Totteridge FC (17/11/2002)
2002 - 2003 Season, Hithercroft Under 16s



Despite wet weather recently and rain overnight and during the morning this game went ahead in rather muddy conditions but the rain had stopped and the temperature was rather chilly. Kevin Ife was unavailable following a knee injury that he had sustained in training on Friday evening. However, Hithercroft were able to provide 14 players, one being Michael Avery, a former Totteridge player, who was having his first appearance for his new team. The substitutes at the start of the game consisted of Adeel, Matt and Shahid.

The game kicked off at 2pm and after five minutes Totteridge were awarded a free kick from just outside the 18-yard area but the resulting shot went over the crossbar. Shane Globe then had a shot at the Totteridge goal but the keeper, Aaron Reid, pushed the ball wide for a corner. Riccardo Falconi sent the ball into the middle for Robin to hit a fierce shot that went high over the bar. At 2.08pm Hithercroft were awarded another corner and Riccardo sent the ball into the goalmouth for Dewayne Dublin to head it into the net to put the visitors 1-0 ahead. Totteridge were awarded a corner on the left of the field and their No.9 sent the ball across for No.5 to try a header but the ball passed over the crossbar. The play was moving from end to end and then, seventeen minutes into the game, Jammal Cole ran into the 18-yard box and pushed the ball wide past Phil Lines, the Hithercroft goalkeeper, into the net to level the score. Three minutes later a Totteridge player was pushed in the back, the referee deciding that the offence had occurred inside the penalty area. Jammal scored from the spot to put Totteridge into the lead. Totteridge came close to extending the lead when, following a goal kick Jammal took the ball downfield and hit a shot that glanced off the post before going out of play. At the half-time whistle the home side were 2-1 ahead.

Play resumed at 2.50pm and, straight from the kick-off Owen Nanlohy took the ball down the centre and scored to put Totteridge 3-1 up. Hithercroft were then spurred into action with a corner and a free kick being awarded in quick succession but neither brought success. After 9 minutes of second-half play however Dewayne Dublin received the ball and, as the Totteridge keeper advanced, he ran wide of Aaron and put the ball into the left-hand side of the goal to reduce the Hithercroft deficit to just one goal. Another Hithercroft attack saw Dewayne hit the ball past the Totteridge keeper but, as the ball looked sure to go into the net Jason Guy raced back and cleared it from the line. This second half was similar to the first in that play was constantly moving from end to end. In the 18th minute of the half Duane White came across field and tried a shot over the Totteridge keeper’s head but Aaron managed to get his hand to the ball and it fell behind him. Duane then ran round him and collected the ball, firing it into the goal and bringing the score level at 3-all. Eight minutes later, from a corner to Totteridge, Phil punched the ball out but it was scooped back into the goal by Jason Guy to restore the home team’s lead. After a further 2 minutes Jammal, in spite of being surrounded by Hithercroft players, extended the Totteridge lead. Half an hour into the half Duane White took the ball down the centre and played a curling shot that went to the right of the Totteridge goalkeeper and ended up inside the right-hand post to bring Hithercroft back to just one goal in arrears. Hithercroft had two close chances when Shane’s shot went just over the crossbar and then Duane, almost at the Totteridge goal-line was deprived of the ball by Jason Guy who rushed in and hammered the ball out of play. Totteridge survived another goalmouth scramble before Jammal, just five minutes before the end of the game, took the ball down the left and tried a shot that Phil managed to parry out. However, it fell again to Jammal who’s second try then went in and gave Totteridge a 6-4 victory.

This had been a very exciting and competitive game but with Totteridge just having the ‘edge’. If the return match is as good as this one we are in for a treat.


Hithercroft’s scorers: Dewayne Dublin (2) and Duane White (2)

Totteridge’s scorers: Jammal Cole (4), Owen Nanlohy and Jason Guy.