Club Notes 23 November 2014

With no game for the Inter As just the Seniors home game for Achilles against East Bergholt on Saturday. Our visitors, like us, enjoying a successful season thus far, were holding fourth place in the SIL Senior Division table immediately behind us. A rather inclement afternoon greeted both teams onto Pauls' immaculate surface and our lads were off with a bang with Danny Allen nodding in Tom Deller's wicked cross after just 10 minutes. Almost immediately Chris Leys headed home a high cross only for a pushing offence ruling the effort out. Rather against the run of play Bergholt equalised and, indeed, right on the stroke of half-time went ahead. The second period turned out to be a "rip-roaring affair - certainly so far as Achilles were concerned - with first Danny notching his second, running on to a classically driven free-kick by Tom and, then, Dean Tournay-Godfrey receiving his second "yellow" to leave Achilles to fight out the remaining 20 minutes with 10 men. For a while our supporters were on tenterhooks with Bergholt taking advantage of their numerical advantage but, happily, finding Jack Foster in top form between the "sticks". Surprisingly, as 90 minutes approached, it was Achilles lasting the better and, soon after an almighty scrimmage in the Bergholt goalmouth, a fine shot onto the crossbar by Andy Coote was superbly stroked into the net from some 20 yards by Ben Taylor to secure all three points. Not for the first time this season Chris Leys was Achilles' "man of the match".

With a squad of 17, or so, managers, Lee Osborn and Shaun Deller, are able to use the substitute system to great advantage and this was particularly evident in this pulsating match before a reasonable-sized crowd bearing in mind the weather. Next Saturday the Seniors make a quick return to Grundisburgh, this time in the Suffolk Senior Cup, while the Inter As welcome Felixstowe Harpers' Inter As to Salmet Close.

The usual Xmas Draw will be on the Sunday after Christmas this year - 8pm December 28th - and books have just been circulated to players, members, and friends, with a request to note the date and to remember that prize donations will be gratefully received.