followed, the ball broke loose in the Tooting box however the shot that then came in was fired straight at Paul Smith who was able to keep the ball out however along with 2 other Terrors' defenders, was injured in the process. After a delay of several minutes the game was restarted however not before Nathan Gordon was booked for time wasting.

By now the game was well into stoppage time and in the 101st minute, some sloppy Cray passing just inside their own half saw TJ take possession of the ball, weave his way between two players and head into the box. Meanwhile Sol Pinnock made a darting run towards the penalty spot in support as everyone waited for TJ to pull the ball back to him. But no. TJ decide to continue to head toward the bye line, took the ball round the advancing Bechet and from a yard short of the line managed to find the finest of angles to strike the ball, left footed, into the back of the Cray net to send the couple of dozen or so Terrors fans behind the goal, the players and the entire bench into raptures of delight. Not that it mattered however the over exuberant celebrations saw yellow cards issued to TJ for removing his shirt and the substituted Jordan Clarke who chose to return to the pitch to join in the celebrations.


Team: Smith, Jelly, Gordon, Graves, J Cheadle, Knock, Clarke(Simpson), Quarm, Pinnock, Marshall(Newton), Wright(Nkoma)  Not used: Hartburn, Aikin-Simon, Murphy, H Cheadle(gk).

Report by: Tim Marcus

Tues 10th September 2014


2-1

Fisk(22), O’Toole(58)

HT 1-1

Marshall(44)

Terrors were robbed of a point when Tom Jelly was denied a gold plated penalty, the most blatant in a string of ‘homer’ decisions.

Hill proved once again to be solid opponents and deservedly took the lead following a fine flowing move. However, to the surprise of most, Billy Marshall collected the ball from Nathan Gordon, turned and curled a beauty into the top corner to equalise.


A much more balanced second half offered little in the way of goalmouth action until slack marking twenty minutes from time gave O’Toole a free header to score the winner from a well worked wing raid.

The Jelly incident followed and a subsequent, weaker, appeal for handball in the box, was also denied, but no-one really expected referee Rowley to change his spots (or should that be green and black stripes).


Team: Smith, Jelly, Gordon, Alimi, Hartburn, Knock, Clarke, Quarm, Pinnock, Marshall, Newton  Not used: J Cheadle, Graves, Nkoma, Lalor-Dell, H Cheadle(gk).

Sat 20th September 2014


1-1

Mahrez Bettache (65)

HT 0-1

Summers(29)


Tooting came up against a Casuals side enjoying the heady heights of 2nd place in the table and including 4 ex Terrors seeking a solid 90 minute performance after frustratingly dropping points in recent games by conceding late goals.

And they heavily dominated possession during the first half, confidently moving the ball from wing to wing at the back before launching breaks down the flanks or through the middle using the dribbling skills of Newton, Clarke and TJ.

This saw the Casuals forwards Byatt and Wilson-Dennis forced to crab backwards and forwards across the pitch withouthardly a touch of the ball and their midfield packed and solid where Hall was his usual authoritative self.

It was Tooting that created the first clear chances when a series of 3 consecutive short corners saw a shot deflected over and then a save by Bracken at his near post from Gordon. Soon after Smith was forced to come out sharply to smother well at the feet of the dangerous Spencer after a Cheadle block tackle deflected in to his path.

During the first 30 minutes the game was patient overall control for us and quick breaks for them.But the deadlock was broken in the 29th min when TJ slid a ball in through the inside left channel where SUMMERS took it and twitched cleverly to leave two Casuals defenders on their backsides before swivelling to shoot low in to the opposite corner.
A really finely worked goal from our front man now restored to the side after concussion.

Half time 0 – 1

Casuals nearly equalised just minutes in to the 2nd half when Spencer picked up a half cleared header and drove a fierce shot onto the crossbar.  The Terrors then created their own chance when Marshall chipped forward centrally to Summers requiring Bracken to rush out and half clear with his head/shoulder. The next ball forward saw TJ clear but he was offside being now goalside of the keeper. Clarke then dribbled from just outside his own box until he was finally stopped by a slide tackle in the box at the other end.

A second goal was needed to put this game to bed. And it looked as if TJ might provide it when supplied with the ball wide right by Summers.  Three glorious, bamboozling step overs followed but the resulting shot went over the bar. Somewhat oddly Casuals then took off Spencer but proved they could still be dangerous when Byatt put over the bar a sharp chance from a second consecutive corner. They did even better in the 65th min when Bettache skipped past a half challenge down the left and dribbled to the goaline. Twice it seemed certain he would cut the ball back for strikers in the middle but he ended up shooting low to the far corner.

Now the game opened up with both sides pressing for a winner. And Newton created the first of 3 good chances frustratingly spurned by Marshall who lifted his shot over the bar from inside the box. The Zebra clad Terror faithful then watched in horror as a Casuals cross bounced of Cheadle, then Smith and then the post before returning to the arms of Smith.

At this point Pinnock and Wright replaced Clarke and Nkoma with Tooting still pushing hard for a winner and a valuable 3 points, but it was Byatt who found himself free to head the ball from a deep cross by Hodges right to the heart of the Terror goal mouth. Thankfully his header was directed straight in to the arms of the grateful Smith.

Alimi now replaced Summers and Marshall pushed further forward and shortly afterwards it was Marshall who blazed over when it seemed almost easier to score (a phrase easy to trot out from our side of the touchline!) after Newton dribbled in to the box to shot and Pinnock recycled.
And to his evident frustration Marshall repeated the trick just before the end from what looked even closer after Pinnock had cut in from the left and pulled the ball back to him right in front of the goal.  Surely he will score from there.  Surely……It was not to be.

Another game where the team did more than enough to pick up 3 points. Solid in the back 4, well organised in midfield and numerous attacking options. Three games earlier in the season saw a four goal tally.  And very soon one of our opponents is going to suffer that same fate.  It is coming.

Team: Paul Smith, Tom Jelly, Nathan Gordon, Harry Knock (Cap), Jordan Cheadle, Colin Hartburn, Jordan Clarke (Sol Pinnock), Bill Marshall, Dan Summers, (BashiroAlimi) Howard Newton, TinasheNkoma (Laim Wright). Subs not used:  Harvey Cheadle, David Graves

Report by: Bondy

Mon 22nd September 2014


0-3


HT 0-2

Pinnock(7), Summers(43,47)