BEFC 3 – 2 BFC, Sunday 18th July, Oifuto (Dai-Ichi )

Team: Simon C, Andrew D, Giles, Rob, Fernando, Silvano, Mohamed, Keith, Vern, Makoto, Tomo, Richard N, Gerard, Kenji

Sing, O goddess, to the goal scoring ability of Simon Woolhouse of BEFC, that brought countless ills upon BFC in the searing heat of Oi dirt pitch on Sunday 18 July 2004. Many a brave soul did he send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did he yield a prey to dogs and vultures on the day BEFC defeated BFC in the TML cup quarterfinals.

It was an encounter of Homeric proportions between the two heavy weights of the TML with the word British in their name.

BEFC came back from the potentially demoralising blow of going down 2-nil early in the first half to come back and win 3-2 with a superb brace from Simon Woolhouse and a goal in the final seconds of the game by Silvano, who went from villain to Greek hero after missing a penalty in the second half.

BFC’s Tomomitsu Kunii – who unsportingly cursed Jove the Olympian Lord of Thunder in full view of the gods when your correspondent offered to shake his hand on the final whistle – opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a spectacular half volley into the top right corner.

BEFC will be disappointed he was given so much space and time to shoot, but the midfield, unfortunately, had not quite found it’s shape or rhythm at this point in the game, to put it mildly.


There followed a couple of chances for BEFC to score. But as they both involved your correspondent nothing much came of them.

From a corner Rob managed to dislodge the ball from the opposition keeper’s hands with his head and the ball fell kindly at the feet of your correspondent, who inexplicably opted to take a touch rather than a shot, allowing BFC to clear.

Before your correspondent had a chance to get over this personal catastrophe he immediately found himself facing another. Put completely through by Vern and closing in on goal with the ball at his feet and only the keeper to beat he was unceremoniously overtaken and dispossessed by a furiously backtracking defender.

Next Keith took over centre stage. A header from Richard’s cross from the left hand edge of the penalty area seemed destined for the net, had Keith made more than the slightest contact with the ball. But, alas, the ball only brushed his fringe and went harmlessly out of play.

Next came BFC’s second goal, which came from a free kick on the edge of the area. John Day stepped up and hit a gentle curler that hit the top of the wall, changed direction and wrong footed Giles before heading into the top left corner.

BEFC struck back when Fernando threaded a superb pass from midfield to Simon Woolhouse, who calmly slotted past the BFC keeper when under intense pressure from a back-pedalling BFC defence.

Half time saw Silvano laying the blame for his (by his own high standards) under par performance firmly at the door of instructions contained in Simon Collier’s pre-match e-mail, claiming that not drinking and getting 9 hours sleep the night before the game had seriously f***ed him up.

In the second half Rob, Vern, Makoto, Tomo, Gerard and Keith continued to defend well, Keith making up what he lacks in pace with what he can do with a two footed sliding tackle. One of Keith’s most important interceptions came when BFC’s Tomomitsu Kunii got to the by-line with only Keith between him and the BEFC’s goal. Crunch! In came Keith. Dazed, Tomomitsu clambered to his feet to find the ball still in play and, unfortunately for him, still in his possession. Crunch! In came Keith again and this time made no mistake.

Vern moving into midfield with Fernando, and Kenji moving out to the left where his more cultured skills are perhaps better suited, saw BEFC take a hold of the midfield battle.

Soon, BEFC had won a penalty, awarded for a handball by perhaps more than one BFC player. Unfortunately for BEFC, however, Silvano side footed wide of the left upright.

This marked the beginning of a bad spell for BEFC as the heat compounded the disappointment of having missed a good chance to level. In particular, BEFC were now conceding free kicks in dangerous positions with worrying regularity.

As a result of one free kick Giles did very well to get down and palm away a low hard shot heading for the bottom right corner of his goal.

There were only two more chances in a game where chances were becoming fewer and farther between due to both teams suffering from the heat – undoubtedly, BFC more than BEFC.

Both chances were BEFC chances and both were taken with some aplomb.

From a long boot Simon Woolhouse brought the ball down in a very tight spot with his first touch and with his second he lobbed the onrushing keeper. What a goal!

Richard then found himself near BFC’s right hand corner flag in a not too encouraging position. Suddenly he dropped his shoulder and skinned one, two, three BFC players before intelligently looking up and passing to Silvano who had the goal at his mercy.