Y VIVA ESPANA!

Broadmeadow…2 Buckland Athletic…13

BUCKLAND opened the new campaign with a new system and a hatful of goals against a valiant and spirited Broadmeadow side on Sunday.

Ditching last season’s 2-4-0 Italian-inspired formation, Buckland employed Beck as a lone striker in front of a midfield trio comprising Georgia, Harry and Joey, with Gabriel in goal and rock-steady defensive duo Declan and Jamie giving the rearguard a familiar look.
It didn’t take Beck long to make his mark – he fired home an early opener, exchanged a slick one-two with Joey before hammering home his second, then turned in Joey’s pinpoint cross at the far post to ensure he had a hat-trick to his name within 10 minutes of the season’s start.
But it wasn’t all one-way traffic – Broadmeadow had pulled the score back to 2-1 with a well-worked goal before Beck resumed his netbusting antics, his predatory instincts grabbing him another two goals before the break, one a fine left-footed effort from Georgia’s defence-splitting pass.
Buckland began the second period with Daniella replacing Jamie in defence and Josh coming on for Joey in midfield. Both made their mark, Daniella with some tough-tackling defensive work and Josh with his strong running on the flank.
Beck grabbed a sixth shortly after the restart to complete a stunning double hat-trick before handing over goalscoring duties to Harry, who was in sensational form in the middle of Buckland’s midfield. On any other day he would have surely walked off with the player of the week award, but Beck’s six of the best pipped him to the prize.

Harry drove through the middle at will, blasting home four times, with both feet, as Buckland ran away with the game. Broadmeadow were rewarded for their spirited efforts with a well-taken goal which just evaded the excellent Gabriel in Buckland’s goal. It’s fair to say that without Gabe, Dec, Jamie and Daniella the scoreline could have been very different.

Jamie showed flashes of Kenny Sansom-like quality, winning the ball in defence before surging forward and unleashing a fearsome shot from long range which the home keeper did well to push away.

Declan also pushed forward to play in the left midfield berth, progressing further up the pitch than any member of his immediate family had ever previously managed.

Once Harry’s goal glut was over he reverted to his former role as provider, passing on the goalscoring baton to Joey. Harry stormed down the wing before whipping in a cross to the back post where Joey was waiting to fire home with his left foot.

Moments later Harry’s clever ball allowed Joey to fire high into the net with his right foot to claim his second, and the little man completed his ‘perfect’ hat-trick with a stunning downwards header from Declan’s corner. It was the sort of goal superstars of world football like Didier Drogba, Nat Lofthouse or ‘Rambo Billy’ Whitehurst would have been proud to score.
Buckland’s management team of Paul and Darren, who have defied the bookies’ odds to remain in charge for a second season, were delighted with the way the team had handled their opening fixture.

‘While I was watching the World Cup this summer it dawned on me that the 2-4-0 Italian Catenaccio system we were using was too restricted, too rigid’, said Paul.

‘The football Spain played in South Africa told me that the game has moved on. I subsequently carried out an in-depth study of Spain manger Vicente Del Bosque’s methods and his team’s fluid lone striker system, and Darren once went on holiday to Benidorm, so we felt changing the system was the right thing to do.

“We see Beck as a cross between David Villa and Torres, Georgia as Iniesta, Harry as Xabi Alonso, Joey as Xavi, Declan and Jamie as Puyol and Pique, Gabe as Casillas, Daniella as Sergio Ramos and Josh as Pedro. I’m obviously Del Bosque and Darren is that big fat bloke with the drum.”

Buckland goals: Beck 6, Harry 4, Joey 3

Player of the week: Beck