Shall we Sing a Song for you?

Seeing I forgot to put the team photo on last week – you’ll have to imagine the rain – and Cromie Robert…

Match Report by Philip Dunwoody

- Last gasp McCavery hat-trick inspires win
- Moderator calls the team “an embarrassment to Presbyterianism”

Renwick came from 5-2 down to defeat bitter rivals Derryvolgie 6-5 this week, but, whilst we went away happy with the result, there was once again some cause for concern with the manner in which we conceded five soft goals.
Renwick’s first challenge this week was to field a full team: Allen McCluggage, Andy Johnston, Robert McCollum, Peter Loughridge, Ben Hanna and Andy McKelvey were all unavailable, forcing the manager to reshuffle what was left of the squad. Ian Dunwoody made his first appearance of the season in place of Robert at centre back, and Ian Buchanan also pulled on the Renwick shirt for the first time this year upfront with Mark. Steelo started on the left wing, with Andy Lynch moving to left back, and Gavin Blackwell partnered Conor Hyndman in midfield.
In the freezing cold at Ozone, the game started at a rather frantic pace, with lots of players thumping the ball out of play for the first fifteen minutes, and neither team stringing their passes together. It was Renwick who struck first however, when DV conceded an own goal from one of Phil’s corners. The goal came as a result of some pressure on the DV goal: Mark hit a great shot on the half volley that smacked off the post, and Ian Buchanan and Phil also tested the keeper, so the goal was well deserved. DV were fast and organised, as they usually are, and had some dangerous strikers, and we couldn’t afford to rest on our lead. Our second goal came slightly against the run of play – a DV attack was cleared by the defence, and Gavin won the ball in midfield. He passed it onto Mark, who played it over the top for Phil to go through on the keeper. He saved it but didn’t get his hands on it, and Ian Buchanan tucked away the rebound. So, 2-0 up and causing problems for their defence, we looked good for the win, and had we got a third it might have been game over. However, instead we contrived to concede three sloppy goals before half time and gave them the advantage going into the second half. The first came after a mix-up at the back that wasn’t cleared properly, and allowed them a virtually open goal to aim at. The second came from a long range shot, when we didn’t close down the man, and the third went over Jonny’s head when he was off his line. They didn’t have too many other clear-cut chances, but that doesn’t matter much when you take the ones you get! Not playing at our best, and putting up with some soft refereeing, we didn’t raise our game to get back at them before half time.
Huddled in the cold on the sideline, we decided it was a half to forget in many ways, but at 3-2 down we were still in it. If we got our passing game going, we knew there were goals in the game for us. Robert Cromie made his Renwick debut on the wing in place of Steelo, who once again refereed, and we set about getting our lead back.
Instead, we conceded yet another scrappy goal within about seven minutes of the restart. DV played it into their no. 8 in the box, one of the more moronic individuals we’ve encountered on our travels with his constant complaining and niggling off the ball. But he managed to make room for the shot despite being surrounded by our entire defence. Jonny didn’t get to it, perhaps distracted by an off-the-ball skirmish, and now we had a game on our hands. Just to make life even more difficult however, we gift-wrapped one more goal for them, when one of them crossed the ball so badly it went into the net.
DV were unbearable now, thinking they had the game won and taking digs at us all over the pitch. But, credit to the team, we kept going, knowing that with a bit more effort we had the beating of them. With nothing to lose, we finally started playing with a bit more style and urgency, and suddenly DV were on the back foot and couldn’t get out of their own half. First Phil cut in from the left flank and had a good shot saved by the keeper, then Mark hit the post, and Ian Buchanan sent one over the bar. Phil then shot at goal from a long range free-kick, which looked every bit like the goal of his life until the keeper got to it at the last minute, turning it over for a corner. Shortly afterward though, the no. 7 got it right. We got another free kick just outside the box, courtesy of a clumsy tackle from their number 7. This time Phil sent it into the top of the net, and the keeper didn’t get to it. 5-3, fifteen minutes to go, and DV were rattled. We kept it coming for the rest of the half, Mark going close with a header at the back post, and Robert Cromie causing problems on the left. Eventually Mark found the net – Phil cut in from the right, played it to Ian, and he laid it off to Mark inside the box. He smashed it in to the top corner, and two minutes later tied the game up at 5-5; again Ian played him through, and after holding off some defenders in the box, he put his shot beyond the keeper’s reach.
We might have taken the draw at this point, and it looked like we might have to until one minute from the end. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with DV, the match ended in bitter controversy. Phil hit in a corner (the twentieth of the game, or there abouts!), and there was another scramble for it in the area, before a DV centre back blocked a shot by raising his hands in front of goal. After seeing the block, and no doubt knowing the abuse that would come his way, Steelo checked with the guy to see if he had actually used his hands, and he honestly replied that he had, so a penalty was rewarded. The reaction from the DV lads was ridiculous to the point of disgraceful, surrounding Steelo and shouting in his face, and it meant that we weren’t really able to enjoy the moment when Mark put his spot-kick through the keeper’s legs with virtually the last action of the game.
Needless to say there weren’t many hand-shakes after this one, except from some of the opposition’s more civil players, but thankfully nobody lost an eye, so it’s all good! We won, and played a great thirty minutes of football in the second half. Mark got a deserved hat-trick and gave a man-of-the-match performance, taking his total to eleven for the season.
The league finally starts next week, and we’re all very excited. Especially for the Derryvolgie game…

Team (4-4-2): J.McCollum – A.Morrison, I.Dunwoody, S.McCollum, A.Lynch – P.Dunwoody (c), C.Hyndman, G.Blackwell, S.Steele (R.Cromie) – M.McCavery, I.Buchanan

That’s not what they were called at kick-off…

Match Report by Philip Dunwoody

- RPs leave it late to defeat minnows
- Robert McCollum tries his hand at goal-keeping during game

Renwick left Ozone with their second win of the season this week, but made life difficult for themselves against unfamiliar opposition in the form of new boys F.C. Twente One. On an extremely blustery and windy afternoon, Renwick twice went ahead only to allow their opponents back into the game with some very soft goals, before Mark McCavery headed in a winner ten minutes from full time.
The team once again had a reshuffle from last week – with Allen McCluggage unavailable at right back, Andy Morrison took his place, making room for Ben Hanna to start at left back. Andy Johnston started upfront with Mark, and Andy McKelvey made a welcome return in midfield, in place of Peter Loughridge, who had some studying to do, and managed to tear himself away from the sideline at some point towards the end of the first half. Needless to say he will be rearranging his schedule for next week! Steelo refereed the first half, before making an appearance for most of the second half upfront.
The early exchanges in the game suggested Twente One didn’t have much to offer that we wouldn’t be able to deal with, but immediately there was a sense that we hadn’t quite started at our sharpest. Whilst they didn’t have too many clear-cut chances we weren’t getting close enough to them at times or winning enough tackles. Nevertheless, we had some half chances, with Andy Lynch and Phil getting space on the flanks, but, with a strong wind, only the most precise crossing would be of any use to the strikers. Twente One had some pace upfront, and after 15 minutes or so they forced the ball between our midfield and defence, and sent their striker through on goal. A communications break down at the back left Jonny in No Man’s Land with our defenders, and only Robert McCollum stood between the striker and an empty net. The guy hit a shot, which Robert managed to block with his hand, forcing Steelo to point immediately for a penalty for the opposition, but since he hadn’t brought his rule book and this was a friendly, there weren’t too many shouts for a red card…! Despite having to take the penalty twice, the striker still put it beyond Jonny’s reach, and they had a slightly unlikely lead.
The goal woke us up and forced to take our game up a gear. We attacked with more purpose and the midfield started to combine well with Mark and A.J, who were once again causing serious problems for an inferior defence. The final ball was lacking for a while though, with AJ, Mark and Andy Lynch all going close, and we also caused problems from a few corners. Twente One looked slow at the back, and eventually we got our goal, when Andy Lynch went on a run up the left before playing it into Mark. He put Phil through on goal, and he left the keeper no chance with a shot into the far bottom corner of the goal. We deserved our equaliser, and had plenty more chances before the end of the half – AJ going closest with an over-head kick that left the keeper scrambling. Andy McKelvey hit the post with a header from Phil’s corner, and Andy Lynch sent a shot over the bar. However, it was tied up at the half, which came too soon for us.
We knew at half time that an early goal was important, and we got our wish when, in the first minute of the second half, Andy McKelvey sent a long throw into the box, which AJ duly headed into the top corner for his fifth of the season. It was exactly what we needed, but unfortunately we didn’t at all take advantage of it. Instead we seemed to slack off extremely quickly, and didn’t really get going for a while at all. Twente One were not threatening, but we were coasting, and got punished with a soft goal, a dubious free kick that bounced in the box and went straight through into our net. Again, it shook us up and showed we hadn’t done enough to put the game to bed. Twente One attacked with more desire, but Jonny McCollum once again had an excellent game in goal, and dealt with any danger confidently. At the other end we created some better openings ourselves. We ended up regaining our lead quite quickly, when a shot struck a defender’s arm in the box and the ref quickly pointed to the spot. Mark, our regular spot-kick specialist, stepped up and hit a good shot into the bottom corner to get us ahead again.
No sooner had we regained the lead than we had squandered it again. From their first attack, Twente One forced a corner. With four men on the line we still let the ball squeeze in somehow, and frustratingly found ourselves on level terms. With fifteen minutes to go we took it to them again, though far too much of our play consisted of long balls to the strikers. AJ and Steelo continued to move the back four around and brought Conor and Phil into the game. Mark, Phil and AJ all went close from distance, and we had several corners and throw ins that troubled them. Nonetheless it looked like we might be made to pay for our earlier lapses, until one final corner in the last ten minutes. The defence didn’t deal with it well enough, and Mark, unmarked, headed it into the top corner from nine yards. Relief as much as happiness was the general feeling at that point! This time we managed to hold on for the win, and were able to go home a lot happier than we might have done, though Strob, perhaps still guilt-ridden from the first goal, had to be informed that we had in fact won, since he’d lost track of who had scored when!
So, a low-par performance, but we grabbed the win, and end our pre-league season campaign unbeaten, which sounds good ( a league is being organised and should start next week. The job was taken on by none other than Andy Johnston, who, it seems, is never far from the headlines in this business). We may have been playing within ourselves, but, as we all know from our days at Boys’ Camp, it’s the winning rather than the taking part that counts. Pity Pete Loughridge didn’t get to do either…!

Team (4-4-2): J.McCollum – A.Morrison, R.McCollum, S.McCollum, B.Hanna (S.Steele) – P.Dunwoody (c), A.McKelvey, C.Hyndman, A.Lynch (B.Hanna) – M.McCavery, A.Johnston

Phil in the thick of the action

Mark on the ball

Andy L

The defence

Mark saves the day by heading home the winner

“Let each one of us, then, proceed according to the measure of his puny capacity and set out upon the journey we have begun. No one shall set out so inauspiciously as not daily to make some headway, though it be slight. Therefore, let us not cease to act that we may make some unceasing progress in the way of the Lord. And let us not despair at the slightness of our success; for even though attainment may not correspond to desire, when today outstrips yesterday the effort is not lost.”

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.VI.5 (365!)

What I want to know is how many games we have to play before we can justify holding a football dinner?!

Man of the Match McCluggage wasn’t going to take a draw lying down!

Match Report by Philip Dunwoody:

It was all tied up after ninety minutes for Renwick this week, with the RP lads unable to overcome their Presbyterian rivals at Ozone.
In a great game of football, frequently the case with these two sides, no one managed to snatch a win on a breezy, grey day in Belfast. Both sides had plenty of chances, and will feel they could have won the game, so a draw was probably a fair result.
Management was forced to make changes from the team that steam-rollered Church of Ireland last week, with Andy McKelvey, Gavin Blackwell and Andy Johnston all unavailable. Allen McCluggage moved to right back, where he ended up last week, and put in a man-of-the-match performance. He offered plenty in attack, overlapping Phil and putting in some great crosses, as well as staying solid at the back and covering anything loose in the box. Jonny McCollum continued in nets, and gave what was probably his best performance ever in the no. 1 shirt. He was decisive and brave coming off his line and cleared well when he needed to. Andy Morrison moved to left back, and Conor dropped back into midfield with Pete in place of Andy McKelvey. Mark continued upfront, partnered by Steelo, both of whom worked hard all day but perhaps should have had more goals. Phil and Andy Lynch played out wide.
The game began at a good pace, with both teams contesting well for the ball and also trying to string their passes together. Renwick had gone into the game aware of the need to keep things tight and work as a unit, as opposed to our more out-going attacking approach last week. Union fought hard in midfield and looked dangerous from the start, but Renwick threatened first when some good work by Mark and Andy Lynch put Conor through, who did well to shift the ball across the box to Phil, who probably should have tested the goalkeeper at least, but shot narrowly wide of the post. Union then went straight down the other end and hit a post, through their no. 9, Graham, who, when records ended, was top scorer in the Mini League last season. The game was fairly evenly balanced: Mark was linking well with the midfielders, who were fighting hard for possession, but Union were also giving a good account of themselves. After 15 or 20 minutes, and slightly against the run of play, Union’s goal scorer Graham was put through and fought off our defenders to strike a great shot into the far corner. It was disappointing to concede, obviously, but we were playing well, and just needed to get tighter to our men in defence and midfield. Union were attacking right down the middle, preferring to stifle our attacks by marking our wingers with their wingers as well as their full backs, and they were asking questions of our back four. To be fair, after their goal, and bar one other shot, they didn’t have many clear-cut chances, and Robert and Steve got tighter to their men and sniffed out any danger fairly well. With Andy and Phil tied up in double coverage on the flanks, our main threat came from Allen, bombing forward from right back. He put in some great crosses – one in particular really should have been finished off – but covered well at the back also. Mark was giving their defenders plenty to worry about too, and had the beating of his man several times, before Andy Morrison tidied up some scrappy play out on the left and a dangerous pass was played through from midfield. Mark went in on the ‘keeper and made no mistake with a good finish in the bottom corner. Having equalised we sensed there were more goals in for us. Pete went close from a corner, heading just past the post, Mark shot over when in on the ‘keeper again, and Phil shot at goal from two free kicks. Union did not have many chances in our box, but their midfielders looked dangerous, and forced us to work hard for possession. We didn’t manage to finish off any more chances, however, and it was 1-1 at half time.
Ben Hannah, sub in the first half, began the second as referee, before quickly coming on at left back for Andy Morrison, who graciously took the whistle. Ben gave a good performance in the second half; having the advantage of being left-footed he was more comfortable on that side, and also threatened in attack with his pace. We started the second half as we finished the first, knocking on the door but not quite finishing off our best moves. We soon got a second goal, however, when a goal-mouth scramble gave Mark a tap-in from close range. It was a great start to the half, but we were not able to relax, as the goal seemed to push Union on and give them fresh motivation in attack. They definitely created more in the second half, and Renwick were under pressure for the first twenty minutes or so. Jonny did well in goal, seeing any loose balls away safely. We seemed to have weathered the storm, but then Graham the striker was put through and our defenders unsuccessfully tried to play him offside. It wasn’t given and Graham, clean through on Jonny, gave him no chance with a great finish.
The game then turned into a good old fashioned slog at this point – Union were re-energised by the goal, we were given a wake-up call, and in the last twenty five minutes we basically cancelled each other out. In the end, we definitely had more chances. Our best came when Mark again beat his man but shot over. Allen also blazed one over the bar, Phil’s shots didn’t do enough to worry the ‘keeper, Steelo couldn’t turn in a near-post corner and Ben’s shot from distance was also saved by the no. 1. As the half wore on our wingers linked up more with the strikers, but too often the ball didn’t stick upfront, and it was a case of the final ball lacking. Eventually Andy Mo blew his whistle and we shook hands and trudged off. Exhausted and wet, we agreed it was probably a fair result, given the chances they created in the first twenty minutes of the second half.
Everyone in a Renwick shirt worked extremely well: Robert and Steve were up against a good striker, yet he didn’t actually trouble Jonny much apart from his goals, a credit to the Ballyclabber brothers. Mark and Steelo ran all day upfront and had the beating of their men, and Andy Lynch was always a threat on the left. Conor and Pete, also up against good footballers, fought hard all day and continued to provide good passes and set up our attacks. All in all, a good day’s work, and a highly enjoyable game. Union are one of the more civil bunch of lads we play against, and none of the three referees had to deal with too many problems. Whether we have a game next week or not remains to be seen, but we gained plenty of experience from this match for any league that materialises in future weeks.

Team (4–4–2): J.McCollum – A.McCluggage, R.McCollum, S.McCollum, A.Morrison (B.Hannah) – P.Dunwoody, P.Loughridge, C.Hyndman, A.Lynch – S.Steele, M.McCavery