Back-to-back losses stalls Point-to-Point's campaign

Point-to-Point 2 v 3 Racing Club Varndean  (1-1)

Line-up: Tom; Sam, Matt (Paul B), Ryan, Dave; Chris S (Nick B), Mikey, Joe Millar; Paul Goodier, Tom M, Chris P (Nick M)

MOM: Paul Goodier

Dave Scurr, 30th October, Preston Park

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Point-to-Point were knocked off the top of the table in disheartening fashion, beaten by a physically strong albeit one-dimensional Racing Club Varndean. While this wasn’t quite a horror show, the reality check for a full strength Point-to-Point was leaning on the dark side as their supposedly ‘quickstep’ football was beaten fairly convincingly by the old-fashioned 'route one'.

As always, the home team started confidently knowing that there was plenty of flair and skill in the starting 11 to outplay a physically stronger opposition. Led by a solid and lively midfield trio of Searle, Mikey and Joe, Point were able to pass their way into the opponents half and start pressuring their back four. Tom and Paul showed plenty of movement up-front and Philips played with discipline on the right, giving Dave some license to run the right channel. They deservedly scored the opener when Joe found space on the right and whipped a great ball in for Destructo who finished with a tidy header. This capped a confident start and some tidy spells; in the lead and in control…again.

Varndean responded with a blitz of hopeful long balls which gradually had an impact on the game. Their big ‘Frankenstein’ number 10 started to either flick on most balls thrown at him or hold the play up, frustrating his markers and wining free-kicks. The warning signs were there for the team in stripes; Varndean’s sole weapon was hitting long balls towards the Point back four and targeting their keeper…set-pieces would facilitate that for them. They provoked their opponents with plenty of moaning and gamesmanship which ultimately got the better of the home team. Point started committing unnecessary fouls and inexplicably  playing the long ball game themselves. This killed off any momentum Point gained in the first 20 minutes as they struggled to keep the ball and the defence came under increasing pressure. The equaliser epitomised this as Point failed to play it from the back, instead opting for a hopeful long ball which came straight back at them, under pressure, committed a foul and failed to deal with Varndean’s hopeful cross; Varndean’s number 11 was there to collect Dave’s weak clearance and finish from just outside the area.

Things got worst in the second half for Point as Varndean grew in confidence and intensified both  pressure and gamesmanship. It worked a treat for them; the Point players gradually lost their shape, composure and discipline. Varndean capitalised on another hesitant clearance from a cross and deservedly took the lead. Captain Searle got booked, Point failed to keep hold of the ball and kept conceding too many fouls, playing in the hands of their chatty and frustrating opponents. Pushing for an equaliser, they were left vulnerable at the back. Sam’s gearbox stalled as last man, unable to catch the tall number 11, an unlikely hero scoring his second goal of the game and putting the game to bed. Man-of-the-match Paul Goodier staked his claim up-front by pulling a goal back from a good free-kick just after Point’s strong bench of Nick Blake, Paul Barrett and Mercer came on to spark an unlikely comeback. It wasn’t to be – Varndean pushed up the table delighted with three effective points while Point were left scratching their heads.

 

Point-to-Point fail to convince in sticky stalemate

Point-to-Point 2  v  2 Bevendean Athletic (1-1)

Line-up: Tom; Sam, Ryan (Paul B), Paul, Dave (Rich); Nick M, Chris S (Mike), Matt, Joe, Chris P; Tom 

MOM: tbc 

Dave Scurr, 2nd October, Preston Park

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Point-to-Point's first home game of the season was a forgettable experience and served as a reminder that there is a long way to go if they are to challenge for promotion in an apparently weak division 2. On paper, two teams with two wins out of two, best attack versus best defence and, potentially chunkiest versus slimmest personnel, had the makings of a Sunday League classic - well, until the football started. 

The pre-match rituals has an air of pre-season frolicking; with Captain Searle spotted trying to break into Sports Direct in town 30 minutes before kick-off (his football boots having gone AWOL), the rest of the team had time to complain about various niggles, talk about the weather and cool down before kick-off in semi-naked fashion.

Despite the relaxed vibe associated with a hot sunny Sunday, the home team started brightly letting the ball do the running and Bevendean Athletic do the talking to the referee. In the first 10 minutes, Point probably managed more passes than in the remaining 80 minutes and deservedly took the lead through an absolute thunderbolt from Captain Searle, this time spotted on the pitch donning football socks and boots and all; he latched onto a loose ball from just outside the area and sent it flying into the top left corner. Brilliant strike. The momentum was clearly yellow and blue, Bevendean Athletic failing to cope with the opening exchanges and the new-found triangular shapes showcased by Point's midfield and full-backs. 

Their best chance of the half fell to sweaty Dave, playing as an attacking full back, and failing to convert a chance which would have rivalled Searle's opener as goal of the month; he picked up a clearance from a corner, skipped through a crowd of Bevendean players, only to throw a tame effort at the goalmouth once clear on goal. Bevendean's sole contribution to the game so far was sending out long balls to their Guti-like striker which Ryan, Paul and Sam dealt with comfortably.

Unfortunately for the home side, things soon fell apart from then on as Bevendean won a corner and took advantage of a bad mix up between keeper Tom and Ryan as they failed to clear, slotting home the easiest goal they will score this season. This sparked a sequence of unfortunate events for Point having to reshuffle their line-up on various occasions due to injuries to Searle and Dave coming off in quick succession (and replaced by Mike and Rich respectively). Bevendean grew in confidence and saw more of the play as Point failed to recover from their opportunistic equaliser and they managed to take the lead via the penalty spot following a clumsy challenge from one of Point's defenders. With Point rattled and feeling the heat, they had to rely not for the first time on a couple of acrobatic saves from Tom who gave them a lifeline. Indeed, against the run of play, Bevendean's goalkeeper returned Point's first half favour by gifting them a goal; he failed to deal with an incoming ball and Rich was able to pounce onto it. 

A seemingly Sunday morning stroll in the park became more of a laborious marathon when Ryan also had to come off injured and Rich was forced to play on with a calf injury...despite their misfortunes, three old pros were able to show off their naked torsos in front of Bevendean's wags who were providing most of the morning entertainment on the touchline. Bevendean ended the game as they started, shouting at the referee in unison as their striker was clearly caught offside; Point ended the game scraping a point in lacklustre fashion with a quarter of the team injured.