FC CHAPLIN'S / YORKSHIRE PRIDE 2011/12            

FC Chaplin's      5    FC Oranje     1

Today saw the much anticipated match between FC Chaplin’s and their arch rivals FC Oranje in the 1^st Round of the Cup. Chaplin’s had already played the previous week in the Preliminary Round against Hotel Benidorm Plaza, Chaplin’s despatching them with a fantastic 6-1 hammering that gave them plenty of confidence to tackle the Oranje who had drawn a bye into this tie but who were coming off an 8-0 victory themselves in their last League game of the Season.

These derby games in Albir are always meaty and entertaining with both sides out to prove just who has the upper hand both on the pitch and off it, particularly with regards to the bragging rights. With a place in next weeks Quarter-Finals at stake this game was set to be a real cracker and with Adam Tauber and James Charles having defected to the Oranje in the recent past there was an added element of payback that was ominously overdue and which would surely give this match even more of an edge.

Chaplin’s have played the Oranje 4 times this Season already with the Oranje having the slight advantage with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat. However, Chaplin’s have had a roller-coaster of a ride trying just to survive in what is only their second Season in the League, and after a terribly disappointing League campaign they now had the chance to make amends by sending the Oranje into Cup oblivion.

With only Bobby Mayes ( away ) and Dean Cattanach ( leg ) unavailable Chaplin’s were able to call upon a good size squad for this encounter but with 6 substitutes on the bench all desperate for a piece of the action there was bound to be disappointment for the ones who were destined only for a brief stint on the pitch. However, the main focus of the game today was the result and with this in mind Chaplin’s took to the pitch with an overwhelming sense of pride and purpose and the lucky 11 who were chosen to start the match were more than aware of their responsibilities and were collectively determined not to let their compatriots down.

With Chaplin’s adopting a solid 4-4-2 formation boasting an excellent array of players and with plenty of quality waiting to come off the bench when needed it was clear that the Oranje were going to have to be on top of their game if they had any chance of over-powering a Chaplin’s side that were out to make their mark in the most memorable way possible.

Unfortunately for the Oranje their inadequacies were exposed right from the start, an insipid attack from their forwards was easily curtailed by some stout defending and as Chaplin’s then went on their own charge down the pitch the Oranje had no alternative but to concede the first free-kick of the match. With his sweet right foot waiting to work its magic, centre back Paul Bettson stepped up to deliver a beautiful cross from 30 yards out which winged its way deep into the Oranje area where Ray Charrington rose superbly to head a great opening goal which went in off the underside of the crossbar, giving Chaplin’s an unprecedented 1-0 lead after only 3 minutes.

Such a dream start was not about to be wasted and Chaplin’s set about adding to their lead with some good pressure on the Oranje back four while their own defence held firm at the back with some imperious defending that closed every chink of light that the Oranje tried to exploit. Testament to this was a fantastic save by Adam Musk who got down quickly to his left to push away a powerful low drive from an Oranje free-kick that was destined to sneak in at the right post. Five minutes later, on 15 minutes, Adam was alert again, this time showing a good pair of hands to hold onto a wickedly bending free-kick by Luke Barker that was curling its way into the top left corner of the goal.

On 20 minutes it was the turn of Chaplin’s to threaten the opposition goal, a good ball over the top by Carlos Parkin was chased down by Jamie O’Gara in the centre and despite being squeezed out by two defenders Jamie managed to get a shot off on target but his effort was comfortably saved by the keeper. Two minutes later a great interception in his own half by Alan Belshaw gave possession back to Chaplin’s, Alan then setting off on a run down the left wing before playing a low ball to Jamie O’Gara who for the second time in as many minutes found himself the unfortunate filling in another defender sandwich.

Still, just rewards were about to come their way and on 25 minutes Paul Bettson pumped another excellent ball up the pitch which the defence failed to deal with, Alan Belshaw pouncing on the loose ball and taking it further into the Oranje area before drilling a great low shot towards the far post which the keeper was unable to get to, despite diving at full stretch to his left. It was a brilliantly taken goal by Alan and the lift it gave his team was priceless, if only for the looks of disbelief on the faces of the Oranje players.

Now 2-0 up and with the momentum swung firmly towards them Chaplin’s were determined to put the Oranje to the sword and on 35 minutes another good ball by Carlos Parkin was headed on by Neil Murphy into the path of Jamie O’Gara who took an excellent first time shot with his left foot, narrowly putting it over the centre of the crossbar with the keeper well beaten. 3 minutes later Alan Belshaw went on another penetrating run down the left wing before playing the ball infield to Jamie who immediately teed up Ray Charrington on his right, Ray taking a touch to bring the ball back inside the left back before striking a low shot which the keeper did well to block away for a corner.

After managing to survive these scares the Oranje were fortunate to go into the break with only a 2 goal deficit but their fate was about to get much, much worse when the second half got underway. With only 2 minutes gone Alan Belshaw found himself in space on the left-hand edge of the area, Alan deciding to try his luck with a decent shot to the centre of goal but unfortunately it was directed too close to the keeper who made no mistake with his bread and butter save.

On 50 minutes came a rare threat from the Oranje, again from a free-kick, this time it was well struck by the No.9 Jack Vloet from 20 yards out but again Adam Musk was more than up to the task, taking the ball cleanly first time as it powered towards him down the middle of his area. On 55 minutes Chaplin’s embarrassed the Oranje for the third time with an absolute peach of an own goal which started way out on the left wing when Neil Murphy sent in a teasing cross to the centre of the area and as the Oranje No.30 Lloyd Harrison tried to head it away for a corner he inadvertently headed the ball into his own net, wrong-footing his own keeper at the same time who had come out of his goal to claim the ball that he thought would be making its way towards him. As if to underline the unfortunate situation the keeper did his best “is it a bird, is it a plane” impression in a bid to get back and scoop the ball away before it went over the line but all he succeeded in doing was to spend the next few seconds extricating himself from the tangle of netting.

However, even at 3-0 with only 35 minutes left to play the result was not yet in the bag and on 58 minutes the Oranje had a slice of luck of their own, a free-kick just on the edge of the area was deflected off the wall, the ball looping up and over Adam Musk who was expecting the shot to come to him from a low angle and not to fly in over his prostrate body.

At 3-1 the game took on a slightly different complexion but Chaplin’s held on to the same mentality that had seen them out-play the Oranje for the first hour of the match and on 65 minutes they put the contest beyond the reach of the Oranje with a blinder of a goal that had “a touch of class” written all over it. It started with some excellent work by Cameron Parker in the centre who eventually spread the ball wide to Neil Murphy on the left, Neil then swinging in a sublime cross to the far post to pick out the run of Alan Belshaw, Alan then putting the cherry on the cake with an unbelievable first time strike at full stretch that gave the keeper absolutely no chance of making the save, even at such close range. It was a goal of pure genius and as Alan picked himself up to wheel away in triumphant celebration his expression and his leap into the air showed just how much it meant to him and to the rest of his team to finally say to the Oranje “make sure you switch the lights off when you leave!”.

After that the Oranje players were left with their hands on their hips and their heads drooped in despondent isolation, seeking solace and the answers to their dreadful capitulation in the blades of astro-turf that clung to their feet like a green pariah. With no cohesion or sense of unity the frustration of their failings began to manifest itself with fractious arguments in the Oranje defence whilst the rest of the team looked around despairingly for someone to lead them out of their miserable demise.

With the battle now well and truly won the remainder of the match played out to its gratifying conclusion although with 5 minutes to go there was a brief scare for Chaplin’s as they were robbed of possession at the back by James Charles after an unfortunate stumble by Jeff Ball but despite now training ‘properly’ with drills and the like with his new Oranje team-mates it appears that he has learnt nothing in the art of finishing, his dalliance and lack of composure on the ball allowing Paul Bettson to choose his moment well to take the ball away from him with a superb tackle that the Oranje defence would do well to replicate.

Finally, to really sum up the desire and the passion of the Chaplin’s players and to demonstrate the bond that is forming them into a true team they were treated with just 2 minutes to go to the first goal for their Ecuadorian signing Freddy Palaquibay who turns up every week and sits patiently on the bench waiting for his chance to get involved. With virtually his first touch of the game Freddy was on hand to deliver the killer touch on the ball after an initial shot by Jamie O’Gara had been blocked by the keeper, Freddy slipping the loose ball between the keeper and defender to make it 5-1 to Chaplin’s and to send the Chaplin’s team and their supporters into absolute euphoria. With nearly every player on the pitch mobbing Freddy in celebration it sent out a signal to all those watching that Chaplin’s may well be the new kids on the block and that if they can maintain their focus and consistency through to the start of next Season then perhaps a new era is indeed about to dawn.

Their first step was taken last week with an emphatic win over Hotel Benidorm Plaza and today was a chance to prove that that result was no fluke, in fact, the margin of victory with which they punished the Oranje toady was the biggest defeat that the Oranje had suffered all Season. It also showed that Chaplin’s were able to play their opposition off the park with a combination of superior football and mental toughness. Not only was the margin of victory amazing but the way in which Chaplin’s battled hard in every area of the pitch to leave the Oranje with absolutely nothing was a testament to the attitude of their players and the fantastic team spirit that the Chaplin’s management have worked long and hard to develop.

Once again, from the keeper to the strikers, the Chaplin’s players dug themselves in like Alabama ticks and pulled off a fantastic performance that keeps them moving in the right direction. With Adam Musk being outstanding again in goal, the back 4 of Gary Lane, Jeff Ball, Lawrence Mentesh and particularly Paul Bettson forming a virtually impenetrable wall throughout the game, the midfield of Carlos Parkin and Ross Musk working like trojans for 90 minutes to deny the Oranje anything in the centre of the park, Ray Charrington who continues to improve with every game, Alan Belshaw working his socks off out on the wing and the strikers Neil Murphy, Dan Harrison and Jamie O’Gara all causing the Oranje endless problems at the back it was no surprise that Chaplin’s were head and shoulders above their opposition today and were fully deserving of their win.

Chaplin’s will now face Sidreria Escondida in the quarter-finals next Saturday and if they can play like they have played in their last two matches then there is no reason why they cannot have a great chance of making the semi-finals where they will more than likely come up against the real heavy-weights of Almendros-96 who came second in the entire League this year, losing out to Lope de Vega by a single goal.

The buzz and the excitement in the team after their win was incredible, and their jubilation was made even sweeter by several drinks later that evening in the Chaplin’s Bar in Benidorm from which the team takes its name.

Most people might think that a team that sports a Charlie Chaplin logo might never be taken seriously but believe me it’s time to sit up and take note because there’s nobody laughing at us now….

Is the final and ultimate glory a possibility? Who knows, but either way, as always, get in and bring it on….

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