VIRGINIA WATER RESERVES 0-4 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES RESERVES

With the disappointment of last week’s dropped points at home, the reserve’s had their first away game against with a tricky tie against Virginia Water. Last season the sides met four times each winning two a piece, so a difficult game was expected. Injury and player return to fitness meant a number of changes to the side, out injured went Jamie Reid (back), Eddie Mensah (hamstring) and Miles Morgan (hip) also Sam Okine was not available. In came Julian Wolpe (CM) and Martin Taylor (RB) who had been with the 1st team the previous week and in came Mark Hibbard(CM) for his debut for the Ironsides and returning legend Richard Allen (CB) also made his 1 start for the reserves. The game started well for the Ironsides who controlled the game from the off set but failed to really make the possession into chances. It took a glaring opportunity missed by Virginia that got Ironsides going. A nice bit of one touch football between Lee Peddle and Steve Scott Lee on the left provide a goal scoring opportunity for Neil Scott who was able to round the keep and keep his composure to slot away for a deserved lead. The Ironsides kept the pressure up and just before half time the 2nd goal was taken. A corner was not cleared properly and Daniel Clarke controlled the ball and turned on a six pence and slotted the ball top corner, it was no more than the Ironsides deserved.
The 2nd half Virginia came out with nothing to lose and had a solid 15 minutes without really testing Luke in goal. The decisive 3rd came shortly after this, some good work again down the left by Neil Scott allowed the forward to push into the box and was ready to ’pass’ into the middle of the box when he was brought down for a penalty. This allowed Daniel Clarke to add to his goal tally for the season by coolly putting the penalty away. The final part of the game saw the Ironsides dominate and miss a number of chances to extend the lead. It took until right before the end, a long throw from Martin saw Julian Wolpe soar above the Virginia defence and power in a deserved fourth.

BATTERSEA IRONSIDES 1-1 VIRGINIA WATER

A tight encounter between two well matched sides ended with honours even. After 45 minutes there was hardly a worthwhile shot on goal, and the teams went in level. The second half started with the Ironsides playing far better, and after 60 minutes took a well deserved lead when a free kick was headed at goal by Kent Smith and was well saved, but was followed up by Tyrone Baptise after a smart header back by Paul Bussetti. However, with 15 minutes to go, a hand ball in the box by the Ironsides skipper Robbie McMahon was punished with a penalty, and the Ironsides keeper Ian Peddle was sent the wrong way by the Virginia Water striker. The final 15 minutes saw continued Ironsides pressure, but a stubborn Virginia Water defence withstood the pressure to claim a 1-1 draw.

BATTERSEA IRONSIDES SUNDAY TEAM 3-1 KINGSBOROUGH

Battersea’s second game of the season saw us taking on Kingsborough. With last weeks defeat fresh on the mind it was important for the team to give a good performance to both kick-start our season and put some vital points on the board. Preparations for the game could not have started worse with key members of our squad running late, adding to our already depleted squad. However, despite the poor preparations Battersea started on the front foot with Ironsides taking the initiative. It wasn’t long until Damion showed good trickery and speed to beat his man down the left, bursting into the box before cutting the ball back for Tony, who attempted an audacious backheel. Although Tony was unable to get a good connection on his attempt he did succeed in forcing the Kingsbrough defender to clear the ball into one of his own players, resulting in the ball rebounding into the back of the net! Although the goal may have been slightly fortunate it was no more than the ironsides deserved. Going into halftime the message was to get the ball down and continue to play as we had dominated the game with the ironsides keeper having very little to do.

The second half begun where the first had ended, with the ironsides looking strong. With 20 minutes gone in the second half Damion was taken down on the right side midway in the opposition half. With the box loaded Miles Morgan delivered a wonderful set piece to the back post which was met by the head of Ben who headed the ball back towards the goal from a tight angle and into the bottom right hand corner. It truly was a great header from a player who is ‘living the dream’ and one that Alan Shearer himself would have been proud of! However, with the game at 2-0 a touch of complacency set in resulting in the opposition having 3 chances on goal. This included two one on one efforts which were expertly saved by our keeper, brilliantly tipping both efforts around the right hand post. The third effort was a speculative effort from Kingsborough which ‘forced’ our keeper into a ‘for the camera save’ in his electric cherry kit! At 2-0 the next goal was crucial and with 10 minutes to go the goal went the ironsides way. Leading by example Theo Parker used his tenacity and work rate to close down and disposes the last defender, before slotting home the ball past the advancing keeper into the bottom right hand corner. With the game drawing to a close and the points in the bag miscommunication in the ironsides defence caused confusion resulting in the opposition getting a late consolation goal. Although it was disappointing to concede it could not take away what had been an impressive and comfortable home display and a welcomed 3 points to kick start our season. With an honest bunch of lads and quite a bit of talent in there too, the ironsides can look forward to an exciting season ahead.

TRINITY RESERVES 1-0 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES A'S

It was a gutsy display from the ‘A’s, played on a superb surface. Adam Kent-Smith had an excellent first half at centre back but had to be withdrawn at half time through injury. Alfie Brown had a real battle up front throughout the game and coped superbly with some rough treatment from the Trinity defenders. The ‘A’s defended superbly but were undone 2 minutes from time when they failed to clear their lines but it took an excellent strike to beat stand in keeper Darran O’Grady. Trinity celebrated the goal like they had won the cup, a tribute to the way the ‘A’s had played.

BATTERSEA IRONSIDES RESERVES 1-1 BLETCHINGLEY RESERVES

The first game for the reserves finally arrived against a Bletchingley team who did the double over the reserves last year. The game provided a number of debuts for the reserves, Ed Mensah came in at right back, Stefan Hollingsworth at right midfield and Richard Thompson up front. Another welcomed addition to the reserves was Ernie Ako making his first appearance for the reserves up front. The reserves started with a 4-4-2 in very wet conditions after the heavens opened right before kick-off. A frantic start saw the Ironsides on the back foot initially with players rushing and giving away possession too easily allowing Bletchingley to have the first effort on goal. The first 15 also saw the first substitution of the season with Jamie 'Dave' Reid coming off with a recurring back injury picked up during pre-season and Lewis Hills slotting in at left back. After the initial period the Ironsides started to control the game with a lot of good work coming down the left side of the team with Miles Morgan and Richard Thompson using the space to open up the Bletchingley back four and get them on the back foot a number of times. The only controversy of the first half came towards the end of the half - Richard Thompson made a good run down the left side and was breaking into the box by the by line when it appeared he had been caught from behind by the slow and wrong footed defender, but the ref thought otherwise and gave a goal kick. The second half started how the first half had ended with Battersea having the better of the play but lacking the control and conviction to make their possession count and it was to cost the reserves. A debatable 'foul' by Daniel Clarke just on the outside of the box on the right hand side gave Bletchingley an opportunity at goal. In the wet conditions a fizzed shot at goal slipped from the normally reliable Luke Woodmansey's grasp and fell in front of him as he tried to reclaim he unfortunately pushed it further away from himself nicely into the oncoming Bletchingley players who thought Christmas had come early and gave them an undeserved 1-0 lead. This kicked the Ironsides into action who started to control and dominate the game, it also prompted the debut of Chafik Dahmani up front with Stefan Hollingsworth making way with Ernie Ako moving into right midfield. A bout of sustained pressure from the Ironsides finally brought reward when a free kick on the Ironsides left hand side brought up the goal scoring centre back Daniel Clarke to continue to add to his goals from last year with a precise header from the delightfully delivered ball from Miles Morgan. The game was for the Reserves to win but a number of wasted chances in the last 15 minutes of the game saw Bletchingley hang on for a point and the reserves start the season in frustrating fashion.

TOOTING BEC 0-2 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES

On a small pitch, with incessant rain, Ironsides surprisingly played good football, and dominated the game from start to finish, with wing backs Theo Parker and Junior Mitchell repeatedly putting in good crosses. A minute before half time, a flick on from Duncan Kent Smith put Julian Green clear, and after rounding the keeper, found the empty net, putting Fernando Torres to shame. In the second half Ironsides started off in the same dominant mode. After 60 minutes a through ball to Duncan Kent Smith, who beat the offside trap, again coolly rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net. In the last 15 minutes, Tooting Bec played with four forwards, but Ironsides withstood the pressure without keeper Ian Peddle making a noteworthy save. The Ironsides came away with another 3 points, and their first clean sheet of the season.

MERTON GALAXY 2-1 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES SUNDAY TEAM

In what was the most eagerly anticipated return to English football since Jurgen Klinsmann returned for his second spell at Spurs , the BIFC Sunday team came out of retirement and returned to Sunday football. However, this time under the expert tutelage of BIFC legends Theo Parker and Tim Dellaloglu, in what could possibly be a stepping stone to dislodging the ageing Neil and Gary as managers of the Saturday First Team. After a busy summer of recruiting some of the finest talent BIFC were well equipped to hit the lofty heights once again.

Up first for the Ironsides was Merton Galaxy who had recently just been promoted from division 6, were they had won the league only dropping 2 points the entire season, averaging 6 goals per game. So we were under no illusions of what was in store for us and the importance of starting the game strongly. That being said Merton started the game the stronger and dominated the opening period, playing good football in the process and looking like a team that had played together for quite some time. Merton took a deserved lead mid way through the first half and could have added to their tally had it not been for summer recruit Daniel Walker in goal keeping them at bay with a string of fine saves. However, Battersea continued to show that never say die spirit, epitomised by Tony Harman, I mean Tony Eden and equalised just before half time. Battersea were awarded a freekick on the left side of the edge of the area which was curled low and hard around the Merton wall by Damion ‘Tyrone’ Pascall. This was then turned into the goal expertly from close by Ben Nyarko, who assured everyone he had performed the ‘Van Nistelrooy’ by standing in an offside position prior to the freekick being taken before getting onside as the kick was taken.

Going into half time Battersea were lucky to be level and knew we needed to show a lot of heart and determination in order to come away with something from the game against a good Merton side. The team talk seemed to work as the ironsides came out and frustrated Merton, limiting their chances on the ironsides goal with Daniel coming to the rescue on the couple of occasions they managed to create a chance. With the game almost over and Ironsides looking good for a point Merton broke away and after a scramble, which included a couple of saves, managed to grab a winner right at the death. In what was a cruel way to lose a football match, nobody could deny that Merton deserved the victory in the end. All in all it was a narrow defeat by a team that is expected to challenge for the league, one that had obviously benefitted from playing together on a regular basis. In summery the ironsides showed a lot of heart and glimpses of potential and with a few more games under our belt will be a force to reckon with.

BATTERSEA IRONSIDES 4-2 REIGATE PRIORY

A good all round performance against Reigate Priory, where the Ironsides strikers suddenly discovered their shooting boots, with Julian Green and Duncan Kent Smith both scoring to put Ironsides 2-0 up. Two goals by Reigate Priory in the last five minutes of the first half put a dampener on the Ironsides performance, with the sides going in at half time level. In the second half, the Ironsides dominated throughout, and goals from Julian Green and Duncan Kent Smith again secured a well deserved 4-2 victory.

BATTERSEA IRONSIDES A'S 1-0 SHIRLEY TOWN

The dying minutes of the first half saw an Ironsides corner forced into the back of the Shirley net after a bundle of players attacked the ball, Richard Thompson eventually shinning the ball in moments before the half time whistle. The change of ends found Shirley with the wind at their backs and the pressure began to build on the Ironsides defence as the ball was pumped forwards. Long balls and corners were continually dealt with by stand in keeper and man of the match Jamie 'Dave' Reid as time after time he came to punch clear and keep the 'A's in front. As Town pushed for the equaliser they became vulnerable to the counter attack, Ernie Ako and Bussetti again dangerous. There was a late scare in the Ironsides box as the ball pinged about and bounced off the bar eventually being smothered by the outstanding Reid and for the second week running the 'A's survived a late onslaught and claimed their second victory in a row. They play away to Trinity Reserves in the league next weekend.

VICE-CHAIRMAN HAS IRONSIDES AT HEART

Most people at the Ironsides would be familiar with the sight of Kevin Harman breathless, complaining of cramp in his legs after 45 minutes on a football pitch. However on the 4th September 2011, Kevin substituted the football field for the salty sea of the south coast, as he took part in the Bournemouth to Boscombe Pier-to-Pier swim to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. As Battersea Ironsides longest serving player, Kevin was still playing football at the age of 50, until he was forced to retire as a result of a heart attack. However, a grueling 1.5 mile swim in the south coast sea was not a challenge Kevin backed down from, as he completed the swim in an impressive time of 45 minutes.

If you wish to donate money in support of Kevin and the British Heart Foundation, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/kevharman.

HORSLEY 3-1 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES

Another disappointing result continued the Ironsides indifferent start to the season, although the performance was most probably an improvement in general play. The game started evenly, then the Ironsides started to take control, missing a couple of chances. However, after half an hour, a free kick 10 yards inside Ironsides half went over everyone and into the roof of the net. The second half started with the Ironsides on top again, and they duly scored in the 47th minute when an Ernie Kendall free kick was nodded in at the near post by Julian Green. The Ironsides continued to press, but in the 60th minute, a Horsley free kick was cleared to the half way line, but a Horsley player advanced and from 25 yards hit the ball into the top corner. The Ironsides continued to press for the last half hour, but in the 93rd minute, Horsley got their 3rd goal on a break away with the Ironsides overcommiting in search of an equaliser.

CROYDON GREENSIDE RESERVES 1-2 BATTERSEA IRONSIDES A'S

Ironsides 'A's first game of the new season saw them put in a solid display and turn around a 1-0 half time deficit to win 2-1 away from home and take all three points. The first half was an even affair with few chances at either end although the Ironsides did look threatening down the left flank with Jamie Reid and Charlie Bussetti combining well. It was Greenside who struck first though when a long kick down field wasn't dealt with by the Ironsides central defence allowing the striker to get in behind them and fire past a helpless keeper. The second half again started evenly but the Ironsides started to press as they looked for the equaliser. The experienced Richard Allen began to dominate in midfield and it was two glorious 20 yard strikes from him that turned the game in the Ironsides favour. Greenside huffed and puffed in the closing stages and had a couple of opportunities from long range free kicks but the Ironsides defense stood firm.