Game 1
Subs: Ash Jones & Ben Cross
Goalscorer: James Croft (x2)
MOM: Matt Gill

Game 2
Subs: James Croft & Matt Jackson
Goalscorers: Ash Jones & James Croft
MOM: Stuart McGunnigle & Rafa Portezan

After a long, cold winter full of beers, pies and partying, the boys were back to the grind as they faced up against Northern Town in a double header. As Northern Town had been working their way through the cups, they were left with plenty to catch up on in the league, so two consecutive games against us were set.

We had finished the winter break with a sluggish 0-0 against Gorillas, positioning ourselves 4th with a game in hand. Northern Town were 6th with two games in hand.

With Charlie Acres out delivering portraits of himself to clients, Rafa Portezan aka Rafdad, coach Raf, Argentinian mastermind stepped in to play in goal.

We started in a 442 formation with some early opportunities coming our way with a cross from Alex Sampson into Matt Jackson, where the defender managed to make a last minute interception. It was in the 20th minute though, that James Croft was taken down in the box and the ref blew up for a penalty. 30 seconds later, Croft sends the keeper off to the job centre and sets the score 1-0. At this point Northern Town seem to wake up and start applying the pressure to Earlsfield, spraying the ball left to right trying to find a gap in the defence. But all was fine because Matt Gill was playing RB, CM, LB, the fiddle… he was doing it all. The guy ran from right back and tackled the player, to left back and tackled the player, back to right back and intercepted the ball once again. The man was running the show at the back. Anyways, a few missed opportunities later and we managed to hold our own into halftime.

The gaffer put his tactical brain on and changed the formation up to 4-5-1 as he also introduced Ben Cross and Ash Jones into the game. It was, though, with that placement of Stuart McGunnigle into CDM that Northern Town could now no longer break through our midfield line, and instead looking to send long balloons from deep in our half, causing no threat. Northern Town were relying on their big lad CB to dictate the play and spray the ball, but moments into the second half he mistouched the ball allowing Matt Jackson to spring onto it, dribble down the right and cross it to James Croft who finessed it past the keeps for a cheeky 2-0 lead. Now… we had 13 players turn up on the day, whereas they had 16. one of those 5 subs was this Albanian giant, coming in at 6"4, weighing up at 90KG and a reach of 93"…. It was his introduction that allowed Northern town a glimpse of recovery as a perfect freekick was pinged into the box and the Albanian giant jumped high and headed it past Rafa to go post and in. 2-1. This, however, wasn’t enough to get Northern Town back into the game and we finished the first match 2-1, 3 points in the bag cmooooooon!

Game 2

A few changes are made and James Croft and Matt Jackson take a breather on the bench as the second game begins. Northern Town continued to pepper long balloons into our box, but Ben Aspinall was leading the charge of the defence, like a scene from Braveheart. one head, two head, the guy was a brick wall at the back and Northern Town didn’t know what to do. Over committing players saw Alex Lee get the ball on the right hand side, leaving the defenders to watch in agony as he delivered a ping across to Ash Jones to tuck in for 1-0! up yet again, we’re enroute for 6 PINTS!

Second half begins and Northern town reel through their 5 subs as it looks like they haven’t had a proper training session since the Christmas break. Whilst they lacked the fitness, they did have a thing for set pieces and it was with a long throw that one of their players dinked a header past Rafa for 1-1. Some say Charlie paid Rafa off to let in a goal, so he didn’t beat his clean sheet record….Either way, Stuart McGunnigle was having none of it and in his new position at CDM he was shutting up shop, tackling, intercepting and leading the charge as he gets taken down in the box for another penalty! With a stern face and 2 goals to his name already, James Croft steps up again, this time the goalkeeper decides to roll over before the kick so Croft can easily net his third. 2-1 yet again, we’re still on for 6 PINTS!. Northern Town try to press and force an equaliser, but the defence hold firm and the ref blows up for fulltime.

6 PINTS in the bag, Earlsfield jump up to first in the league as they look to challenge Kiwi for the title.

Next weekend Earlsfield will play in a derby game against Goldfingers FC in the invitational cup.