Tour Matches

OUR RESULTS IN A FOUR-TEAM TOURNAMENT IN KACICE, Czech Republic Saturday 26th May 2001
(All matches of 20 minutes each-way duration)
EDMONTON ROVERS (England)	0	RESSLOVKA ESTEC (Czech Republic)	5	HT 0-2
*Our* *Line-Up (with Marks out of 10): Stavros ELIA ( 7 ); Dave DIETMAN ( 5½ ), Tony SPELLER ( 6 ), Stuart DORWARD ( 6½ ), Steve BEASLEY ( 6 ); Mark HOWLEY ( 4½ ), Paul REBAIRO ( 7 ), Derek DORWARD ( 5 ), Lee OSBORN ( 6 ); Dave RUSSELL ( 6 ), Paul ELLERKER ( 5½ ) Sub.:* Adam YOUENS ( 5 )
*Our Goalscorers:* None
Report: We were unfortunate enough to face the best team in the Tournament first (before we could find out just how good they were !). Not that any defensive-minded tactics would have worked if we had played them later as our injury-hit squad just wasn't strong enough to cope with the 90-degree heat, the numerous pints of cheap beer the night before and especially Resslovka's sweeper (see picture left), who had played for Dynamo Kiev for three years during the 80's and was by far the best player in the Tournament despite being in his 40's ! In fact our on-loan striker from Percival, Dave Russell, said he was the best defender he had ever played against, and with Dave having played in the Ryman or Spartan South Midlands League for a number of years it showed what we were up against. We really needed the likes of Russell Beeden, Marco Ellerker, Robin Pryke & John Beasley to be playing to have any chance of winning this particular match but they were either injured or sitting at home (reading a book ?!) and with Mark Howley and Adam Youens having to come on as substitutes for each other every 10 minutes because they were so unfit having not played for 'years', we were more or less playing with 10 men right from the start. Indeed virtually all of Resslovka's goals came about because our players were looking towards the touchline for items such as water bottles, asthma inhalers and cigarette lighters while the ball was in play, leaving men unmarked to score with easy finishes from close range past a blameless Stavros Elia.

EDMONTON ROVERS (England)	2	T.J. SOKOL KACICE (Czech Republic)	3	HT 1-2
*Our* *Line-Up (with Marks out of 10): Stavros ELIA ( 6 ); Dave DIETMAN ( 6½ ), Tony SPELLER ( 6½ ), Stuart DORWARD ( 6½ ), Steve BEASLEY ( 6½ ); Adam YOUENS ( 4 ), Paul REBAIRO ( 6½ ), Derek DORWARD ( 5 ), Lee OSBORN ( 7 ); Dave RUSSELL ( 7 ), Paul ELLERKER ( 5 ) Subs.:* None Left (All knackered !)
*Our Goalscorers:* D.Russell (4 Mins.), S.Dorward (37 Mins.)
Report: As we were 'drawn' to play our second match immediately after our first game (without a break in between because they were 'running late'), it looked suspiciously like a 'stitch-up' by our Czech hosts T.J. Sokol Kacice, who of course had a break in-between all of their matches, as did S.K. Resslovka ! In fact Kacice weren't a particularly good side and we would undoubtedly have beaten them if we had played them in cooler weather and with some sort of rest beforehand. However, despite Dave Russell giving us an early lead in the 4th minute, the heat then really took it's toll, particularly on Adam Youens, who spent most of the match standing on the touchline with a water bottle in his hand, thereby presumably earning a mark of 4 out of 10 from Manager Trevor Hughes for just being on the pitch...or at least one of his feet were (so that he wouldn't get booked for 'leaving the field of play without permission' ?!). Unfortunately that gave centre-half Stuart Dorward some ideas, but as Stuart stood near the touchline to have a 'quick drink' in the 17th minute he was suddenly interrupted by Trevor Hughes commenting 'Oh, by the way Stuart...the bloke you are supposed to be marking has just run through from the half-way line and scored !' That made it 2-1 at Half-Time (after Kacice had equalised in the 9th minute after more slack marking...(see picture above right)) and when they made it 3-1 half-way through the Second Half with an excellent chip, we were never really going to pull back the defecit, although Stuart Dorward redeemed himself with a consolation goal with three minutes to go (see picture left) after a good one-two with Dave Russell. Unfortunately though (although not unexpectedly), one or two players were having a bit of a nightmare (both in this match and the one before) because of the previous night's drinking session, with Paul Ellerker even managing to play like a drunken Terry Clark (Rovers player from the 80's who kept stumbling over and slicing the ball straight at the camera). Thankfully though, I had a brilliant vantage point to film the games from well away from him at the top of a roadside verge on a hill overlooking the pitch...even though juggernauts were passing by every five minutes within six inches of the camera !!

EDMONTON ROVERS (England)	0	HEATHFIELD SPORTS (England)	3	HT 0-0
*Our* *Line-Up (with Marks out of 10): Stavros ELIA ( 7 ); Dave DIETMAN ( 6 ), Tony SPELLER ( 6 ), Paul REBAIRO ( 6 ), Lee OSBORN ( 6 ); Laurence HUGHES ! ( 6 ), Stuart DORWARD ( 6 ), Derek DORWARD ( 6 ), Steve BEASLEY ( 6 ); Dave RUSSELL ( 6 ), Paul ELLERKER ( 6 ) Subs.:* None Left (All knackered !)
*Our Goalscorers:* None
Report: Our final game was against the other English team in the Tournament, Heathfield Sports, who were from Kingston in Surrey, although they had an excessively noisy (and pissed ?) supporter with them with a really irritating high-pitched Northern accent which we all felt like strangling ! However, the rest of them were a good laugh and we had a good close game with them in terms of possession and chances created. The fact that they run four Saturday teams (one of whom reached the Surrey Junior Cup Final this season) and a Sunday Team in the Morden & District League (the same League as Mitcham Park Royals who knocked us out of the London F.A. Sunday Junior Cup) perhaps turned out to be crucial though as they brought a much bigger squad of fit players with them and it was three late goals in the space of seven minutes because of this that did the damage. Of course, this game saw the 'traditional Rovers Tour event' of the Cameraman having to play because of too many others being too pissed or knackered to play in the last match, and with yours truly ending up in the centre of midfield alongside the only player at the club who can actually run slower (Steve Beasley), we were unable to sprint back quickly enough to help the defence as they became over-run. However, the same thing was happening at the other end as with the Dorwards staying up in attack we created numerous chances but Heathfield's keeper had an inspired match and saved everything, leaving us in bottom place (as usual) and with red faces caused by a mixture of sunburn, excess alcohol and embarrassment !