Bens continue pre-season preparations
With the Eastern Local Football Association (ELFA) Super League Division Two season scheduled to kick off officially on April 5, Old Bens Football Club’s first XI have been hard at work with pre-season preparations.
New coach Raymond Cloete is pleased with his team’s performances of late and, with two wins against Bedfordview opposition, the team is growing in confidence.
The Old Bens first side took on Bedfordview Football Club’s first XI on Saturday, on a slippery Currin Park surface.
Old Bens started the game strongly and, for the first 20 minutes, put intense pressure on the Bedfordview defence.
The first goal of the match came when a shot at goal was fumbled by the Bedfordview keeper, who allowed a Bens player to tap it into the net.
Bedfordview came back at Old Bens and, with a great strike from the corner of the 18 yard box, the ball came off the crossbar and finished in the net.
Both sides worked hard in the wet conditions and a number of chances went wide of the goal.
Finally, a 30m strike from Dale Skinner whizzed off the wet surface and hit the back of the net, putting Old Bens 2-1 up.
Bedfordview tried hard in the last 15 minutes and put the younger Old Bens defence under immense pressure, to try to get a goal back, but with some good defending and goalkeeping the team managed to win 2-1.
“It was a good game for us to win, as Bedfordview FC is in a higher league than us,” said Cloete.
“We played some good football for long periods of time, with good crosses coming in from the right hand side, and short, one-touch passes from the left.
“All in all, it was a good performance.”
This victory comes off the back of a 3-2 win against another Bedfordview side, Bedfordview Saints, a week prior to this one.
Bens were down 1-0 early, after a dubious penalty decision was made for a handball in the area.
A great move down the right side allowed Old Bens to equalise, but, five minutes later, the team went 2-1 down.
Great vision from Eduardo “The Brazilian” Mendes led to the equaliser after a fantastic halfway line strike.
From that moment on Bens were in the driver’s seat and scored another to go into the halftime break 3-2 up.
In the second half, Old Bens ran riot and scored four more goals, courtesy of some defence-splitting passes from the midfield and defence.
Mendes was named Man of the Match, with an impressive hat trick.
