Wycombe & South Bucks League Cup, Round 2
Ruislip entered the competition at the 2nd round stage, determined to bounce back from the awful performance they gave in their last league outing two weeks ago. Straight from Seer Green’s kick off, Charlie Coshall and Mark Webb pressed high and forced an early concession of possession. The tone was set. To their credit, Seer Green, from a division below, looked to keep the ball on the ground but the midfield trio of Webb, Omari Reynolds and Harrison Deas had too much power and intelligence about them and the visitors rarely took the ball beyond the middle of the park.
The first half saw some wonderfully controlled football from the home side with threats coming from all areas but particularly from out wide where Ryan Morgan and Finn Edwards were very effective. The only thing missing was a goal. Luke Massingham twice, Remi Ogunbayo and Reynolds were unlucky not to score whilst Lennox Kedman and Coshall, who seems to be in the middle of his own personal miss of the season competition, both should have scored. But just when it looked like their goal drought was going to hit the hour and three quarter mark, Ruislip fashioned a goal of stunning simplicity but wonderful execution as Ogunbayo finished off the sublime approach play of Webb and Edwards expertly.
The half time consensus from the touchline was that with the door now ajar, it wouldn’t be long before Ruislip battered it down.
Within three minutes the ‘experts’ were proved correct as Kedman firstly latched sharply onto Massingham’s agricultural lump forward to finish skilfully before making a bit of a meal of finishing off Reynolds’ cross. Three nil and fully deserved. It could have been more as Ogunbayo turned Morgan’s cross onto the bar and Kedman nearly profited from Webb’s buccaneering run and cross but his clever flick drifted narrowly wide.
Massingham’s searing twenty five drive smacked back off the bar and Coshall was denied the goal his industry warranted when his effort was smuggled off the line.
Fifteen minutes from the end however Ruislip’s dominance was complete as Ben Higgins produced a thumping header from another of Massingham’s consistently excellent corners. There really was no stopping that one!
This was a very impressive response to the disappointment of last time and it was a proper team performance. Harry Sandiford in goal whilst not exactly overworked showed good handling and concentration. The defence of Massingham, Higgins and Lewis Crowley, happily looking back to something near his composed best, was solid, held a higher line and made better decisions in possession. The midfield trio of Deas, Reynolds with Webb in front were the heartbeat of the team. Morgan and Edwards provided consistently good delivery from wide areas and the rotating front runners of Coshall, Kedman and Ogunbayo were a constant threat and, just as impressive, showed an admirable willingness to defend from the front. There will be tougher games to come but this was a template that will serve the team well.
MoM tough one as no one fell below a 7/10 and Massingham, Webb & Reynolds were outstanding. However there is one player that doesn’t always get the credit he deserves as he often does the unnoticed dirty work but when he plays as intelligently and selflessly as this, Harrison Deas is going to prove to be a vital player in the coming months.