Premiership Debut

Tokyo Hibs 3 BEFC 1

BEFC Fame, glory, power and passion. All were on offer as BEFC stepped out onto a familiar pitch, but into an unfamiliar situation. The first league match of the new season, but BEFC were not the favourites going in to the game. Such is life in the top division. Welcome to the IFFL Premiership.

After the fantastic showings of last season, scorelines of 14 - 3 in BEFC's favour are unlikely to be seen again for a while. Tokyo Hibs were the first opponents in the league, and unfortunately also the first opponents of the year. Lack of match practice reared its ugly head as the first possible excuse. The second was the fact that Hibs are the product of two very good teams merging. Both were Premiership sides last season, who have distilled into one team, and can now draw on the best 11 from two successful squads.

But BEFC did not let the fear show.

The day dawned fine and clear. Footballing conditions could hardly be better. BEFC even had a full team turn out on time. Such was the commitment that Watts even jogged to the ground to get there before kick-off. 14 players, all fit (more or less - at least no obvious hangovers) and raring to go. The match also marked the first public outing of the brand new kit. BEFC looked the part, but could they play it?

Hibs also had a full squad, with a few more substitutes than BEFC. Because they can.

And away we went. The first 60 seconds passed uneventfully enough. The second 60 and Hibs scored. But not to be depressed or deflated, BEFC soon got back into the game before giving away a poor penalty after 10 minutes. Prospects began to look bleak.

The first goal against. A standard scramble at the start of the game. Neither side warmed up or in control. The ball bobbled out of the BEFC area, down the middle of the park. A Hibs midfielder tried his luck from 25 yards. But could such a blind leap of faith really trouble the rock of strength that is Crowley between the BEFC sticks? Er... yes.

"M'Lud, the ball swerved in flight your honour." Such was the case for the legal defence.

Onwards ploughed the mighty ranks of the BEFC. Hibs however had the momentum, and decided (unsurprisingly) to keep coming forward in the opening minutes to see what else they could get away with. And as it turned out they got away with blue murder.

Bridge, starting in central defence, was chasing back and across as a Hibs striker took a ball through the box. The ball was just outside of the area, to the right, when Bridge went sliding in and took the man down. However, no amount of protesting from the pitch or the side-lines would persuade the referee, or his faithful Labrador, that the ball was outside of the area. BEFC may not have helped their own cause by only claiming that it was outside the area, rather than it was not a foul, but passions were aflame at the time.

2 - 0 down and the game had only just started.

Bridge later swore blind that he had run into the same striker later on that day in town. The Hibs player is alleged to have stated that he had actually dived. However, BEFC only have Bridge's word for this. True, though of course that will be. (Actually, Al and Tomo were also there as witnesses. Ed.)

After this start there were only two possible outcomes: total collapse, or a spirited fight back. The odds were not good on the fight back.

Which can only show the maturity of the team. Last season BEFC played generally weaker opposition. Even one goal against would have likely led to shouting, recrimination, and a lowering of heads. But not this time. Quietly, methodically, and showing great character "the lads" rallied round. The pre-match tactics had been to "get stuck in, and show them that we mean business". BEFC slowly started to do this.

There were gaps to exploit. Hibs, although good, were not great. There was nothing that BEFC could not match, or better on occasion. Bystedt had the space down the right, but not always the ball to go with it. Flett at left back chased everything and started to close out that side. BEFC did not just survive the rest of the half, but thoroughly got back into the game.

Half-time Hibs 2 - 0 BEFC.

The calmness of the side at the break impressed this correspondent. Everyone could see that BEFC did not deserve the scoreline against them, and that they were still well in with a shout. As a team, it was obvious that BEFC were not playing at their best. Some players were having an off day, and nobody had dominated their position. But they were there, and they were fighting.

The first 25 minutes of the second half were all BEFC. A very strong spell; not total control, but of such a change round that nobody could mistake the difference. Hibs also noticed. The cries from their touch-line increased in volume and regularity. They were telling their own players to keep going, and to concentrate more. Then BEFC got the goal that was always on the cards. An undistinguished attack as such, but the product of relentless pressure. The ball was firmly in the last third of the field, and after a little bouncing around, finally fell to Woolhouse to open the BEFC account. And not before time.

From there any result was still possible. But as BEFC tired, and as Hibs brought on wide-men with pace, gaps again appeared. BEFC needed every player as injury took its toll. Elliott had already gone at the end of the first half, pulling up with muscle problems. Williams also limped off in the second, similarly struck down. If this was not bad enough, Watts, Bridge and Flett all picked up knocks that either took them out, or slowed them up. Of the subs available, two of the three were out-and-out strikers.

The third, Spivey, had already replaced the injured Elliott, although luckily Spivey, most unusually, was playing above himself, as remarked upon by captain and again later by manager. Even the exchange of Bridge and Johannson down the middle could not turn the tide back.

Hibs closed the game out with good pressure, and got a goal to seal the match in the last 10 minutes.

The result does not look great. The performance was better, and the potential in the top flight is good. The games this season are likely to be close, tight and above all, interesting. BEFC need to get a re-match with Hibs, in a friendly, or however, later in the season to see what they are actually capable of.

Players: Crowley, Flett, Elliott, Thornington, Bridge, Collier, Johannson, Williams, Bystedt, Woolhouse, Court, Shalabi, Watts, Spivey