Old Finchleians 2 - 2 Old Parkonians (Southern Amateur League)

Parks started this SAL division 2 game with confidence on Saturday, having scored 9 without conceding in their last two league fixtures. However, Finchley proved to be much more resolute opponents than their league standing suggests.

With another fierce Saturday wind making football difficult, and a large section of the Southover pitch covered in sand, it was a scrappy opening 10 minutes, with both midfields finding their feet, and trying to dominate. With really the first chance of the match a speculative clearance from Parks' keeper Turner, found Knapman driving through from midfield, and he slotted the ball under the advancing keeper to notch his fourth in five games. A carbon copy saw Knapman find himself free again five minutes later, only his long range attempt this time was taken easily by the well positioned Finchley keeper. For the remaining half hour, Finchley had a lot of possession, without creating any real clear cut chances. Bernstein and Gaughan dealt with the home side's two forwards with ease. The referee managed to find reason to book two players in each half, for some of the most innocuous challenges ever seen on a football pitch, but more about him later. Pascoe and Kuforiji were working really hard up front, to give the defenders no time on the ball - and more often than not, were breaking down Finchley attacks before they had begun.

The half came with the visitors looking good value for their slim lead, and this feeling was reinforced in the first minute of the second period. Kemp fed Mason down the right flank and his right footed cross was skewed just over by the stretching Pascoe. Seconds later and Parks missed another gilt edged chance to double their lead. Another long ball by Turner, and Knapman again found himself benefiting from the defence ball watching, but his volley crashed against the post and went to safety.

Old Finchleians took heart from these wasted chances and began to dominate the midfield exchanges, and were without doubt the better side in the second half. With half an hour left Finchley got a deserved equaliser, Bernstein was dispossessed up field, and as the ball broke kindly from a ricochet, the Finchley midfielder mad no mistake from 15 yards. Ten minutes later and with Parks trying to re-establish a hold on the game, the hosts took the lead. For once Turner gained no distance with his clearance, and he was made to pay for his error. The Finchley right midfielder clinically drove the ball back into an empty net to leave Parks with little time to find an equaliser.

However, as has happened so often this season, Parks' found a spirit that would not allow themselves to be beaten. They laid siege to the hosts' goal and in injury time got the equaliser that they felt they deserved. A Keogh cross from the left fell to Bostock, and his cross was turned in from the acutest of angles from Kuforiji. The youngster continues his rich vein of scoring form in his debut season in the first team.

To close, a word about the ref. As I said, he booked four players in the friendliest game we have played this year - and threatened to ruin a good contest by getting almost every crucial decision wrong. He couldn't run, could barely speak, and had a shower with his pants on. Magic!

Parks travel to Old Lyonians this Saturday in a Division 2 league game - 3pm KO.

Scorers: Knapman, Kuforiji
Man of the Match: Kuforiji
Team: Turner, Bernstein, Gaughan, Nicholls, Keogh, Mason, Kemp, Bostock, Knapman, Kuforiji, Pascoe.
Sub: Cunane

Report by TC